James F. Bertha

Mr. James Frank Bertha, Sr., 99, of 1434 Archive Street, Rock Hill, SC, passed away on Sunday, November 7, 2021 at Piedmont Medical Center.

The funeral service will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at Charlotte Avenue Church of Christ in Rock Hill, SC. Viewing will be from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm prior to the service. Burial will be in Grandview Memorial Cemetery on Cherry Road in Rock Hill, SC.

Mr. Bertha was born in Heath Springs, Lancaster County, SC. He was the son of the late Hazel Bertha and the late Emma Duncan Bertha Sherrill. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Sallie Gaines Bertha; his son, William Lee Bertha; his granddaughter, Shannon Dainiele Barber; his sister, Alice Mae Bertha Beckham; and his brother, L. J. Bertha.

Being sharecroppers, his family was of very meager means; however, their roots in religion and the Christian faith ran deep. At the young age of fourteen, James became the man of the house upon the death of his father. He took care of his mother, sister, and younger brother. He made all decisions concerning which farms to work and when to move on. By the age of 21, Mr. Bertha decided to move his family away from that lifestyle and found a more permanent work environment in the Rock Hill area. He worked in several places including a dairy, a shell plant during WWII, and as a construction worker. While helping to dig the foundation for the Celriver Plant in Rock Hill, the plant manager met him and hired him to begin working on the day the plant was to open. James worked at the Celriver Plant for 38 years until his retirement at age 65.

While Mr. Bertha's lifestyle as a child left very little time for a formal education, he had a drive and a thirst for knowledge and vowed that his children would all have a higher education. He vision was fulfilled when all seven of his children earned Bachelor Degrees and other advanced degrees, which made him so proud.

Mr. Bertha was a man of integrity and of deep religious Christian faith, he along with his wife raised their children in the Christian way. They prayed together as a family each night before bed, giving thanks to God through Jesus Christ for all of the blessings that he had bestowed upon them and continued to bestow upon them. James Bertha led by example and was well known throughout the community. If anyone came by the house asking for food, he always fed them. Several times, strangers were sent to him needing a place to stay, and James and his wife would take them in and always made room.

James Bertha was a choir leader and part of a quartet, who were the first African Americans to perform on the WRHI Sunday morning show. When the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed, Mr. Bertha played an active role in driving voters to the polls. Whenever people in the community needed his help, he was always there. He was a family man who loved his wife, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren; he loved all of his family and friends genuinely.

Mr. Bertha is survived by his sons James Frank Bertha, Jr. and Alexander Bertha (Sherry); his daughters, Sally Ann Bertha, Rose Bertha Cummings (James), Emma Bertha Peoples (Vallo), and Doris Bertha Barber (Albert); his sister, Bessie Johnson; his sisters-in-law, Martha Gaines Glen, Elizabeth Gaines Miles, and Ida R. Gaines; and a host of grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and other family members and friends.

Robinson Funeral Home is assisting The Bertha family. The family will receive friends at the home.