Berry supported his family by taking various jobs in St. Louis, working briefly as a factory worker at two automobile assembly plants and as a janitor in the apartment building where he and his wife lived.
Berry forsørgede sin familie ved at tage forskelligt arbejde i St. Louis, arbejdede kortvarigt som fabriksarbejder på to bilsamlefabrikker og som en pedel i den udlejningsejendom, hvor han og hans kone boede.