Obituary for Charles A Stein

Found Dead in Garage on Saturday Morning; Prominent Here in Civic and Fraternal Circles

Scores of friends of Charles A. Stein, local real estate and insurance man, and leader in many civic organizations, were shocked Saturday at the news of his death when it was announced that prostrate form was found in the rear seat of his automobile at 9:30 o’clock, Mrs. Stein discovered the body. He was 52 years of age. Deputy Coroner Dr. H. W. Saul of Kutztown was summoned, and he pronounced death due to an acute heart attack, super induced by gastric indigestion
Mr. Stein was the last of a line of prominent Berks county distillers, he himself having been engaged in that business until the prohibition laws went into effect, when he immediately closed his distillery
Mr. Stein was born n Greenwich Township, on May 20, 1879, and had been a resident of this community his entire lifetime. is parents were the late Isaac B. and Caroline Sechler, Stein. He was educated in the local schools and in 1900 graduated from the Keystone State Normal school. He taught school for three terms, and than engaged in business with his father in distilling and the wholesale liquor trade.
He was married to Miss Nora Dietrich, of Kutztown, and the union was blessed with one son, Russell, who teaches in the Greenville public schools. Besides the immediate family, three sisters, Clara, Laura and Catherine Stein, also survive. Mr. Stein’s activities were numerous in Kutztown, and he was a leader in every sense of the word. At the time of his death he served as secretary of the Kutztown Telephone & Telegraph Co., secretary of the Farmers bank and Trust Co., secretary of the Kutztown Board of Education, and a member of the Rotary Club.
He was past president of the Kutztown Chamber of Commerce, and last year served on the executive committee of that organization. He always had worthwhile ideas to advance at the meetings. Mr. Stein was most prominent in advocating better school facilities for Kutztown, and in that end he gave quite a bit of time during the recent campaign for the passage of a bond issue which was successful.
In addition, the deceased was a member of the Grange, a member of the Volunteer Fire Co., Huguenot Lodge, F. and A. M., and the Shrine and Consistory, the Eagles, the Allentown Real Estate Board and minor organizations. In each of these connections he had a host of friends.
Funeral services were held from his late home, Main St., Kutztown, with private burial in Hope cemetery, of which Mr. Stein was a director. Rev. George B. Smith of St. Paul’s Reformed church, where the deceased was a member and former councilman, conducted the services. the remains were view by scores of friends on Monday evening. There were many floral pieces from organizations and friends, showing the esteem in which Mr. Stein was held in his community. Undertaker, George Schaeffer was in charge of the funeral.

Patriot, 10,8,1931.