Port Norris Legends
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David Lake Berry
Recognized as a Legend in History of Port Norris on April 18, 2026
Today we gather to our grandfather David Lake Berry, a man whose life spanned nearly ninety years and whose story reflects the heritage and spirit of this bayshore community.
David Berry was born in 1886, during a time when Port Norris was alive with the sounds of oyster schooners, hardworking families, and the rhythm of life tied closely to the waters of the Delaware Bay. The bay provided opportunity, but it also demanded strength, resilience, and determination—qualities that David Berry carried throughout his life.
He came from a large family with many siblings, where those values of hard work and responsibility were learned early and lived out daily.
Like many men of this community, David worked the natural resources of the bay and the surrounding marshlands. He was known not only for his connection to the oyster industry through the Berry & Bowden partnership with his nephew, Ralph Bowden, but also for his work as a salt-hay farmer.
Salt hay farming was once an essential part of life along the Delaware Bay marshes. Long before modern farming equipment, men like David harvested the tall marsh grasses that grew along the tidal wetlands. That hay became another way families in Port Norris made their living from the land and water around them. It was demanding work, done under the hot sun and in the damp marshes, but it helped sustain families and the community.
Beyond his work, David Berry was a family man. He shared his life with his wife, Carrie Miller Berry, and together they raised two children, Miller Berry and Anna Berry Gates. Through them, his family and legacy continued to grow in this community.
Faith was also a cornerstone of David Berry’s life. He was a founding member of the West Side Baptist Church, helping to establish a place of worship and fellowship that would serve generations of families in this community. His role in the church reflects not just personal faith, but a commitment to building something lasting for others.
When David Berry passed away in 1976 at the age of 90, he left behind more than memories. He left behind a story that represents the very character of Port Norris—hard work, devotion to family, faith, and a deep connection to the land and water that shaped this town.
Men like David Berry helped build the foundation of this community. They were watermen, farmers of the marsh, fathers, neighbors, and friends. Their lives remind us of a time when people depended on each other and on the natural world around them to survive and to thrive.
And so today, as we recognize David Berry as a Port Norris legend, we do more than honor his life—we recognize his legacy.
It lives in the marshes he worked,
in the waters he knew,
in the family he raised,
in the church he helped build,
and in the community he shaped.
And long after the tides have turned and the boats have come in, that kind of legacy doesn’t fade—it lives on in Port Norris, in its people, and in the stories we continue to tell.
Presented by Great Granddaughter Robin Berry and Great Granddson Dean Berry. April 18, 2026
Great Granddaughter Robin Berry and
Great Granddson Dean Berry
Berry family.
David Berry and his wife .