BIEBESHEIMER, Harold 1900-1951

BIEBESHEIMER, REED

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 2/24/2019 at 17:38:14

Harold Bieber, Retarded Tots' Benefactor Dies

Harold M. (Hal) Bieber, a Hollywood banker who won national attention for his work for mentally retarded children, today was dead. He was 51.

He was stricken fatally about 7 last night at Long Beach just after he had presented a charter to a new group there which will aid such youngsters.

And he died about 2 1/2 hours later of coronary thrombosis in Seaside Hospital at Long Beach, with his wife, Fern, and friends at the hospital.

A junior vice president of the Citizens National Bank and manager of its Hollywood-McCadden Branch since 1947, he found time for many other civic activities despite the great amount of time and energy he poured into helping low-IQ children.

His interest in that work came because the Biebers' only child, Richard, is mentally retarded.

Foundation Head
Mr. Bieber for the last three years has served as president of the Exceptional Children's Foundation, 2225 W. Adams Blvd., and only last week returned from the Minneapolis convention of the National Association for Mentally Retarded Children.

There he was elected the national treasurer, and there he succeeded in obtaining the 1952 convention for Los Angeles.

Only this year, related Charles Griffith, a trustee of the Exceptional Children's Foundation, Mr. Bieber was "largely responsible" for obtaining a new State law that opens public schools to children with I.Q.s (intelligence quotients) under 50 if those youngsters are educatable. Such children were barred previously.

The Exceptional Children's Foundation chartered the new Long Beach group, at whose dinner meeting Mr. Bieber was stricken.

Played Big Role
As chairman of the foundation's Building Committee, Mr. Bieber played a big role in obtaining funds with which the group bought its present home in January, 1950.

A native of Wellsburg, Iowa, he came here with his family in 1912, attended Los Angeles High School and later Lake Forest preparatory school in the Chicago area, and began his banking career at Wellsburg in 1920. He came back here in 1925, and joined the Citizens bank in 1926.

He was very active in Kiwanis, being a director of the Hollywood club; was a director of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, was a member of the Board of Managers of the Hollywood YMCA and belonged to the Masquers and the Trojaneers organization which supports the University of Southern California's athletic activities. He belonged to the Montague Masonic Lodge, Eldora, Iowa.

Beside the widow, of the family residence at 1223 S. Hudson Ave., and his son, he leaves three brothers, Wendell, Hastings, Nebr., Carl, 2115 Seventh Ave.; John, Los Angeles, and his mother, Mrs. Charles Biebesheimer, of 2113 Seventh Ave.

Funeral arrangements are being made by Pierce Bros. Hollywood mortuary.

--Los Angeles Evening Citizen News (Hollywood, California), 25 September 1951

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Death of Harold Biebesheimer In California

Word has been received in the county of the death of Harold Biebesheimer in Los Angeles at the age of 51. Death came suddenly following a heart attack on Monday.

Harold Biebesheimer was born and grew up in Wellsburg. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Biebesheimer. The elder Biebesheimer was manager of the Wellsburg Savings Bank for many years and was one of the organizers of the bank.

Harold Biebesheimer married the former Fern Reed from Eldora.

Since going to California, Biebesheimer had been manager of one of the Banks of America.

He is survived by his widow, one son, and his mother, all of Los Angeles; three brothers, Carl and John of Los Angeles; and Wendell who lives in Nebraska. He was preceded in death by his father.

C. A. Biebesheimer of Grundy Center and Dr. G. A. Biebesheimer of Reinbeck are cousins of the deceased.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 27 September 1951, pg 8