Martin Cotter Brennan

M, (1892 - 1954)
Martin C. Brennan,
1892-1954
Father*William Henry Brennan (1866 - 1948)
Mother*Margaret Ruddy Brennan (1867 - 1949)
Relationship2nd cousin of Thomas Duane McCarthy Sr
Birth*9 Jun 1892 Carrolton Tp, Fillmore, Minnesota (MN), United States (US)1 
Marriage*17 Aug 1920 Kalispell, Flathead, Montana (MT), United States (US); Bride=Honora E. Hall Brennan2 
Divorce*c 1930 Divorcee=Honora E. Hall Brennan3 
Marriage*19 Aug 1947 Vancouver, Clark, Washington (WA), United States (US); Bride=Irene Effie Sunderland Brennan4 
Death*27 May 1954 Portland, Multnomah, Oregon (OR), United States (US)5 
Note*29 May 1954 obituary: The (Portland) Oregonian, Saturday 29 May 1945/p.9/c.7 - Funeral Notices5 
Burial*29 May 1954 Willamette National cemetery, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon (OR), United States (US)5 
Biography* Martin Cotter Brennan, 1889-1954:
Martin was the second of nine children and the second of six sons. He grew up on a farm in Carrolton township and left home in May of 1916 just before his 24th birthday. For the next nine years, Martin was employed by railroads - mostly by the Great Northern Railroad and mostly as a telegraph operator. During this time, he worked at stations in Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. He returned home in 1917 to register for the WWI draft in Carrolton township on 05 June 1917. Martin was single and without dependents. His occupation was telegraph operator for the Great Northern Railroad. Martin was described as being tall in height and of medium build with blue eyes and brown hair. On the 14th of June in 1918, he joined the U.S. Marines. Martin's first assignment was Company D, Supply Battalion, Signal Corps at Mare Island, California where he had the rank of Private. He later was transferred to Galveston, Texas and then to Haiti. Martin was discharged on the 6th of September in 1919 at Carlton, Yamhill County, Oregon. He returned home to Carrolton until November. Martin started working for the railroad again on the 19th of November as a telegraph operator and ticket clerk. He was stationed at Kalispell, Montana where he met Honora Hall, his future wife and 10-years his junior. They were married the following August by Catholic Priest Father O'Farrell before witnesses John Graham and Violet Harrington both of Kalispell. In 1923, Martin and Honora were living at 175 NW 17th iin Portland. In March of 1925, he left the railroad and worked for a few months as a timekeeper at the Hanley Company in Kelso, Washington. On 23 June Martin signed on as an operator with the railroad at Hoquiam, Washington. He was transferred to South Prairie, Washington as a relief ticket agent on the 8th of July. On or about August 6th, Martin stole and attempted to cash an Express Money Order in the amount of $78.986. He was arrested on the 2nd of September in Auburn, Washington and charged with grand larceny. At Superior Court in Tacoma on September 3rd 1925, Martin declined legal representation and pled guilty. He was sentenced to hard labor for from one-to-fifteen years in Washington State penitentiary at Walla Walla and turned over to the Pierce County Sherriff for delivery to the prison on the 4th of September.

In 1930 he was lodging, with five others, with Albert Rosenbaum at 310 West Main in the 3rd ward of Medford, Jackson County, Oregon. Martin was working as a salesman for a sewing machine company. In 1942, at age 50, a resident of Preston in Fillmore County, Minnesota, he registered for the World War II draft. Martin was employed by Newfoundland Base Contractors (a company comprising three U.S. concerns who had jointly contracted with the U.S.Army to build army bases). He was 5.ft-10.in tall, weighed 170.pounds had blue eyes, gray hair and a ruddy complexion. Martin signed the registration on the 16th of October. By 1946 he was living in Portland, Oregon. In 1947 Martin and Irene Sunderland, both of Portland, Oregon, took out a marriage license on 15 August in Clark County, Washington. Martin, occupation painter, was a widower with one prior marriage. Irene, occupation writer, was single with no prior marriage. They were married in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington on 19 August by Justice of the Peace Fred O Bowman before witnesses Shirl G. Reader & Cus A. Campbell Jr. In 1952, Martin and Irene were living at 333 SE 29th Avenue.
[Some of this bio was excerpted from Bill Gallagher's book.]

Martin, age 61, of 8947 North Woolsley Court, died on a Thursday. Survived by wife Irene, siblings Paul, John, William, Ray, Lucille Gallagher, and Mary Boyle of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Services were held Saturday at the Little Chapel of the Chimes, 430 North Killingsworth.

Martin's picture is from "In The World War, Fillmore County, Minnesota" published in 1920 by Ola M. Levang, Lanesboro, Minnesota. Some of this bio is from that book as well. 
Last Edited22 Nov 2020

Citations

  1. [S1697] World War I draft reg from <Ancestry.com> (subscription req'd).
  2. [S2051] Montana Flathead County Marriage.
  3. [S551] Compiled and written by William E. Gallagher, The Brennans of Chatfield, A Family History, 1800-1987 (self-published),.
  4. [S1946] Washington Clark county marriage record.
  5. [S18] Obituary,.
  6. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, $78.98 in 1925 dollars would be worth $1,157.14 in 2020 dollars