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The American Dream

DAVID SACHS

Senior Copy Editor

I

f ever there were a man destined
to fulfill the 'American Dream,"
it was Gustav Berenholz.

But before corning to America and
building B&M Industries, a successful
automobile component
maker employing hun-
dreds, the Warsaw-born
Mr. Berenholz first had to
survive the Holocaust.
The American flag on
UST
the pole that towers above
his Farmington Hills
- home flies as a testament
to, as his son Dr. Joseph Berenholz put
it, his Horatio Alger-like success story.
"He really loved the United States,"
said his son. "He believed that people
here have an opportunity to make
something of themselves."
Mt Berenholz died of a heart attack
Jan. 25 at age 83.
"My father was smart — but he did
everything by sheer will," said his son.
"Anytime somebody said, 'No, you can't
do that,' it was like waving a red flag in

As an illegal refugee in the Soviet
front of him."
Union,
he was imprisoned the entire
Rabbi Charles Rosenzveig of the
six
years
of the war in a Siberian
Holocaust Memorial Center in West
gulag, but was able to survive the
Bloomfield spoke at the funeral and
prison camp by finding
credited Mr. Berenholz's drive
a role managing a
and determination with help-
power plant.
ing bring about the HMC.
He met his wife, Eva,
"I pointed out to him a
an
Auschwitz survivor,
number of the problems that
in
Munich,
Germany,
we were going to be confront-
after the war where he
ed with, to which he replied:
built a retail business.
`Rabbi, we will do it.' That
But he soon immigrated
was the character of Mr.
to the United States and
Berenholz."
came to Detroit to work
Mr. Berenholz went on to
as chief engineer at
serve the HMC as board
Reliable Linen Co. He
chairman and treasurer and
then bought a small
was chairman of its executive
paint shop in Detroit
committee until his death. He Gustav Berenholz
and in the early 1950s
twice served as president of
joined with another Holocaust survivor,
Congregation B'nai David.
Henry Miller, to create B&M Industries
As a young man in prewar Warsaw,
which provided components for
he studied Talmud and engineering and
Chrysler, becoming one of the few
played professional soccer. But he could
Jewish
suppliers to the auto industry at
not convince his family of the Nazi
the time.
threat with the September 1939 inva-
"Most of the purchasing agents were
sion of Poland and he fled alone east to
Poles and since my dad could speak flu-
the Soviet Union. Except for a Zionist
ent Polish, they liked him," said Dr.
sister who had settled earlier in
Berenholz. "B&M became a major ven-
Palestine, his family perished in the
dor for Chrysler.
Holocaust.

An Inspiration'

agency for unemployed older workers. Its
director of educational services, Mary
Special to the Jewish News
McDougall, found "tremendous inspira-
tion" in her friend's sunny nature. "She
hough Marilynn Schmier
never let her own problems
Collins battled
interfere with her work
thyroid cancer for
with her clients,"
31 years, "she .
McDougall said.
never let having cancer get
Mrs. Collins, 62, of West
in her way of enjoying life as
Bloomfield,
died on Jan.
best she could," said daugh-
"We
would
have been
21.
ter Margo Collins of New
married
40
years
this July,"
York. Only last year, her
said her husband, Mort
mother realized her dream
Collins.
of seeing Monet's gardens
Mrs. Collins took pride
and lily ponds in France.
for having joined in her col-
Yet more than anything,
lege days the "Michifishes"
Margo said her mother was
—
a synchronized women's
special for her willingness
swimming
team at the
"to listen and help out any-
Marilynn Schmier
University of Michigan. She
body she could — people
Collins
later graduated from Wayne
from all walks of life."
State University as a speech
Mrs. Collins spent nine
therapist and special education teacher
years doing just that as a guidance coun-
and worked in the Birmingham schools.
selor at Operation ABLE, a nonprofit

ESTHER ALLWEISS TSCHIRHART

T

7:1

7

2/1

2002

110

When Chrysler faced bankruptcy in
the 1970s, B&M stood by it and was
rewarded with additional business.
They added work from other
automakers before selling the business
in the late 1980s. Afterward, Mr.
Berenholz and Mr. Miller formed
Quality Embossment, a home door
manufacturer:
Mr. Berenholz contributed to Hillel
Day School of Metropolitan Detroit,
which all five of his grandchildren
attended. He also supported many
other causes, including Israel.
During the past 20 years, he over-
came medical hardships including colon
cancer, diabetes and heart problems.
"You can see what we saw in our
father," said daughter Sonia Pone. "This
strength, this endurance, this ability to
face adversity."
Gustav Berenholz is survived by his
wife, Eva Berenholz; daughter, Sonia
Pone of Farmington Hills; son and
daughter-in-law, Dr. Joseph and
Annette Berenholz of Farmington
Hills; and grandchildren, Leah
Berenholz, Erika Pone, Daniel
Berenholz, Alexis Pone and Lisa
Berenholz.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to the Holocaust Memorial
Center and Hillel Day School of
Metropolitan Detroit. Arrangements
by Ira Kaufman Chape1.❑

Castiglione of Temple Beth El. The rabbi
In 1982, she enrolled at Oakland
later gave her eulogy
University and earned a master's degree
• "My mother treated everyone the
in career and guidance counseling.
The Collinses met playing volleyball at same, no matter who they were, or how
they were," said Dan. "She treated them
the Jewish Community Center, a place
like the good people that they were."
that remained so special to them that
Mrs. Collins survived by her husband,
they established the Marilynn and
Morton Collins; daughter, Margo
Morton Collins Fund for the
Collins of New York; sons, Andrew
Developmentally Disabled. Some rev-
Collins of West Bloomfield and Daniel
enue supports an art program through
Collins of Royal Oak and fiancee
the Center's Special Needs Committee.
Veronica
Stock; sisters and brothers-in-
Mrs. Collins was a board member of
law, Celia and Peter Copeland of Anil
National Council of Jewish Women and
Arbor, Carol and Dr. Jo Isaacson of
JVS, a career development agency. She
Huntington Woods and sister-in-law,
also supported JARC, which provides a
Lois Budman of Bloomfield Hills.
group home for Andrew Collins, the
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
couple's developmentally disabled son.
Cemetery. Contributions may be
Son Daniel Collins said his mother
made to the Marilynn Collins
remained supportive of his brother's resi-
Research Fund for Thyroid Cancer,
dential school, the Catholic St. Louis
c/o the University of Michigan, 301
Center for Boys in Chelsea, even after
E. Liberty, No. 300, Ann Arbor, MI
Andy moved into the JARC home. "She
48104; JARC, 30301 Northwestern
appreciated the good education he had
received and maintained her connections Highway, Suite 100, Farmington
Hills, MI 48334; and the St. Louis
with the priests and nuns," he said.
Center For Boys, 16195 Old US-12,
Some of those priests visited Mrs.
Collins at Beaumont Hospital, where she Chelsea, MI 48118. Arrangements by
Ira Kaufman Chape1.❑
introduced them to Rabbi David