DONDANVILLE
DONTANVILLE
DONTENVILLE

22.7
ANNA BERTHA DONTANVILLE (1893- )
ALOYSIUS H. LEUER

Anna Bertha Dontanville, youngest of the seven children of Wallace Dontanville and Josephine Elbert was born in Pasadena on November 9, 1893. In her early teen years she ran a small store that had been established for the convenience of migrant workers and others occupying the cabins that had been constructed on the Dontanville property. In 1920 she was still living at home with her parents and her occupation was listed as milliner.

In the early 1920s Bertha married Aloysius Leuer, a California native, who would go on to become a prominent architect and builder in the Los Angeles Area. While they owned a house on Villa Street in Pasadena, they never lived there. They established their home at Long Beach near the office of Aloysius', firm Leuer and Brown. Their only child, Elaine, was born in Long Beach about 1927. She died in her sixth year.

Aloysius Leuer was influential in the Catholic Community in Los Angeles. He was, at one time, Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus. His influence and reputation as an architect, led to the selection of his firm for design and construction of many of the prominent churches and schools built in the Los Angeles Dioceses in the mid 20th century.

Being the youngest of the Dontanville girls, and having lost her own daughter, Bertha was particularly close to the daughters of her older sisters. They fondly referred to Bertha and Aloysius as Auntie Bert and Uncle Bob. Bertha died in Yucca Valley, California, February 24, 1967. Aloysius died in Long Beach, November 5, 1971.

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