Bertram Julius ‘Bert’ Rosenbush Jr.

Published 4:39 pm Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Bertram Julius “Bert” Rosenbush Jr., 89, of Demopolis, died Jan. 10, 2019, at his home.

Mr. Rosenbush was born in Demopolis on Nov. 2, 1929, to the late Bertram Julius and Miriam Stein Rosenbush. He was the grandson of the late Julius and Essie Baum Rosenbush. He graduated from Demopolis High School and attended Marion Military Institute and the University of Alabama before entering the family furniture business.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Better Doris Wallerstein, of Richmond, Virginia.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Mary Louise Bell Rosenbush; and two nieces and a nephew, Sandra W. Friend (Jim), Susan Wallerstein, and Richard S. Wallerstein Jr. (Leah).

Mr. Rosenbush worked until his retirement in 2002 in the family furniture business, the Rosenbush Furniture Company, founded by his grandfather in 1895. Bert Jr. was the manager, a partner, and later owner over a 50-year period. Rosenbush Furniture Company was Alabama oldest family owned furniture store until the Rosenbushes retired. It had been in business 108 years.

Upon retirement, Bert and his wife Mary Louise gave the City of Demopolis the Rosenbush Furniture Company Building and the accompanying warehouse. Both are on the National Historic Register. The building will retain the name the Rosenbush Building and houses the Marengo County History and Archive Museum. This was the largest gift ever given to the City of Demopolis.

Mr. Rosenbush was of the Jewish faith and on Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2009, he and Mrs. Rosenbush made a generous gift of Holocaust Monument for the Jewish Cemetery in Demopolis. He was a Mason for over 60 years and requested a masonic funeral. Bert was a charter member of the Demopolis Country Club, a Shriner and member of numerous civic and business organizations.

Honorary pallbearers are Admiral Bryan Whitfield Compton, Dr. William Hill, Kenneth Marlowe, Henry Huckabee, Skeebo Holman, T.M. Culpepper, and loyal and dedicated caregiver Sam Evans.

Graveside services will be at B’nai Jeshurm Cemetery in Demopolis on Saturday, Jan. 12, at 2 p.m., with Steven King officiating and Kirk Funeral Homes Demopolis Chapel directing. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to a favorite charity.