PATRICK BRESNEHAN, the popular general merchant at Parnell, Grattan township, Kent county, Mich., was born on a farm in this township, March 17, I85I, and is the eighth of the eleven children-four sons and seven daughters that blessed the marriage of Patrick and Mary (King) Bresnehan, of whom seven children still survive. Six of these live in Michigan four in Kent county. They were born in the following order: John, a farmer of Grattan township; Mary in Grand Rapids; Johanna, wife of William Coach, a lumberman at York, Washtenaw county; Nora, wife of J. C. Carr, and residing in Grand Rapids; Eliza, married to William Gambol, a landlord in Chicago, Ill.; Patrick, the subject of this sketch, and Martin, a lumberman of Roscommon county, Mich. Those dead are Terrence, Kate, Nellie, and an infant unnamed. Patrick Bresnehan, Sr., was born in county Kerry, Ireland, in I8OO, and died in Kent county, Mich., about I872. He came in a sailing vessel to America in 1835, landed in New York, married Miss King in that city, and the same year came to the then territory of Michigan, and entered 120 acres, of government land in the wilderness of Jackson county. In I849 he came to Grattan township, Kent county, and again took I20 acres, lived, as was usual, in a log cabin, and underwent all the hardships of backwoods life; but he prospered, and was one of the leaders in the work of establishing St. Patrick's parish, and aided in building four different churches therein. The first of these church-buildings is now the property of Mr. Bresnehan, of this sketch, it having been converted into a storehouse and blacksmith shop. Patrick, the father, was strictly a temperance man and devout in religious observance; in politics he was a democrat. His wife was also a native of county Kerry, Ireland, was born about I8I5 and died in March, I897, beloved by all who knew her. Patrick Bresnehan, the subject proper of this sketch, was reared on the home farm, was educated in the common schools, and improved all his spare hours in self-instruction. At his majority he had not a dollar he could call his own, but he remained on the home place until he was twenty-six years old, and then engaged in the produce trade as buyer and shipper. For three years he resided in Cadillac, Wexford county, Mich.; later he engaged in the real-estate business in Ashland, Wis., and was quite successful. Mr. Bresnehan married, June 3, I889, Miss Mary Cuddihy, and this union has been blessed with five children three sons and two daughters-of whom, however, only two are now living, Marie and Margie. Mrs. Mary Bresnehan was born in Bowne township, Kent county, August 29, I860, and is a daughter of Thomas and Bridget (McCormick) Cuddihy, who were the parents of ten children-six sons and four daughtersof whom five are still living-three in Kent county. Mrs. Bresnehan was educated in the common schools, and at the age of fifteen years was confirmed by Bishop Richter. The father of Mrs. Bresnehan was born in Ireland July 12, I819, and her mother in 1826. The father came to Kent county in 1850, and purchased 120 acres of government land in Bowne township, and two years later was joined by his wife. To the original I20 acres, Mr. Cuddihy later added forty acres, and on this farm Mrs. Cuddihy, who was born in county Tipperary, Ireland, about I826, died January 15, 1876, and Mr. Cuddihv February 9, I898, both in the Catholic faith, and highly respected as pioneers and useful residents of their township, having greatly aided, financially, in the erection of the Catholic church in their parish. In November, I889, Mr. and Mrs. Bresnehan opened their general store in Parnell, and here they carry a complete stock of such articles as are usually found in first-class stores of its kind. By their courtesy and earnest endeavors to please their patrons they have won the confidence of the trading public and have made a complete success of their undertaking. The Parnell post-office is located in this store, Mr. Bresnehan being deputy postmaster, and in consequence there is always a busy time about the premises. In politics Mr. Bresnehan is a democrat, cast his first presidential vote for Horace Greeley, and still clings to his political faith, but will often step out of the party ranks to vote for a candidate for a local office when he feels convinced the nominee of the opposition is best fitted for the office to be filled, but personally he has never sought office. Mr. Bresnehan has ever been a temperate, honest and industrious citizen, and is what is usually termed a self-made man. He now owns I20 acres in Grattan township, including the original Bresnehan homestead, also the large buildings attached to his store in Parnell, besides which he has interests in timber lands in Wisconsin, where he was engaged in lumbering for some years. Great credit is due him for the enterprise he has displayed, for at his majority he had absolutely nothing. His wife is entitled to a large share of this credit, as she has been a willing and valuable helpmate, and the standing of both, within and without their church circles, is one that any family might well feel proud of. RANK BROMAN, for almost half a century an honored citizen of Sparta township, Kent county, Mich., is a native of Jonkoping, in the province of Smoland, Sweden, and was born October 3, I845, the third of five sons and two daughters that comprised tie family of Peter and Mary (Peterson) Broman, but of which seven children there are now only two living, Mr. Broman and his sister Minnie, the latter the wife of James Balfour, who resides near Berlin, Ottawa county, Mich. All the Balfour family are well educated, and Minnie, the daughter of James and Minnie (Broman) Balfour was a school-teacher. Peter Broman, father of Frank, was born in Jonkoping, Sweden, in I8I6. He was educated in a public-school, was reared a carpenter and joiner, and was possessed of great mechanical ingenuity. In the spring of 1852, with his family, he embarked at Gottenburg, in a sailing vessel bound for Boston, Mass., his objective point being Plymouth, Wayne county, Mich. The vessel was ten weeks in crossing the Atlantic, and on the voyage cholera broke out among the passengers, creating a panic of fear, from which two died and were buried at sea. On reaching their destination Mr. Broman, who was expert at his trade, soon secured employment and remained in Plymouth about four years, and then came to Sparta township, Kent county. At that early date the township was covered with vast forests, and the village of Sparta was then known as Nashville, and was a very small village indeed. There was not a railroad in Kent county, and the present great city of Grand Rapids, noted as a railroad center and for its immense factories, was merely an Indian trading post. The first land Mr. Broman purchased was a tract of eighty acres in section No. 5, deep in a dense forest, and his first dwelling was a little log cabin, I8 x 20 feet, and for this tract he went in debt. But as the years rolled on, Mr. Broman cleared away this debt and added twenty acres to his possessions, developed from the wilderness a teeming farm, rich in all the comforts and luxuries with which modern country life abounds, and died an honored man and devout member of the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran church, October I9, 1897. In politics he was a republican. His widow, who was born in the same province as himself, August 20, I815, is also an Evangelical Lutheran,and willingly aided her husband in contributing financially to the erection of the present church-edifice, as well as in developing the home farm, and now, at the advanced age of eighty-four years, and still in full possession of her mental attributes, awaits the final call with christian-like meekness. Frank Broran, the subject of this sketch, was but seven years of age when brought to America., and here he received a limited education in the common schools. He assisted his parents until he had attained his eighteenth year, and began life on his own account by working in the pine and hard-wood "slashings," and in clearing land. November 28, I868, he wedded Miss Ebba C. S. Brevitz, and five children have been the fruit of this marriage, of whom there are four still living, viz: Luther M., who was born January 13, I872, in Kent county, and has completed eight grades in the common school; he is possessed of a 565 AND KENT COUNTY, UP TO DATE. mechanical turn of mind, is a practical jeweler, was a salesman in the general store of A. H. Saur & Co., at Kent City, for three and onethird years, and has recently purchased fortysix and three-quarters acres of land near his father's farm, with his own earnings; he was with the engineers; in laying the cables for the street-railway in Grand Rapids, and was the representative of the Kent City Times on the press excursion to New Orleans and other southern cities in I899; in politics he is a republican and cast his first vote for McKinley. Luther M. Browman married Miss Emma O. Carlson May 2, 1899, at the church in Sparta township, the Rev. John A. Norton officiating. Mrs. Broman was born in Smolen, Sweden,, August 31, 1872, is a daughter of C. F. and Anna (Peterson) Carlson. She was a little girl of two years when she landed in America from a sailing vessel which had been wrecked off the coast of Nova Scotia, all the passengers however being rescued. Oscar F., the next child, was born October 10, I874; he graduated from the common schools in I889; he next entered the well-known Augustans college at Rock Island, Ill., took a select course is the literary department, and, as he was imbued with great musical talent and had commenced the study of music at the age of thirteen years, he took an advanced course in musical instruction in the same institution on the piano and organ; he had entered the institution for a three-year course, but completed the full course in two years, and if he could have remained until the close of the year, would have secured the degree of bachelor in music; like the other children of the family, he has been educated in Swedish and English, has taught the Swedish school in his community, and has taught music in Grand Rapids, Sparta and Newaygo; and is, besides, a composer of considerable fame. He is a member of the Michigan State teachers' association, in politics is a republican and cast his first vote for McKinley. Arthur S., the next eldest living child of the family, was born June 21, I877, was educated in the common schools, has a strong inclination for agriculture, and already owns i6o acres of land in Lake county, Mich. Issidore J., the youngest of the family, has completed the ninth grade in the Kent City public school, will graduate in the class of I900, and still remains under the parental roof. Mrs. Ebba C. S. Broman was born March 12, 1844, in Smolen, Sweden, is excellently well educated, and for a number of years was a teacher in her native land. She is a daughter of Johannes and Ulrica (Berg) Brevitz, both; of whom are now deceased —the father having died at the age of about fifty-seven years, and the mother at about seventy-seven. They were the parents of four sons and two daughters, of whom five are still living —four in the United States. One brother resides in Tyrone township, Kent county, Mich. When Mr. and Mrs. Broman began their married life their possessions were not very valuable and their dwelling was an upright board frame; but through industry and good management they have secured to themselves. one the most pleasant homes in the township, have reared their children in respectability, and have attained a well-deserved social standing in the community in which they live. They are devout members of the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran church, and no family in the county is more highly esteemed than that of Mr. and Mrs. Brotnan.
 

 

Created: 11 Jul 2009