Charles Bern and wife have a handsome residence on Church Street, Santa Cruz, where they spend their days in ease and comfort. Mr. Bern is an old resident of Santa Cruz, and intends to make this his abiding-place as long as he lives.
He is a native of Saxony, Germany, and was born in 1830. He attended the public schools of Saxony, and also learned the cabinet maker's trade. Soon after completing his apprenticeship he made up his mind to go to America. The Hamburg ship Gianette und Bertha was then in port, loading a general merchandise cargo for San Francisco. From what he had heard of America, California, seemed to offer the best field for the gathering of his fortune; and so, with a few others, Mr. Bern applied to the master of the Bessel for enrollment as a passenger. The ship was a carrier of freight only, but the captain arranged accommodations for the young emigrants, and early in 1850 our subject embarked for the Golden West, to win his fortune and to make his home.
The voyage was long and uneventful. For eleven long months the Gianette und Bertha, with her discontented crew, was the victim of contrary winds and tides; and at last, after the Atlantic had been crossed, Cape Horn rounded, and the long voyage up the western coast of the continent to San Francisco had been accomplished, even then in sight of the promised land, the belated mariners were for six weeks denied the privilege of setting their feet on shore. The reason was a long spell of fox and extremely rough weather, and the lack of a pilot familiar with the waters of the Golden Gate.
After landing Mr. Bern began to look for employment at his trade. He soon found work at something so nearly like it that his knowledge of cabinet making stood him in good stead. His new vocation was that of making saddletrees. His employer took him to San Jose, at that time an isolated village. Here he met John Werner, then a journeyman saddler. The two soon struck up acquaintance, and shortly afterwards came to Santa Cruz together, where both have ever since had their homes.
Mr. Bern has followed several different, lines of trade in Santa Cruz. First he was a maker of Saddletrees, then a cabinet maker, then a butcher, and lastly a nurseryman and florist. All his undertakings were profitable, and he has accumulated a fair competency.
In 1861 Mr. Bern was married to Miss Caroline Marwede, a sister of Mrs. Henry Fell Parsons, Mrs. Werener Finkeldey, and Mrs. E. Kunitz, all the wives of well-known and respected citizens of Santa Cruz. Mrs. Bern is a native of Hanover, Germany. In 1889 Mr. And Mrs. Bern visited Europe and the fatherland. As previously stated, they expect to make Santa Cruz their home as long as they live.
History of Santa Cruz County, California
by E.S. Harrison
Published by Pacific Press Publishing Company
San Francisco, Cal., 1892
Transcribed by Yvonne Valentine
Santa Cruz County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
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