William James Bouck Burger

William James Bouck Burger of Pine Grove, CA, passed away Wednesday, December 31, 2014 in Sutter Creek, CA. Born into an old New England family in Stamford, Connecticut on July 7, 1926, he was the son of the late Virginia (Bouck) and William Chapman Burger. Bill was educated at the Choate School in Wallingford, CT and later at St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII, and saw action in the Pacific. Subsequently, he moved to the West Coast and began what became a life-long fascination with American historical documents of all kinds. With Ed Evans he established a shop of Historical Americana first in Monterey and later in San Francisco. Bill had a long standing interest in nautical paintings and documents - particularly focusing on the whaling industry. In the early 1980s he brought his business and collections to the Pine Grove area. Here he bought and sold Gold Rush ephemera, and established himself as an expert on Northern California Gold Rush documents, paintings, and other historical items. His involvement with the Amador County Historical Society led to his election as president of that Society in the year 2000. Bill is survived by cousins; Sybil Burger Richards of Hawthorne, NJ, Mary Rosenfeld of Lincoln, MA, and Ben Bouck (Noel) of Occidental, CA. He was preceded in death by his brother; Norman Burger of Stamford, CT, and by cousins; Gloria Burger Singer of Vermont and John Bouck of New York. Memorial donations can be made to the Amador County Historical Society at P.O. Box 761, Jackson, CA 95642. A reception in remembrance of Bill will be held on Friday, February 13, 2015 at 2:30 P.M. at the Hein Bookstore, 205 Main Street, Jackson, CA.