Obituary of Manual Brunette - September 3th, 1924

Green Bay Presss Gazette.

Sept. 3, 1924

RESIDENT HERE FOR 82 YEARS DIES ON SUNDAY

Manual Brunette, One of the Oldest Native Sons, Is Dead; Funeral Wednesday.

Manuel Brunette, one of the oldest native sons of Green Bay, passed away early Sunday morning at his home 445 S. Adams St. of general debilities due to old age.

Mr. Brunette had been particularly active for a man of his age until last February. Until then he superintended the work on his farm in Duck Creek, making the trip daily. The change in his condition came gradually and he grew weaker until death came Sunday morning. While in bed during the past four weeks, the hardy pioneer, gave directions for the work on the farm. He was widely known throughout northeastern Wisconsin.

The history of the Brunette Family dates back to the earliest days of the French settlement here. Mr. Brunette\rquote s paternal grandfather, Dominic Brunette Sr. came to Green Bay in 1796 from Canada with four or five fur traders. The only means of transportation was a frail bark canoe and after many hardships and perils on the Great Lakes they were wrecked at \ldblquote Death\rquote s Door\rdblquote about 100 miles from Green Bay.

They camped on a little island for ten days in the meantime gathering pitch from the pine trees and mending their canoe with bark from the birch. They landed in safety at Green Bay and in 1812 he was married to Miss Domitelle Grignon. They were the parents of 12 children, one of the sons being Dominic, the father of Manuel.

Manuel Brunette was born in Green Bay June 5, 1842. He obtained his early education in the public schools of Fort Howard, which he attended at intervals until he was 18 years old. During his boyhood he worked by day or month as a logger, shingle maker, sawyer, or farmer. At the age of 18 he joined his father in the lumber and milling business, but for more than 50 years has given his attention to stone quarrying. On April 1867 he was married to Miss Theresa Walker, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. James Walker who located in Duck Creek in 1848.

Funeral Wednesday Morning
Mr. & Mrs. Brunette were the parents of 14 children, eight of whom, with the mother survive; Mrs. F.C. Clabots, Mrs. Ben Masse, Green Bay; Mrs A. J. Strassburger, Oshkosh; Mrs. H.E. Gillian, Milwaukee; Roland S and Emanuel F. of Duck Cree; Robert J. and James of Green Bay. There are also 26 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Two brothers, Charles and John, one of whom is in his 89\super th\nosupersub year, and a sister, Mrs. Pauling De Jourdain, who is 86 years old, surviving.\par \par \pard Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 9 a.m. from St. John\rquote s church, Green Bay with interment in the Duck Creek cemetery. Mr. Brunette was a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Submitted by: Jan R Dorn