Who is the Perkins Family of the Perkins Concert Series? I’m glad you asked!

The concert series is sponsored by Andrea Miller and Ruso Donald Perkins in memory of their parents Ruso and Jean Perkins. The Perkins family were long time residents of New Berlin.

Ruso Perkins was born on September 10, 1914, in New Berlin. He graduated from New Berlin Central School in 1932 and attended Mohawk Valley Community College. Ruso Perkins served in the 10th Mountain Division infantry as a member of the 10th Mountain Division and the International Federation of Mountain Soldiers during World War II. Mr. Perkins was a vice president at Preferred Mutual Insurance Company and retired in 1977. He was an active member of St. Andrews Church and was treasurer of the Masonic Phoebus Lodge 82 for 17 years. He was also on the New Berlin Library Board of Trustees for 36 years. He passed away on July 02, 2008.

Jean Kamerer Perkins was born on December 4, 1914, in Union City, Pennsylvania. She graduated of Schenectady High School and attended Syracuse University and graduated from SUNY Albany. She married Ruso H. Perkins on April 6, 1942. Mrs. Perkins was a librarian a New Berlin Central School and Cooperstown Elementary School. She was an organist at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and taught piano in her home. Jean Perkins enjoyed traveling with her husband, both in the United States and abroad. She passed away on March 16, 2003.