Résumé

Teacher, San Jose School Department, San Jose, CA, c. 1940-1943. (See R.L. Polk and Company'sSan Jose, California, City Directory, 1943, p. 193.)

Gross was a member of the US Naval Reserves in 1945. (See R.L. Polk and Company'sSan Jose, California, City Directory, 1945,p. 235.) He enlisted in the Naval Reserve on 01/01/1943. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information U.S., Select Military Registers, 1862-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors, accesed 04/06/2019.)

Partner, Gross, and [Frederick] Marburg, Architects, San Jose, CA, c. 1953-1954. In 1954, the partnership had its office at 390 Park Avenue. (See R.L. Polk and Company'sSan Jose, California, City Directory, 1954, p. 226.)

Principal, Kurt Gross, AIA, Architect, San Jose, CA, c. 1954. Gross made his office at 390 Park Avenue in San Jose, CA, from at least 1956 until 1968. (See San Jose, California, City Directory, 1956, p. 76 andSan Jose, California, City Directory, 1968,p. 423)In 1959, four architectural firms had their offices in the building at 390 Park Avenue. They included Edward N. Chamberlain, Kurt Gross, Frank C. Treseder and Earle C. Lewis. In addition, the civil engineering firm of Lorell and Sincular operated in this building. (See San Jose, California, City Directory, 1959, p. 272.)

Principal, Kurt Gross Associates, Architects, San Jose, CA, 1970-1971. In 1970-1971, Kurt Gross Associates had its office at 1645 Willow Street, Room #203, in San Jose. (See San Jose, California, City Directory, 1970, p. 384 andSan Jose, California, City Directory, 1971, p. 436.)

Professional Activities

Member, San Jose Planning Commission, San Jose, CA, 1965- .

High School/College

Graduate, San Jose High School, San Jose, CA, c. 1936.

Graduate, San Jose State College (SJSC), San Jose, CA, 1936-1939

Relocation

Kurt R.A. Gross was born in Lancaster, PA, to Walter and Emma Boehl Gross. He lived with his parents at two addresses in Lancaster: first from about 1917-1918, at 115 South Duke Street, and 459 South Duke Street in Lancaster from at least 1919 until 1920 (See R.L. Polk and Company's Lancaster, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1919, p. 508 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Lancaster Ward 7, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1584; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 70, accessed 04/06/2019.)

He and his mother moved to San Jose, CA, by the time he attended high school. He lived in San Jose his entire life. He probably lived with his mother, Emma F. Zengeler, and his step-father, Frank Zengeler, at 119 North 15th Street in San Jose from at least 1934 until 1936.

While working as a teacher in San Jose, Kurt Gross lived at 560 South 7th Street in San Jose, CA, in 1940. (See R.L. Polk and Company'sSan Jose, California, City Directory, 1940, p. 198.)

He and his new wife, Bernita, lived at 31 Tillman Avenue in San Jose in 1942. (See R.L. Polk and Company's San Jose, California, City Directory, 1942, p. 213.)

Between 1943 and 1947, he and Bernita lived at 195 Cleaves Avenue. (See San Jose, California, City Directory, 1943, p. 193 and R.L. Polk and Company'sSan Jose, California, City Directory, 1947, p. 266.)

From at least 1949 until his death, they resided at 1675 Collingwood Avenue in San Jose, CA. (See San Jose, California, City Directory, 1949,p. 300 and San Jose, California, City Directory, 1971, p. 436.)

Gross died on 08/02/1971 in Santa Clara County, CA.

Parents

His father was Curt Robert Walter Gross, who went by the name "Walter," (born 06/14/1886 in Berlin, Germany), a barber, who worked for other store owners during the 1910s, but had his own shop at 22 South Duke Street in Lancaster, PA, by 1920. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: Pennsylvania; Registration County: Lancaster; Roll: 1893477; Draft Board: 2, accessed 04/06/2019.) The 1920 US Census listed his wife was as "Evelyn," (born c. 1889 in Germany), but it is likley that this was written in error. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Lancaster Ward 7, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1584; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 70, accessed 04/06/2019.) Walter may have died in the 1920s, although it is not clear why he seems to have disappeared from Kurt's life after 1920.

His mother was Emma Auguste Julie Boehl Zengeler (born 09/06/1888 in Lindown, Brandenburg, Germany-d. 1960 in San Jose, CA). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Kreisarchiv des Landkreises Ostprignitz-Ruppin; Neuruppin, Deutschland; Personenstandsregister Landkreis Ostprinitz-Ruppin, accessed 04/06/2019.) The 1920 US Census indicated that she came to the US in 1908 and had submitted papers for naturalization. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Lancaster Ward 7, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1584; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 70, accessed 04/06/2019.)

In 1934, she and her husband, Frank J. Zengeler (1891-1953), a machinist, resided at 119 North 15th Street in San Jose, CA, where they remained until at least 1945. Emma worked in a laundry in 1934, but no longer worked there two years later. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1900-1968, accessed 04/06/2019.)

Spouse

He married Bernita M. Gross, (born 11/29/1915-d. 05/17/2006 in San Jose, CA) in either 1941 or 1942. After her husband's death, Bernita Gross, a supervising teacher, continued to reside at 1675 Collingwood Avenu in San Jose in 1976. (See San Jose, California, City Directory, 1976, p. 342.)

Biographical Notes

As was the German custom, Kurt Gross had two middle names. His second middle name was listed on his World War II draft registration card as "Albert." His first middle name may have been "Robert" like his father.

According to his World War II military draft card, Gross stood 5-feet, 9-inches tall, and weighed 165 pounds in 1943. He had a light complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 711, accesed 04/06/2019.)

SSN: 554033634.