Individual Details

Intent

For Naturalization

Intent

The microfilmed copy of Christian's Intent to be Naturalized shows his actual signature which was still spelled the old way of Switzerland (Bronnimann). To date (1999) I have not found an actual Naturalization record anywhere. I do not know if he actually was naturalized or not after signing his intent in Ohio. The Intent paper shows that he declared under oath that he renounced forever all allegiance and fidelity to the Government of Switzerland.
To be honest, it is not proven if this intent is signed by Christian or his father, Christian. I don't think we will ever know this for sure as there's no way to prove which one it was. I am assuming, though, that it belonged to Christian because the 1900 census states that he was naturalized.

Naturalization

I have looked for years for this record, not realizing it was within my reach whenever I visited or worked at the Genealogical Library in Montezuma, Iowa. When I went to visit a cousin who had been doing some research at the Historical Library in Des Moines, she gave me a copy of the court record she had gotten off of a microfilm and a reference to where the original document would be. When I came back home I thought I would check some of the books that the courthouse had given to the Library and I found the Naturalization record in a Probate Book!!

Description

History of Poweshiek County

CHRISTIAJN D. BRENIMAN.
The name of Breniman is well known to the residents of Brooklyn and
Poweshiek county, the family having been established in this locality as early
as 1855, since which time representatives o·f the name have borne an important
part in the development of the district along agricultural lines. The family is
of Swiss origin, Christian D. Breniman having been born in Switzerland, about
four miles from the city of Berne, on the 29th or August, 1836. His parents
were Christian and Barbara (Durig) Breniman, also natives of Switzerland,
who brought their family to the United States in 1852, locating first in Tuscarawas
county, Ohio, and three years later, in the spring of 1855, they arrived
in Poweshiek county, Iowa. The family home was established about fcur
miles southeast of Brooklyn, and there the father engaged in general farming
for a number of years. He passed away on the old homestead in 1874, at the
BISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY 663
age of sixty':'two years, and his wife survived until 1897, her death occurring
when she was eighty-two years old.
Their family of ten children included the following: Christian D., of this
review; Fred, who enlisted from Poweshiek county and served throughout
the Jast three years of the Civil war as a member of Company H, Twentyeighth"
Iowa Infantry, and who is now deceased, his death occurring in Grinnell
in 1908; Rudolph, of Fort Collins, Colorado, who also enlisted in Company
H, Twenty-eighth Iowa Infantry, serving as drummer boy; Rosina, who.
wedded Myron Whitney and passed away in 1905; Margaret, the wife of" Edward
McVeigh, a resident of Nebraska, who enlisted from Poweshiek county
as a soldier of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry; Mary, the wife of Charles Wootters,
of Cleveland, Ohio, who likewise enlisted from this county in the Tenth Iowa
Infantry; Gottlieb, of ~rooklyn, mentioned elsewhere" in this volume; Eliza,
who married Chris Mohr, of Brooklyn; Arnold, of California; and John, a
resident of Fort Collins. All of this number, with the exception of the last
named, were born in Switzerla.nd, and all lived to rear families of their own.
At one time they were all located on farms south of Brooklyn, where the sons
owned about twenty-five hundred acres all in one body, and the locality became
known throughout the district as the Breniman settlement.
Christian D. Breniman acquired his education in the schools of the fatherland
and was a lad of sixteen years when he crossed the Atlantic with his parents.
Since his arrival in Poweshiek county in 1855 he has never been out~
ide its limits for any length of time except once in 1863, when he went abroad
for the purpose of visiting his old home in Switzerland. When old enough
to enter business on his own account he wisely chose the occupation of farming
as his life work, and for many years was considered one of the most substantial
and prosperous agriculturists of Lincoln township. He and his brothers
all became very well-to-do, for in the conduct of their affairs they not only
exhibited the sturdy traits of industry, perseverance and thrift so characteristic
of the German race but also the spirit of progress and enterprise which has
come to be recognized as the dominant American force. They followed the
most practical and up-to-date methods in the cultivation of their fields, erected
fine large buildings and introduced all of the modern equipment for facilitating
farm labor, and with the passing of the years the section known as Breniman's
settlement became one of the most valuable and desirable properties in
the county. Christian D; .Breniman became the owner of over three hundred""
acres of finely developed farm land, and he continued in the successful operation
of his fields until about five years ago, when he retired from business
with a handsome fortune and took up his residence in Brooklyn.
It was in 1867 that Mr. Breniman was united in marriage to Miss J. Annah
Pierce, a native of Connecticut, born on the 21st of May, 1.845- Her parents
were H. F. and Julia (Wilson) Pierce, also natives of Connecticut, who came
west in 1854, locating first in Illinois, while ten years later, in 1864, they arrived
in Iowa. Mr. Pierce was a master of the Grange here and became very
well known throughout Poweshiek county. He and his wife both passed away
in Kansas two years ago when about ninety years of age. In their family were
four children, as follows: Annah, who became Mrs. Breniman; Frank, the
664: . HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY
county clerk of Kearney county, Kansas, residing in Lakin, who was also at
one time county auditor of Poweshiek county and was a student of Iowa College;
William, a resident physician of Clayton, Kansas, who was also a student
of Iowa College; and Minnie, the deceased wife of Rudolph Breniman, a
brother of Christian D. Breniman, her death occurring in I896..
Unto Mr. and l\-1rs. Breniman were .born seven children, namely: Bertha,
a graduate of Iowa College at Grinnell, now engaged in teaching in South Dakota;
Irene, who was also engaged in teaching for about twenty years in Iowa
and Nebraska prior to her marriage to Ira McMullen, of Brooklyn; Elbridge,
a physician of Ackley, Iowa, and a graduate of Rush Medical College; Fannie,
who was graduated from Iowa College at Grinnell and engaged in teaching
for the past eighteen years but passed away on the 25th of May, I9I1.
Marie, who was a nurse in the Methodist Episcopal Hospital at Des Moines for
a year and a half, and is a graduate of the Deaconess Training School of Chicago;
Edward, who was educated at the State Normal School at Cedar Falls
and is now operating his father's farm; and Virginia; living at home.
Mr. Breniman owns an attractive home· on Des Moines street, Brooklyn,
and the hospitality of his home is enjoyeC:. by, a large circle of friends. He belongs
to the Moravian church, which the Bfehiman family was instrumental
in establishing here, being the largest contributors to its building fund. This
church was built by the family inWarren township and was the first country
church built in the county, being erected in I869. In politics he voted with the
republican party until the election of Grover Cleveland, since which time he
has given his support to the democracy. He held all of the offices in Lincoln
township and during his residence there was recognized as one of its most prominent
and influential citizens. Since coming to Brooklyn, however, he has led
a quiet life, content to leave to others the active duties of citizenship, and now,
having reached the seventy-fifth milesfone on life's journey, he is enjoying the
fruits of a success that is most substantial. and well merited..

Death

His son, Edward, was the informant for the death information. He listed his father's first name is Christer, not Christian. I don't know if this is a typographical error, or if his name may have been Christer. His birth record on the IGI says Christian. His death record states that he died of senility, probably old age.

Burial

Birth: Aug. 29, 1836
Bern, Switzerland Death: Sep. 4, 1924
Brooklyn
Poweshiek County
Iowa, USA
Christian was the son of Christian Broenniman (the spelling before coming to USA) and Barbara Duerig. He married Julia Annah Pierce Nov. 17, 1867 at Brooklyn, Poweshiek, IA.
Burial:
Brooklyn Memorial Cemetery
Brooklyn
Poweshiek County
Iowa, USA
Created by: Rose Rathbun
Record added: Jul 07, 2002
Find A Grave Memorial# 6581495