A story about Francis Brennan, that was sparked by an article Connie Petersen found about my family and also Francis' obituary...
RETURN FROM COAST
Mr. and Mrs. Amos and Dorothy (Ehrichs) Kusel, Angela, Barry, and Douglas, returned Saturday, January 17, 1959, from a three and one-half week trip to the West Coast.
They spent Christmas in Corvallis, Oregon, with Mrs. Kusel's brother, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn & Dorothy (Granneman) Ehrichs and family. They also visited in Redwood City, California, with Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Kusel and daughter; Mr. and Mrs. Harold Kusel, South Pasadena; Mr. and Mrs. Howard Ehrichs and family, Fullerton, California; Mr. and Mrs. Francis and Mary Brennan, Long Beach, California.
On their return trip they visited Mr. and Mrs. Harold Nielsen and family in Albuquerque. Points of interest visited were Depot Bay, the Redwood country; Disneyland, Catalina, Boulder Dam, the Petrified Forest, and U.S. shipyards at Wilmington, California. While in Pasadena they viewed the Rose Parade.
Carroll Daily Times Herald, January 17, 1959
2 year old David stayed with his grandparents, Louie & Clara Ehrichs, in Aspinwall.

I have a number of pictures of Francis & the Brennan family.


Francis "Irish" Brennan, Bruno Thomsen, Dorothy & Angie Kusel
Taken down by cement bridge in creek on the Kusel farm.
The dogs name was Lady found on the Kusel farm.
This was the dog that hunters from Harlan left behind and then hit the Manning Monitor and then Des Moines Register.
Irish & Bruno read the articles and brought out food for the dog.

Here is what I have for Francis' military information & pix.

Branch Army
Enlistment March 25, 1942
Discharge March 25, 1943
Re-enlistment March 23, 1943
Discharge December 29, 1952

Burial Sacred Heart Cemetery, Manning
Wife Mary Agnes (Merrill) Brennan


Manning Monitor article------ 1943

PROMOTED TO RANK OF SECOND LIEUTENANT
Fort Sill, Oklahoma, March 31, 1943: Francis William Brennan, Manning, Iowa has been commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army of the U. S., at the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School.
Lt. Brennan is now visiting relatives in Manning while on furlough.


Manning Monitor article------ 1944

Francis Brennan now 1st Lieut. Fort Bragg, N. C. Second Lt. Francis W. Brennan of Manning, Iowa has recently been promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, it was announced from Headquarters of the Field Artillery Replacement Training Center where he is on duty as a platoon commander in the Fourth Training Regiment.

Lt. Brennan who has served in the Army for a year and a half received his commission March 25, 1943, after completing officer candidate training at Fort Sill, Okla.
He attended Manning High School and Creighton University.


Francis Brennan Tells of Camp
Francis Brennan, who left some time ago writes the following from Camp Roberts, Calif.
"Just a line to expose my whereabouts. On the morning of Aug. 11, 1942 I left Carroll enroute to Camp Dodge, Ia. That same evening I was on my way to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas where I stayed for two weeks. Then I was sent here to Camp Roberts, California.
Camp Roberts is situated in the Salinas Valley, midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
It is completely equipped with all modern conveniences, such as paved roads, sidewalks, sewage system, good water, electric lighting, telephone, transportation, churches, hospital, fire dept., theatres, sports arena, post office, laundry, warehouses, post exchanges, etc.

Immediate purpose of the camp is to give training to selective service recruits, and to accustom them to life in the army of the United States. Camp Roberts comprises two replacement training centers, Infantry and Field Artillery.
The official title of Camp Roberts was given by the war department in 1940 and is one of the few United States Army Posts named after a non-commissioned officer.
He was Corporal Harold Roberts, a boy of seventeen from San Francisco who enlisted in the last war. He served with a tank corps at St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne.
He sacrificed his life in the Montrebeau Woods to save the life of another soldier when their tank foundered in a shell hole completely submerged by water.

It's 9 p. m. and the lights are going to be turned out in a minute, so I'll close hoping to receive the next issue of the Monitor.
"Irish"
Pvt. F. W. Brennan, Btry C. 54th F.A., Bldg. No. 6107, Camp Roberts


Manning Monitor article------ 1945

Francis Brennan Back From Service
Wearer of the army commendation ribbon and with more than three years of service to his credit;
Lt. Francis W. Brennan has returned to his home here and stopped in The Monitor office to express his thanks to the Legion and the paper for making it possible to receive the home news while in uniform.

Lt. Brennan has served as an instructor in the 11th battalion school fourth artillery, at Fort Bragg, N. C., and it was for his meritorious service rendered in that position that he received the commendation ribbon from Brig. Gen. Ellerbe W. Carter commanding.

TEN-DAY FURLOUGH
Corporal Francis Brennan arrived in Carroll from Camp Roberts, California, this morning and spent a few hours with Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Witt and family before going to his home at Manning, where he will spend a ten-day furlough with his wife and with his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore D. Hansen.
At the conclusion of his furlough, he will go to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. He is attending officers' training school.
Carroll Daily Times Herald, December 22, 1942


FRANCIS BRENNAN

Francis William Brennan, 74, of Manning died Saturday, September 2, 1978, at the Manning Plaza. He had been in failing health for the past three years and had been hospitalized for the past two months.

Mass of the Resurrection was held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Sacred Heart Church in Manning with Msgr. Dean Walker officiating. Burial was in Sacred Heart Cemetery.

Ohde Funeral Home in Manning was in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Brennan, the son of William and Amanda (Hinrichs) Brennan, was born July 10, 1904, at Manning. He graduated from. Manning High School in 1921 and then attended Creighton University at Omaha.

He married Mary Merrill September 24, 1934, at Bancroft, Iowa. The couple had made their home in Manning since that time. Mr. Brennan had operated a farm near Vivian, South Dakota, for over 20 years. He was a member of the draft board during WW II and had been a clerk in the Iowa State Liquor Store in Manning. He also was a A.S.C. Field Officer in several area counties.

Mr. Brennan served in the U.S. Army from 1942-1946 as a 1st Lt. He was a past member of the Manning Fire Department, a charter member of the Carroll Elk's Lodge, and a member of the American Legion Post No. 22 of Manning.

Survivors include his wife, Mary; his mother, Mrs. Amanda St. Onge of the Manning Plaza.

He was preceded in death by his father and two sisters.
Carroll Daily Times Herald, September 6, 1978

Additional notes:
Amanda was the daughter of Hans Hinrichs & Anna (Winkelmann-Hinrichs) Hagedorn.
Amanda was first married to William Brennan in 1904, who is buried at Saint Martins Catholic Cemetery, Odebolt, Iowa. He died August 6, 1918.
Amanda's second husband was Howard Shoop, buried in Vivian Cemetery, Vivian, South Dakota.
Her third husband was Joseph St. Onge, buried in Vivian Cemetery, Vivian, South Dakota.


Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Hansen had no children of their own, but reared their nephew and niece, Francis and Edna Brennan.

Ted & Mary (Brennan) Hansen, April 1, 1943
Ted is related to Dave Kusel on the Grau/Hansen side of his family.


George Brady & Francis Brennan


Bill Petersen & Francis Brennan


Francis Brennan


Francis Brennan


Francis Brennan & Walt Hansen - MHS 1922


Francis Brennan


Francis Brennan
On the northeast side of the old high school before the gymnasium was added in 1937.


Mary Brennan 1970 retirement party


Postcard from Mary Brennan to William Brennan


Back to Dave Kusel's main page