Brenneman, Franklin R., Collector

Franklin Russell Brenneman came to Alaska in 1900 and staked a claim on Kodiak Island. Eventually, he went to Katalla where he invested into the first oil well. In 1907, he became a U.S. Marshall at Katalla and later was head Marshall for the Third Judicial District in Valdez, a position he held until 1922. He died in 1940 in Long Beach, California. Mr. Brenneman was a childhood friend of Thomas R. Marshall who went on to become Vice President of the United States under Woodrow Wilson.

FAMILY HISTORY OF FRANK AND HELEN BRENNEMAN

This is the family history of FRANKLIN RUSSELL BRENNEMAN, wife (ANNA) HELEN PETERSEN and their children Thomas Russell, Elinor Marjorie, Dorothy, and Bernice.

The following information was compiled from conversations with Elinor Marjorie Brenneman-Cockburn-Singleton, newspaper articles, letters, and family memorabilia, by Mrs. Dorothy J. Daw, April 1992, only daughter of Elinor Marjorie Singleton.

FRANKLIN RUSSELL BRENNEMAN was born in Columbia City, Indiana, March 21, 1876, and died in Long Beach, California in 1941 at the age of 64, one month before his 65th birthday.

He served for 2 years in the U.S. Army and was in the Spanish-American War in Cuba - he was discharged March 4, 1899. After that he was one of the many who traveled to Alaska in 1900 to find his fortune in gold. He did find and stake out a gold mine on Kodiak Island, which did produce some gold, but not the fortune he was after. The small fortune that he did collect came when he began investing in Alaska oil. His first investment was Katalla's first oil well in 1903. He became a U.S. Marshall in Katalla in approximately 1907 or 1908, subsequently he became head U.S. Marshal of the Third Judicial District in Valdez (the most populated area), and maintained that position until March 8, 1922 (when President Woodrow Wilson was voted out of office) when he retired and the family moved to Long Beach, California. He was a childhood friend of Thomas R. Marshall who was Governor of Indiana during that period and then went on to became Vice President of the United States under President Woodrow Wilson. It is presumed that he received and maintained his position through that friendship.

While living in Alaska, Frank Brenneman was a member of the Elks Club in Anchorage and a Mason - at the time of his death he was a 32nd degree Mason.

(ANNA) HELEN PETERSEN (more popularly known as Helen Petersen) was born February 13, 1892 in Schleswig-Holstein/Jutland, Denmark (an area which is now part of Germany), and died in Long Beach, California at the age of 30 on September 1, 1922, two months after the death of her daughter Dorothy who had drowned in a riptide at the foot of Cherry Ave. in Long Beach, California and not 6 months after Frank had retired.

Helen's parents moved to Nome, Alaska when she was very young. They subsequently moved to Cordova for a short period, then finally settled in Katalla where they owned the Katalla laundry-steam baths, and hotel.

Frank Brenneman met Helen Petersen in Katalla, Alaska when she was 14 years of age, and fell in love with her almost instantly. Her parents said that she was too young to marry and that Frank did not have a steady job. Her father told Frank that if he still wanted to marry Helen in a couple of years they would talk about it then. Frank saw Helen periodically during the next 2 years, proved to her father that he was he not only financially secure, but that he had a steady job (U.S. Marshal). They were married in Katalla when she was just 16 years old.

Frank and Helen had 4 children:

Thomas Russell Brenneman, born February 10, 1909 (in Helen's 6th month of pregnancy and 3 days before her 17th birthday), in Katella, Alaska Died February 12, 1909 (2-1/2 days old)

Helen had a miscarriage the morning of March 18, 1910. She was hit in the back the night before at a St. Patrick's Day dance.

Elinor Marjorie Brenneman, born July 1, 1911, in Katalla, Alaska She currently resides in Long Beach, California

Dorothy Brenneman, born October 22, 1913, in Valdez, Alaska Died July 6, 1922 at 8 years of age by drowning in Long Beach, California

Bernice Brenneman, born December 16, 1919 in Valdez, Alaska Whereabouts unknown.

Helen was a member of the Eastern Star in Valdez.

After the defeat of President Wilson a new U.S. Marshall was appointed. Frank Brenneman had accumulated sufficient monies by that time to retire, and the family then moved to Long Beach, California, where they had vacationed several times and had other Alaska friends.

Frank Brenneman was devastated by the death of his wife and daughter Dorothy in 1922, and lost approximately $100,000.00 in bad oil investments in California. After the loss of most of his money he went to work for the Superior Courts of Long Beach, California, and became supervisor over the Superior Court bai1iffs, juries, and prisoners brought to Long Beach for trial. He worked there until his death in 1940 from cancer (almost 20 years).

Some of their closest Alaskan friends were:

John Bouse, Senior Deputy Marshal under Frank Brenneman (he moved to San Francisco and became a U.S. Marshal there)

Col. Crittenden, his wife Molly, their daughter May Harrington and her children Jack, Perry and Mary Jane (Long Beach, CA).

George and Jewel Strixner, son Don and daughter Frances (Bellflower, CA).

Della Rothkranz (Long Beach, CA)

Helen White (Seattle, WA)