Individual Details
Phineas Johnson "PJ" Bresee
(24 Feb 1907 - 17 Jan 1990)
P.J. was very active in the Masonic Order and was the Past High Priest of his temple.
1990 - At the time of his death, he owned several 1.5" to the foot model trains that were kept at the LA Live Steamers in Griffith Park. The Lionel train collection in the attic of his home included 23 steam type models alone. His grandson Phineas Scott Bresee has the best parts of the Lionel collection. The Griffith Park train collection is now cared for by his son, Mel.
1988 - Listen to a recording dated 6 July 1988 by PJ Bresee covering his life, recorded by Frank Bresee.
1943 - That year they purchased a home at 940 West 20th St., LA, where he lived until death.
1933 - After marriage, they lived in the funeral home on South Figueroa St. Albert A. & Rebecca Webb (his half sister) were witnesses to the wedding. Soon after, with the help of a loan from Mel Bresee, they purchased a duplex at 4516 Maplewood Ave., LA which was north of Melrose Ave. near Hollywood. At the time of PJ's marriage in 1933, Albert A. Web, his brother-in-law and sister, Rebecca, were living at 1006 So. Lake St, the old home.
1931 - When he graduated from the California College of Embalming on 3 March 1931, his uncle P.W. Bresee signed the certificate as Secretary. He passed the State Board of Embalming and Funeral Directing on 9 June 1931.
1926 - While living away from home during high school, he attended the San Diego Army and Navy Academy and made the rank of corporal on 15March 1926, and was made First Lieutenant on 3 December 1926.
1920 census shows his father, E. H. Bresee, age 57 (born 1863) living on Lake St., Los Angeles, CA, with his wife, Grace J. age 42, daughter Rebecca age 19, son Phineas J. age 12 and daughter Ruth J. age 6.
1917 - About this time the family purchased a second home at 434 Ave. 66, Los Angeles. This was away from down town and included a small dairy operation.
1910 census shows him as age 3 living with his parents at 1006 S. Lake St., Los Angeles.
1907 birth date and location is based on his birth certificate which establishes his parents. PJ was born in the Good Samaritan Hospital when it was at 9th and Figueroa St. in downtown Los Angeles. Dr. Paul Bresee, his uncle, signed the birth certificate. The family lived at 1006 S. Lake St., LA near Olympic Blvd., west of downtown until around 1916.
1990 - At the time of his death, he owned several 1.5" to the foot model trains that were kept at the LA Live Steamers in Griffith Park. The Lionel train collection in the attic of his home included 23 steam type models alone. His grandson Phineas Scott Bresee has the best parts of the Lionel collection. The Griffith Park train collection is now cared for by his son, Mel.
1988 - Listen to a recording dated 6 July 1988 by PJ Bresee covering his life, recorded by Frank Bresee.
1943 - That year they purchased a home at 940 West 20th St., LA, where he lived until death.
1933 - After marriage, they lived in the funeral home on South Figueroa St. Albert A. & Rebecca Webb (his half sister) were witnesses to the wedding. Soon after, with the help of a loan from Mel Bresee, they purchased a duplex at 4516 Maplewood Ave., LA which was north of Melrose Ave. near Hollywood. At the time of PJ's marriage in 1933, Albert A. Web, his brother-in-law and sister, Rebecca, were living at 1006 So. Lake St, the old home.
1931 - When he graduated from the California College of Embalming on 3 March 1931, his uncle P.W. Bresee signed the certificate as Secretary. He passed the State Board of Embalming and Funeral Directing on 9 June 1931.
1926 - While living away from home during high school, he attended the San Diego Army and Navy Academy and made the rank of corporal on 15March 1926, and was made First Lieutenant on 3 December 1926.
1920 census shows his father, E. H. Bresee, age 57 (born 1863) living on Lake St., Los Angeles, CA, with his wife, Grace J. age 42, daughter Rebecca age 19, son Phineas J. age 12 and daughter Ruth J. age 6.
1917 - About this time the family purchased a second home at 434 Ave. 66, Los Angeles. This was away from down town and included a small dairy operation.
1910 census shows him as age 3 living with his parents at 1006 S. Lake St., Los Angeles.
1907 birth date and location is based on his birth certificate which establishes his parents. PJ was born in the Good Samaritan Hospital when it was at 9th and Figueroa St. in downtown Los Angeles. Dr. Paul Bresee, his uncle, signed the birth certificate. The family lived at 1006 S. Lake St., LA near Olympic Blvd., west of downtown until around 1916.
Events
| Birth | 24 Feb 1907 | Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States |  | ||
| Residence | 1907 - 1916 | near Olympic Blvd., west of downtown - 1006 S. Lake St., LA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States | | ||
| Census | 1910 | 1006 S. Lake St., Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States |  | ||
| Education | 1916 | Urban Military Academy at 8th and Alvarado St., Los Angeles, California, United States | |||
| Residence | 1917 - 1922 | 434 Ave. 66, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States | | ||
| Census | 1920 | 1006 S Lake St., Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States | | ||
| Education | 28 Jun 1922 | graduation from summer class - Garvanza School, Highland Park, Los Angeles, California, United States | | ||
| Education | 1923 - 1927 | San Diego Army & Navy Academy, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States | |||
| Fact 1 | 1928 | Staff - Bresee Brothers Mortuary at 855 S. Figueros St., Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States | |||
| Census | 1930 | 1006 S. Lake St., LA near Olympic Blvd., west of downtown, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States | | ||
| Fact 2 | 1931 | President, LA Motorcycle Club - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States | | ||
| Education | 31 Mar 1931 | California College of Embalming graduated - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States | |||
| Marriage | 23 Apr 1933 | Methodist Ch. on Easter Sunday, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States - Grace Kathleen Brown | | | |
| Residence (family) | 1935 - 1942 | in a duplex - 4516 Maplewood Ave., Los Angeles, California, United States - Grace Kathleen Brown | |||
| Soc Sec No | 15 Dec 1936 Social Security Certificate | | |||
| Census | 1940 | 4516 Maplewood Ave., Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States | | ||
| Residence (family) | 1943 - 1973 | in the family home - 940 West 20th Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States - Grace Kathleen Brown | |||
| Confirmation | 18 Mar 1951 | St. John's Episcopal Cathedral at 514 W. Adams Blvd.,, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States | | ||
| Death | 17 Jan 1990 | Ciga Hospital, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States | | ||
| Burial | Bresee plot in Evergreen Cemetery,, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States | ||||
| Alt name | P.J. Bresee | ||||
| Cremation | |||||
| LDS Family Tree ID | L8YR-YKG | ||||
| WikiTree | Bresee-12 |
Families
| Spouse | Grace Kathleen Brown (1909 - 1973) |
| Child | Jane Bresee (1936 - 2018) |
| Child | Living |
| Father | Ernest Hebbard "EH" Bresee (1861 - 1949) |
| Mother | Grace J. Johnson (1877 - 1928) |
| Sibling | Ruth Blossom Bresee (1913 - 1961) |
Notes
Census
1910 census shows his mother, Grace, was born in VT and both of her parents were born in New Hampshire. He, Phineas is age 3. Sister Rebecca is not in the home and is living with her mother in Oakland, CA. Home is located at 1006 S. Lake St., Los Angeles.Residence
Family story is that the family moved to 434 Ave. 64, Los Angeles around 1917. The 1920 census show them still at 1006 S. Lake St.Census
1920 census shows his father, EH, as age 57 (born 1863) living at 1006 S. Lake St., Los Angeles, CA, with his wife, Grace J. age 42, his sister Rebecca age 19, he Phineas J. age 12 and sister Ruth J. (Blossom) age 6. His mother, Grace J. was born in Vermont and her parents were born in New Hampshire.Education
Commencement Program dated June 28, 1922, showing PJ in the graduation.Census
1930 census shows Ernest H. Bresee, age 68, with the following people in the home: Phineas J. Bresee, age 23 working as an embalmer, Ruth B. Bresee, age 16, Albert A. Webb, age 31, Rebecca G. Webb, age 29, Ernest N. Webb, age 3 7/12, Arthur H. Webb, age 11/12, and Ellen Mc Donald, age 64. All are living at 1006 S. Lake St. Phineas' father was born in Iowa and his mother was born in New Hampshire.Fact 2
From the notes for the eulogy given by Dr. Hebbard MacArthur, DDS, at the funeral for PJ Bresee on 20 Jan 1990, that PJ was President of the LA Motorcycle Club in 1931. Heb noted that he never had an accident. These notes are in Mel Bresee's genealogical file for PJ.Marriage
Marriage date is from Mrs. Grace Bresee's birthday book. They were married on Easter Sunday and always celebrated their wedding on Easter Sunday even though they were married on 23 April 1933.Census
1940 census shows PJ's wife, two children and Hebbard McArthur, a cousin, all living at 4516 Maplewood Ave., Los Angeles.Endnotes
1. Ancestry.com, California Death Index, 1940-1997 (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000).
2. Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006).
3. Phineas Johnson Bresee, birth certificate Certified Copy of Local Record #140476 (24 Feb 1907, 5 AM), City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.
4. Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006).
5. Los Angeles County, Marriage License, Recorded book 1140 page 176, Phineas J. Bresee and Grace Kathleen Brown, 16 April 1933; County Recorder, Los Angeles, CA.
6. Social Security Certificate card issued 15 Dec 1936 to Phineas Johnson Bresee showing Bresee Brothers Undt. Co. at 2215 1/2 West 10th ST..
7. ; , St. John's Episcopal Cathedral, 514 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007; privately held by Melvin A. Bresee, .
8. County of Los Angeles, Death Certificate.