Interred alias is Steven Paripovic.

Birth place according to the death certificate is Bunck, Yugoslavia.

Casper Morning Star

April 30, 1965

Page 13

Casper Railroad Freight Clerk Left $200,000 Estate

An estate valued at more than $200,000 was left by Steve Berry, 73, a veteran freight clerk for the Burlington Railroad. At the time of his death, Feb. 25, he was earning $19 a day and had lived at the Tulsa Rooms at 325 N. Center for 25 years.

No will was left by Berry and most of the estate is in bank accounts and stocks. County Coroner Don Cornett stated that Berry never married and has no known survivors in the United States. He was born in Bunck, Yugoslavia in 1891 and came to American in 1908.

His original name was Stevan Paripovic and he was a naturalized U.S. citizen. District Court probate records show that Berry possessed four savings accounts, all in Casper banks and two checking accounts totals approximately $94,000.

Berry also had $8,500 worth of U.S. Savings bonds and 308 shares of Ohio Oil Co. stock valued at $18,620; 136 shares, Standard Oil of New Jersey, $10,919; American Telegraph & Telephone, $25,594; Standard Oil of Indiana, $38,048; and Pacific Power & Light Co., $5,616.

A safe deposit box contained some of Berry's stocks but these stocks were found in his room; 226 shares of AT&T, 404 shares of Standard Oil of Indiana, 6 shares of Standard Oil of New Jersey and four shares of Marathon Oil Co. Also in the room were more than 2,600 shares of stocks in lesser oil and investment firms.

Cornett, who was in charge of the funeral services stated that uncashed dividend checks valued at $825 were found in Berry's room. No final settlement or distribution of Berry's estate has been made. The Wyoming National Bank and the First National Bank have been appointed joint administrators by Judge T. C. Daniels, March 26.

Probate records indicate that the Hillside Chapel of Memories and Geraldine Laska, a friend of Berry's had applied to be the administrator of Berry's estate. Hillside Chapel of Memories applied on the basis of a claim for funeral and burial expenses. It was ruled by Daniels that the claim was not a proper one issued by a creditor according to statues in Wyoming.

R. W. Miracle, the Wyoming National Bank's trust officer said that Berry "purportedly" also had deposits in banks in Omaha. The chief clerk at the Burlington Railroad's freight office said Berry had worked for the Burlington here since 1935 and that he was a "quiet fellow" and "well liked." Berry had mentioned to several co-workers that he played the stock market but had never offered any inkling as to how much. His landlady said he paid $30 a month for his room and "he never talked."

Casper Star-Tribune

Sunday, May 2, 1965

Page 1

Colorado Family Bids For Steve Berry Estate

A Pueblo, Colo., family attempt to establish itself as heir to the $200,000 Steve Berry estate. This was learned yesterday when a member of the family called the Casper Star-Tribune to determine the names of the administrators of the estate.

Berry was a 73-year old retired Burlington Railroad freight clerk who died Feb. 25 without leaving a will. He left approximately $95,600 in six bank accounts in Casper and more than $98,000 worth of stock shares.

Probate records in District Court show that Berry also had U.S. Savings Bonds worth $8,500. He purportedly also had bank deposits in Omaha, but this has not been confirmed.

The Pueblo caller was Emil Paripovich, 44, principal of East High School in Pueblo. He said he thinks Berry was a cousin of his father, Peter Paripovich, who died in 1953. Mrs. Paripoovich recalls that a Steve Berry from Casper visited her husband "years ago." Mrs. Paripovich said she knew her husband had a cousin in Casper.

County Coroner Don Cornett said Berry was born in Bucnk, Yugoslavia, and was originally named Stevan Paripovich. He came to the United States in 1908. He never married and it was thought that he had no survivors in this country.

Emil Paripovich said he read about the Berry estate in a newspaper. He said his family is going to write to relatives in Europe to check other possible heirs to the estate. Emil's mother, Anna, may be the main heir if no other claims are made.

Berry retired at age 70 from his job at the Burlington Railroad freight office here. He was making about $19 a day at the time.

At the time of his death, he was living in a $30-a-month room at the Tulsa Hotel, 325 North Center, where he had stayed for 25 years.

Some of his stock shares were in a safe deposit box, but others were found in his room. Also found in his room were uncashed dividend checks worth $825.

When it was learned that Berry died intestate (without a will), three applications were made to be administrator of his estate. District Judge T. C. Daniels appointed the Wyoming National Bank and the First National Bank joint administrators.

The third application was made by Hillside Chapel of Memorials (owned by Cornett) and Mrs. Geraldine Laske, identified in the application as a friend of Berry. Mrs. Laske is a secretary for the law firm of Leimback, Winter & Hand. Harry Leimback is the county attorney.

Hillside applied on the basis of a claim for funeral and burial expenses.

Under Wyoming law, the administrator of an estate is paid roughly two percent of the estate's value. In Berry's case, this is about $4,000. The two banks will split this amount.

Casper Morning Star

Friday, May 7, 1965

Page 13

Steve Berry May Have More Kin

Billings, Mont. (UPI) - It appeared Wednesday a Casper, Wyo., man who left a small fortune when he died may have more relatives than originally was thought.

Daniel Bozanic of Billings said this week he had known the late Steve Berry, 73, who died in February leaving about $250,000 in cash and bonds. Bozanic said he knew Berry had a brother and that the man might be Bill Berry of Rock Springs, Wyo.

Earlier, Emil Paripovich of Pueblo, Colo., said he believed he was a cousin of the late Berry.

Berry had worked for years as a fright checker for the Burlington Railroad at Casper. He had immigrated from Yugoslavia in 1908 and it was at first believed his only survivors were behind the Iron Curtain.

Berry had changed his name from Stevon Paripovic many years ago.

Bozanic said he and the two Berrys had come from the same section of Yugoslavia but he had last seen Bill Berry in Lander more than 20 years ago.

It was not known until recently that Steve Berry had amassed a fortune. He had lived simply and alone in a Casper rooming house.