Mrs. Bertha L. (Diemand) Slattery of 469 State St, widow of George [his name was William] Slattery, died Monday afternoon in Mercy Hospital after a brief illness. Born in Lucerne, Switzerland, daughter of the late Jacob and Mary (Alamen) Diemand, she had been a resident of Springfield for over 35 years. She was a member of the Married Ladies Sodality of St Michael's Cathedral. Survivors include a son, William J,; two daughters, Mrs. William G Sears, Miss Anna D Slattery, all of this city; four brothers, William, Jacob, and Ernest Diemand of Northampton, and Louis of Hatfield; three sisters, Mrs George Boyle of Hatfield, Mrs Frank Meehan of Northampton, Mrs James J Kelly of West Springfield; three grandchildren and several nieces an nephews. The funeral will be at T.P. Sampson Co, State St, on Thursday at 1:15 with a libera service in St Michael's Cathedral at 2. Burial will be in St Michael's Cemetery. Friends may call at their conveninece after 2 p.m. today. A solemn high mass of requiem will be celebrated in St Michael's Cathedral on Monday at 10. Relatives and friends may attend. Springfield Union Tuesday 13 April 1954, p2)

Bertha was born in Envelier, Berne, Switzerland.
On 20 March 1883 she arrived in New York City aboard the Amerique out of Le Havre, France, with her parents, grandmother and 7 siblings. They joined her uncle, Joseph, in Turners Falls, MA. Sometime between 1884-1887, the family moved to Bennington, NH and in 1890 moved to Northampton, MA. Jacob bought the family farm on Burts Pit Road in 1899.

Bertha & William were married in Blessed Sacrament Church, Northampton on 20 March 1901

When her brother, Ernest, was seeking help for the family farm, Bertha and Bill referred their nephew, John, for the job. He met my mom, Ernest's daughter, Marie and married her. Without Uncle Bill & Aunt Bertha, there wouldn't be a me.

Uncle Bill and Aunt Bertha were visiting her 1st cousin, Arnold Diemond at the family farm in Bennington when Uncle Bill just dropped. Since the family farm was on a mountain side and did not have a phone, Bertha ran down the mountain to the nearest house at the base to call for assistance.