Lawrence Peter Berra (1925 - 2015)

Born 12 May 1925 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Died 22 Sep 2015 at age 90 in West Caldwell Township, Essex, New Jersey, United States

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Biography

Yogi Berra is Notable.

'It ain't over until it's over'; Yogi Berra was a legendary New York Yankees catcher and D-Day veteran as well as the inspiration behind Yogi Bear cartoon.^[1]

Lawrence Peter Berra^[2] was born in St. Louis on May 12, 1925, the son of Pietro, a laborer in a brickyard, and Pauline Berra.^[3] He grew up in 'The Hill,' or Italian district, with three older brothers and a younger sister.^[4][5]

Berra was forced to drop out of school in the eighth grade and go to work to help support his family. He took jobs in a coal yard, as a truck driver and in a shoe factory. He continued to play amateur baseball, which brought him to the attention of major league scouts.

In 1943, his first professional season with the Yankees' farm team in Norfolk, Virginia, was interrupted by World War II.^[2] He joined the Navy at age 18 and volunteered for duty on a secret mission – training to operate machine guns on a 36-foot “rocket” boat.^[2][3]

Yogi and his five crew mates provided cover fire on Omaha Beach, softening the German defenses to support the Allied invasion during the D-Day invasion of Normandy.^[2]

Berra married Carmen Short in 1949. The couple, who met in their native St. Louis, had three sons, including Dale Berra, who played in the major leagues as an infielder.

Yogi Berra, the 10 World Series championships record holder with the Yankees, died of natural causes at his home in New Jersey September 22, 2015.^[2][6] His family said: 'While we mourn the loss of our father, grandfather and great-grandfather, we know he is at peace with Mom. We celebrate his remarkable life, and are thankful he meant so much to so many. He will truly be missed.'^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Yogi Berra," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Yogi Berra (accessed November 3, 2018).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} TogetherWeServed - S1c Lawrence Berra
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "Missouri, Reports of Separation Notices, 1941-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2Q4-HX9J : accessed 1 May 2017), Lawrence Peter Berra, 07 Jun 1946; citing Military Service, Lido Beach, Long Island, New York, United States, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7HD-RTD : accessed 1 May 2017), Lawrence Berra in household of Peter Berra, Ward 24, St. Louis, St. Louis City, St. Louis City, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 96-615, sheet 12A, line 27, family 226, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2206.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHJY-8CF : accessed 1 May 2017), Lawrence Berra in household of Pete Berra, St Louis (Districts 1-250), St Louis (Independent City), Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 162, sheet 18A, line 29, family 276, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1241; FHL microfilm 2,340,976.
6. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 02 November 2018), memorial page for Yogi Berra (12 May 1925–22 Sep 2015), Find A Grave: Memorial #152685056, citing Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Hanover, Morris County, New Jersey, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave .
7. ↑ Facebook Posting: The Greatest Generation Group

• Terry, Dickson. "Baseball's Incredible Kid." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 3 July 1949, p. 3G.

• Yogi Berra's Lombard heritage - by Marielle Radaelli for Luminosity Italia. "Yogi visited Malvaglio in the late ’50s. “The whole family clan went out to dinner,” Giuseppe says. “Yogi spoke the Milanese he learned from his parents." [1]