Berton A. Spring was born ca. 1875 in Canon Township, Kent County, Michigan. He attended Ferris Institute, now Ferris State University, in Big Rapids, Michigan, majoring in Mortuary Science. He came to Grand Rapids following graduation in 1896. In 1903 he organized both the Grand Rapids Casket Company and the Spring Funeral Home. He sold his interest in the casket company in 1940.

The funeral home was located on the corner of Sheldon and Oakes. In 1911 he sold that site and purchased the Brown Funeral home located at 814 Jefferson Avenue, near the intersection of Jefferson and State Street. In 1950 Spring sold the Funeral Home to the Gulf Refining Company and moved his office into the Zaagman Funeral Home. The Spring Funeral Home remained in business at the site, however, until 1969 being operated by a succession of owners.

Spring died 3 December 1953 in St. Mary's Hospital.

Note: According to the historical information compiled by Richard Harms or Evelyn Sawyer for Collection 097, the Birdsall Funeral Home Collection, Berton Spring purchased Ira Birdsall’s original funeral home, at 43 Pearl N.W. (later 91 Pearl, N.W.) in 1910. Birdsall had purchased that first home from the McCallum Undertaking Co. in 1907. It is unknown at this time whether the records in this collection document only the Spring Funeral Home records, or also include the early Birdsall records from 1907 to 1910.