William and Mary Brunken Family I

Dale William Kirmse

William and Mary Brunken Children – 1910

Post Card to Herbert, Raymond & Edmond from Hilda & Alvin. SOURCE: Grandma Brunken’s Album.

To Herbert Raymond & Edmond
from
Hilda & Alvin

WHO:
- “Herbert” is Herbert E. Arndt, son of Edward and Mathilda (Petersen) Arndt.
- “Raymond” is Raymond William Arndt, son of Edward and Mathilda (Petersen) Arndt.
- “Edmond” is Edmund E. Arndt, son of Edward and Mathilda (Petersen) Arndt.
- “Hilda” is Hilda Ida Brunken
- “Alvin” is Alvin William Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1910 – assuming Alvin (born 3 Sep 1908) was about one and a half years old at the time the photograph was taken.
WHERE: Platte Center, Nebraska – probably near – before the William Brunken family moved to Lahoma, Oklahoma in the fall of 1910.
SOURCE: Grandma Brunken’s Album

William and Mary Brunken Children – Circa 1912. SOURCE: Evelyn Brunken.

William and Mary Brunken Children – Circa 1912

LEFT TO RIGHT: Hilda Ida Brunken, Leona Cecelia Brunken, Alvin William Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1912
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Grandma Brunken’s Album
NOTES:
- The photograph was being displayed on the living room wall of Evelyn’s home.
- As noted on the back of the photograph, Evelyn’s son, Alan Brunken, framed the photograph in 1980.
- The second pose was in a box of photographs that I received along with Grandma Brunken’s Post Card Album. It is interesting to notice the slightly different facial expressions of the children between the two poses.

Wm Brunken Lahoma, Okla
Will send you a postal suppose you know the house and the girl on the porch. had it taken just before Xmas when it snowed the night before, but the snow is laying yet, it only thawed about 3 days since then Just a little its fine now 40 above yesterday today the same

WHO:
- “Wm Brunken” is William Leonard Brunken, my grandfather.
- “girl on the porch” is likely Hilda Ida Brunken, my mother.
SOURCE: Grandma Brunken’s Album
NOTES: Whoever sent this card to my grandfather expected him to be able to recognize the house and the girl with a doll on the porch.

WHO: The face of the girl on the porch does look like pictures of Hilda Ida Brunken, as a child.
WHEN: December 1911 – The picture was taken just before Christmas as stated in the postcard. However, there is no postmark nor date given on the postcard. If this is the same visit as in the “Evangelical Lutheran Church Sanctuary – Lost Creek Township” posting, December 1911 is the date the picture was taken.
WHERE: Nebraska
SOURCE: Grandma Brunken’s Album
NOTES: The handwriting on this postcard is very similar to that of the handwriting on the postcard of the “Evangelical Lutheran Church Sanctuary – Lost Creek Township” post. The message handwriting is almost the same and the script of the address is identical. Is this a card that my grandmother wrote while visiting relatives in Nebraska? If so, the girl probably is grandfather’s daughter, Hilda Ida Brunken, whom grandfather would definitely have recognized.

William and Mary Brunken Children – 1914.

BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: UnIdentified, UnIdentified – Any idea who the two girls in the back row are?
MIDDLE ROW,LEFT TO RIGHT: Alvin William Brunken, Hilda Ida Brunken, Leona Cecelia Brunken
Front Row: Harold Carsten Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1914 -The picture was taken late 1914 possibly after Christmas, assuming Harold is about a year old. Hilda does look younger than in the 1916 picture. And, Leona is definitely much younger than in the 1916 picture.
WHERE: Lahoma
SOURCE: Grandma Brunken’s Album.
NOTES:
- Alvin appears to be riding a wooden horse like Harold is riding in the 1916 picture. And, the haircut style and facial features of Alwin in this picture sure are similar to that of Harold in the 1916 picture.
- This timing would be consistent with the girls in the back row showing off their dolls that were possibly Christmas gifts.
- This small broken photo was found loose in the album – it had previously been attached as there was black album paper stuck on the back. I initially hesitated to include this snapshot given that it was torn and pieces of the picture are missing. However, I felt this snapshot related to the story of the 1916 William Brunken Children picture as it was possibly taken after Christmas two years earlier.

William and Mary Brunken Children – Circa 1915

BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Leona Brunken, Harold Brunken, Hilda Brunken
Front: Alvin Brunken
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Grandma Brunken’s Album

BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Alvin William Brunken, Hilda Ida Brunken
FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Harold Carsten Brunken, Leona Cecelia Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1916 – I am guessing that Harold is about three years old. If so, this picture was taken about 1916 – possibly at Christmas time, with the children showing off their favorite Christmas gift. Hilda and Leona have their dolls and Harold is riding his wooden horse.
WHERE: Lahoma – This snapshot appears to have been taken outside the Brunken home with the screened porch as a backdrop.
SOURCE: Grandma Brunken’s Album
NOTES:
- Leona sure is giggling over whatever the photographer said or did to try to get everyone to smile.
- This snapshot gives me the impression that it was taken after Christmas. When I was growing up, there was somewhat of a tradition that after Christmas, we would take pictures outside. The pictures were taken with a Kodak box camera with the sun providing the light – no flash bulbs, flood lamps or other lighting sources were available. Hence, the squinting eyes from the bright sun. And, as part of the picture we as children were allowed to show off our favorite toys or gifts that we had received for Christmas.

William and Mary Brunken Children – 1918

LEFT TO RIGHT: UnIdentified, Alvin William Brunken, Hilda Ida Brunken, Leona Cecelia Brunken, Harold Carsten Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1918
WHERE: Nebraska – possibly
SOURCE: Grandma Brunken’s Album
NOTES:
- The William and Mary Brunken family apparently went to Nebraska for the wedding of Christian Border “Chris” Petersen and Tetta Hanna Johannes[1]. Possibly these pictures were taken while they were visiting relatives or were at some wedding function. Or, maybe these pictures were taken after church services. The Alvin and Harold are wearing suits and Hilda and Leona appear to be wearing Sunday dresses.
- Anyone have suggestions as to who the unidentified girl is? Possibly a cousin. She cannot be William and Mary Brunken’s youngest daughter, Mildred Brunken, because Mildred was not born until 1920.

What are they looking at in front of them?

LEFT TO RIGHT: Harold Carsten Brunken, Leona Cecelia Brunken, Hilda Ida Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1918 – Harold appears to be about 4 years old. Given the heavy clothing that the children are wearing, it is probably winter time[1]
WHERE: Nebraska, possibly – given my speculation that these pictures were taken while the William and Mary Brunken family was in Nebraska [2] attending the wedding of Mary’s brother Chris Petersen to Tetta Johannes.
SOURCE: UnKnown
NOTES:
1. Christian Border “Chris” Petersen and Tetta Hanna Johannes were married 20 Feb 1918 near Platte Center, Nebraska.
2. They appear to be looking at writing on the ground. Apparently there is a corn stalk at Hilda’s feet. But, I cannot make out what the script says.

- WHO:
  1. Noah Johnson
  2. Elizabeth Ensz
  3. Ruth Newingham
  4. Hilda Brunken
  5. Evelyn Johnson
  6. Grace West
  7. Helen Ensz
  8. William Ensz
  9. Walter Unruh
  10. Cecil Unruh
  11. Mathilda Ensz
  12. Floyd Cottorn
  13. Walter West
  14. UnIdentified
  15. Ralieg R Pittman
  16. Ersel Dixon
  17. Harold Brunken
  18. Theron Dixon
  19. Henry Ensz
  20. Authur West
  21. Milo Cottorn
- WHEN: Circa 1922
- WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma -Near
- SOURCE: Grandma Brunken’s Album
- NOTES:
  - When I interviewed my uncle, Harold Brunken, in 2004, he mentioned going to school with his sister, Hilda, on cold winter mornings.
  - I am assuming that this picture of the Pleasant Valley School students is in the spring of 1922. Hilda Brunken appears to be one of the older students. Hilda graduated from Lahoma High School 14 May 1926 – this would be consistent with Hilda being in the 8th grade in the spring of 1922. Hilda was born 22 Sep 1906 – so if this is the spring of 1922, she would have been 15 years old. Harold Brunken was born 17 Nov 1913 – so he would have been 8 years old in this picture. Harold appears to be one of the younger students in the picture. Possibly Harold was in the 2nd grade. Neither Alvin Brunken nor Leona Brunken are in the picture. Alvin was born 3 Sep 1908 and would have been 13 years old at the time this picture was taken, Had he already graduated from 8th grade? Leona was born 11 Feb 1911 and would have been 11 years old. Why was she not in this picture? Possibly Alvin and Leona were absent from school the day this picture was taken.

First pictures taken with my kodak

WHAT: Classical Kodak Box Camera
SOURCE: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_camera
NOTES:
- Hilda Brunken took lots of snapshots with her Kodak box camera.
- “The KODAK camera introduced in 1888 was the first “box” camera to become widely adopted by the public … Because of the inability to adjust focus, the small lens aperture and the low sensitivity of the sensitive materials available, these cameras work best in brightly lit daylit scenes when the subject is within the hyperfocal distance for the lens and of subjects that move little during the exposure — snapshots.” Downloaded from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_camera.
- I think that Hilda’s Kodak Box Camera is the same box camera that our family used to take snapshots until in the 1950’s. I even took some of my first pictures with this camera.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Alvin William Brunken, Leona Cecelia Brunken, Harold Carsten Brunken, Mildred Lorena Brunken
WHEN: 1924. The children are wearing the same clothes as they are wearing in the Hilda, Alvin, Leona, Harold and Mildred Brunken – 1924 post.
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma – Note the vines in the background – they grew on the porch of the William Brunken farm house.
SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album

Bottom to Top: Mildred Lorena Brunken, Alvin William Brunken
WHEN: 1924. The children are wearing the same clothes as they are wearing in the Hilda, Alvin, Leona, Harold and Mildred Brunken – 1924 post.
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma – Note the vines in the background – they grew on the porch of the William Brunken farm house.
SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album

Hilda, Alvin, Leona, Harold and Mildred Brunken – 1924

BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Hilda Ida Brunken, Alvin Brunken, Leona Brunken
FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Harold Carsten Brunken, Mildred Lorena Brunken
WHEN: 1924 – According to the picture label
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma – Note the vines in the background – They grew on the porch of the William Brunken farm.
SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album
NOTES: While Hilda Ida Brunken took snapshots of her siblings as the first pictures she took with her Kodak box camera, this picture was taken by someone else. Her siblings are wearing the same clothes as they are in the First Pictures Taken With My Kodak.

WHO:
1. Deborah Dierksen,
2. Irene Brakhage
3. Mary Dierksen
4. Erna Brakhage
5. Leona Brunken
6. Harold Brunken
7. Rebbeca Brakhage
8. Albert Dierksen
9. Gertrude Brakage
WHEN: Circa 1924 – Probably
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album

WHO:
1. Alvin Brunken
2. Victor Graf
3. Alvin Brandhorst
4. Harold Brunken
5. “Bobbie” Graf
WHEN: 1925 – Probably
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album
NOTES: Apparently the Brunken boys, Alvin and Harold, and three friends have just had a snowball fight.

WHO:
1. Alvin Brunken
2. Victor Graf
3. Edna Graf
4. Leona Brunken
5. Louise Brandhorst
6. Alvin Brandhorst
7. “Bobbie” Graf
8. Mildred Brunken
9. Harold Brunken
WHEN: Cirda 1925. Assuming that Mildred is five years old.n
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album
NOTES: The snowball fighters and the audience. Hilda Brunken apparently is the person who took the picture.

WHO:
1. Hilda Brunken
2. Edna Graf
3. Louise Brandhorst
4. Leona Brunken
5. Mildred Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1925 – Assuming that Mildred is about five years old
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album
NOTES: Four friends and a little sister who have been watching the snowball fight.

WHO:
1. Gilbert Schnieder
2. Alvin Brunken
3. Gerhart Rosell
4. Adeline Swiert
5. Harold Rosell
6. Elenora Rosell
7. Rienhold Rosell
8. Hilda Brunken
WHEN: June 1925 – As per caption in Hilda’s album
WHERE: Enid, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album
NOTES: “Up through part of the 1950’s Lake Hellums was a favorite getaway for people to escape the heat. Kind of like an early water park. The smaller of the two larger lakes was for swimming.” Downloaded December 7, 2014 from Lake Hellums, http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~okgarftp/places/hellums.htm

BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Leona Brunken, Alvin Brunken, Hilda Brunken
FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Harold Brunken, Mildred Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1925 – assuming that Mildred is about five years old. I Think these snapshots were taken near the time of the “Snow Ball Fight” pictures – Mildred appears to be the same age and has the same hat and coat as in that picture.
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma – Probably
SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album

WHO:
1. Vincent Brandhorst
2. Harold Brunken
3. Leona Brunken
4. Mildred Brunken
5. Elenora Rosell Matthies
6. Louise Brandhorst
WHEN: Circa 1925 – Mildred appears to be about five years old and the picture in Hilda’s album was next to one labeled as 1925.
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album

Mildred, Leona and Harold Brunken enjoying a cool swim on a hot summer day in Oklahoma.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Mildred Lorena Brunken, Leona Cecelia Brunken. Harold Brunken
WHEN: 1924 The caption on the photo says 1924, but I think it is an year later.
WHERE: Cleo Springs[2], Oklahoma is about 22 miles from the Brunken farm near Lahoma, Oklahoma.
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke
NOTES: According to legend, Cleo Springs was named for Cle-oh-i-to-mo, an American Indian maiden, who resided in the area when Coronado traversed through the region in 1541. Also, the springs supposedly had curative powers. Oklahoma Historical Society’s Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture. Downloaded 20 Oct 2014.

TOP TO BOTTOM: Alvin William Brunken, Mildred Lorena Brunken
WHEN: Possibly the fall of 1927[1][2]
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke
NOTES:
1. Alvin graduated from high school May, 1927.
2. Alvin was able to attend college for only one year because of financial limitations.
3. Aunt Mildred expressed great pride while showing me this picture of her with her brother, Alvin, who is in his Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) uniform.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Mildred Lorena Brunken, daughter of Clara Marie “Mary” (Petersen) and William Leopold Brunken; Hilda Ida Brunken, daughter of Clara Marie “Mary” (Petersen) and William Leopold Brunken.
WHEN: 1932
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma – In front of the Brunken home, note the vilnes in the background.
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke
NOTES: Two Brunken sisters all dressed up. Looks like it was a typical windy day in Oklahoma.

BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Harold Carsten Brunken, Leona Cecelia (Brunken) Lindorfer, Hilda Ida (Brunken) Kirmse, Mildred Lorena Brunken, Alvin William Brunken
FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Clara Marie “Mary” (Petersen) Brunken, William Leopold Brunken
WHEN: Spring 1939
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma – Note the vines on the porch of the Brunken farm house near Lahoma, Oklahoma.
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke
NOTES: The family of Clara Maria “Mary” (Petersen) and William Leopold Brunken are visiting at their farm home near Lahoma, Oklahoma.

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