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- Bertha A. Muller, the owner of the former Muller's Allegheny Center Cafe, a fixture on the North Side for 25 years, died Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004.
Mrs. Muller -- customers called her "Bert" -- died of heart failure in Suburban General Hospital, Bellevue. She was 75.
Mrs. Muller and her late husband, Edward R. Muller, opened the cafe at 601 E. Ohio St. in 1965. While Mr. Muller worked as a stationary engineer at the Civic Arena, Mrs. Muller managed the cafe.
"It was a way for them to save for their retirement," son Edward Muller said. "Neither one had a high school education, but they were hardworking, diligent people."
Mrs. Muller's menu changed often, sometimes daily, but usually included hamburgers, pierogies, pork, sauerkraut and potato pancakes.
"She served whatever she felt like cooking," her son said. "She was the chief cook, bottle washer and bartender. She did it all."
However, the Thanksgiving menu never changed. Every year, she served turkey to families who couldn't afford their own feast or to people who didn't have a family to join. She never charged for the meal.
Her customers not only knew her as generous, but as a competitive bowler. Mrs. Muller was an expert at knocking down pins on the cafe's bowling machine. Many challenged her to games, but few won.
"She had a record, all right. She was tough to beat," her son recalled, laughing. "She could bowl a 279 every time."
Mrs. Muller was well known in the community as a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of West View Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2754 and the Church of the Assumption in Bellevue.
She is survived by two sons, Edward Muller, of Observatory Hill, and David Muller, of North Huntingdon, Westmoreland County; four sisters, Ida Weiss, Mary Skalos and Ellie Lietsch, all of Ross, and Dorothy Cubarney of West View; a brother, Jim Helbling, of Rockton, Clearfield County; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by a son, Thomas Muller.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 9 a.m. today in St. Athanasius Church, West View. Interment will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Ross.
Arrangements by Schellhaas Funeral Home Inc., West View.
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1929 - 2004 (75 years)
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