Charles William Bragunier 1851-1923

Charles William Bragunier 1851-1923

A Thumbnail Biography by David C. Procuniar

Copyright 1997-1998-1999-2000-2001

Charles William Bragunier, the son of William Procunier Bragunier & Caroline Grumbine; married Sarah Ann Manhood 23 Sep 1874. Charles born on 26 Feb 1851 in Bethel, Indiana; died on 13 Dec 1923 in Goessel, Kansas. Sarah was born on 28 Dec 1853 in Kingston, Canada; died in Feb 1947 in Peabody, Kansas. Sarah out lived her husband by 24 years. This author does not know Sarah Manhood's parents names.

Children:

George Edger Bragunier 24 Mar 1879 Peabody Marion, Kansas

Charles William Bragunier 24 Mar 1879-1949 married Azubie Reeder one child Ileana Bragunier 1912

Pearl Irene Bragunier 11 Jul 1881 married Charles A. Sunderlin

Minnie Ethel Bragunier 03 Feb 1884 married Mr. Hewette

Note: Minnie was living in Los Angeles Calif, in 1949; she has a notebook of her father Charles W. Bragunier , Minnie & Mr Hewette had two children. one a Marcie Hewette Richie lived at 132 Second Ave. N.E., Osseo, MN 55369

An alumni directory for Peabody HighKansas published in 1961. The Alumni list says Ethel Hewitt Minnie's second child (Class of 01) was alive and living in Peabody at 227 1/2 N. Walnut Street.

Edna Francis Bragunier 24 Oct 1888

Charles was a Grocer in Kansas.

He was raised by Mr Mrs Plank after his mother died two months after Charles was born.

The following is a manuscript of C. W. Braguniers circa 1890 notebook that was in the hands of Mrs. Ethel (Hewette) Bragunier, who in 1849 resided at 900 W. 41st Street, Los Angeles California, 37.

Charles William Bragunier kept a small notebook in circa 1890 that contained a brief family history of his family.

His father William (Procunier) Bragunier's great grandfather & grandfather were born at Elzos (German for Alsase) on the river Rhine of French descent. He spoke the German and French language. Elzos is situated on the river Rhine in the German Empire between _______ and __________. His grandfather and our great grandfather came to America and settled in Hagerstown, Washington county, Maryland about 1775. He was a major under Lafayette in the Revolutionary War. He was in the battle of Cornwallis and many others. He died in 1807. William Bragunier , our grandfather, was born in Hagerstown Washington Co., Maryland in 1777. He married a twin and was the father of seven children, five boys & two girls. All lived to be men & women. None are alive today (1890) except our father & Uncle Samuel who is living at Dayton Ohio. Daniel Bragunier our grandfather died in 1840. Our father William Bragunier & his twin brother were born in Hagerstown Washington,

Co. Maryland on the 19th February 1812 & through hard word on different public works made his way in life but was denied an education. He started when a boy on public works as a water boy and as he became acquainted with different nationalities, their ways & religion, as well as the plans & style of building canals & road beds. His first work being on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and Su_______ & Pennsylvania Canal. During the building of the canals there were a great many fights among the Irish as they were the principal employees. Our father was at the great fight with Corkonies & F_______, they fought for about two weeks. The governor had to call out troops to quell them. At the age of 22 he married Miss Caroline Grumbine, of German descent, Presbyterian faith. She was born in West Munster, Hanover Co, Pennsylvania in 1816. Our mother having a good common school education was of much help to father as she kept his books as he did a good deal of carpentering. They moved from Pennsylvania to Dayton Ohio about 1834. D. J. Bragunier born Dayton 1837. Father and mother being poor, they emigrated further West and located in Lawrence County, Illinois on the Wabash river near ____________. They accumulated considerable in the way of stock & C to the _______ of $5,000 & ________. Father being too good natured went security for some man, then he failed to pay and everything that father had was taken except a team and their clothing. There they had three more children born, T.D. Bragunier, born in Lawrence Co., Illinois. Jerry Bragunier February 26, 1841, Clarence Meeria Bregunier in 1843. Father and mother then started with what little they had, left & their five small children for Indianapolis, Indiana. They had a hard time of it for some time. Father worked for dome time for $8.00 per month but this only lasted a short time. The Madison & Indianapolis R.R. was surveyed & contracts were being let for grading the same. Father took contracts & made money. He soon afterwards moved over on the old national Turn Pike & kept Too gate & kept the read in repair for about six miles. George W. Bragunier was born here. Axean Bragunier born 1845, George W. born 184-. Father bought a piece of land near Bethel, Indiana on Bethel Pike, five miles from Indianapolis where he expected to make his home having a good log house on the place. It was here that C.W. Bragunier was born February 26, 1851 to the youngest of a family of eight. It was here that father met his deepest sorrow that of loosing his wife, our dear mother still a young woman & leaving a large family to lament her loss, eight children the oldest being fourteen years old, the youngest six weeks & three days. She died April 11, 1851. We will now take up the life of C.W. Bragunier, who after the death of his dear mother was left to the tender care of his young brothers and sisters and as much as his father could do or have done by the good neighbors. He was drifted around for one year being in five or six families during that time. END Typed 3/6/98

Peabody Kansas 1900 Census p174

Bragunier, Charles b. Feb 1851 IN MD PA Grocer

Sarah A. b. Dec 1854 Canada IRE IRE 7 kids born 5 living

Charles W. b. Mar 1879 Restaurant

George E. b. Mar 1879 Restaurant

Minnie E. b. Feb 1884 in school

Edna F. b. Oct 1887 in school

Both Charles & Sarah were members of the St Paul's Evangelical Church in Peabody, Kansas.; Source: "The Bragonier Family" by Georgiana H. Randall 1969 "The Bragunier Family in America" by Brittian Bragunier Robinson 1969

Information below supplied by Edna Bragunier Appleby who submitted the same information to the local Peabody historical society in 1971.

BRAGUNIER, Charles b. 1851 and Sarah b. 1856. Arrived 1870 from Indiana. Dry goods store owner. Two other Bragunier brothers had a mercantile store in Topeka. These stores were the first chain store business in Kansas. 1880-p120 Children:

Charles b. 1879, George b. 1879 - Ed; Will; Ethel m. ---HEWITT, Pearl m. --- SUNDERLIN & Edna m.--- APPLEBY

Found the above on the Peabody Web Page http://skyways.lib.ks.us/kansas/genweb/marion/peabody.html (no longer active)

BRAGUNIER, Charles b. 1851 IN and Sarah MAHOOD b. 1856 Canada. Arrived 1870 from Indiana. Dry goods store owner. Two other Bragunier brothers had a mercantile store in Topeka. These stores were the first chain store business in Kansas. 1880-p120, 1900-p174

Children: Edna b. 1877 m.--- Appleby, Charles b. 1879, George b. 1879 m.; Minnie, Pearl b. 1881 m.1. Jacob NUSBAUM m.2. ---Sunderlin (perhaps also Ed, Will, Ethel m. ---Hewitt)

Peabody, The First Hundred Years

Charles Bragunier with brother George started a Mercantile store in Emporia (KS) but Charles soon came to Peabody and established a store here. Two other brothers had a Mercantile Store business in Topeka (KS). This was the first chain store business in Kansas. Cutler's History of Kansas C. W. BRAGUNIER, dealer in general merchandise. The business was begun here in 1871 by Jerry and C. W. Bragunier as a branch of their Emporia store. May 22, 1873, C. W. took charge of the store here. The cash value of the stock January, 1883, was $13,000 and the annual sales will reach $30,000. In 1883, their present commodious store room was built at No.35 Walnut street, which is a one story stone structure 25 x 100 feet, with iron and plate glass front, costing $35,000 and the stock was moved there June 1, 1883. Mr. B was born in Indianapolis, Ind., February 26, 1851, and attended city schools. His father was a farmer near the city. In 1871, came to Emporia, where he remained in business with his brother until coming to Peabody. Was married in November, 1874, at Peabody, Kan., to Miss Sarah A. Mahood, of Amherst Island, Can., and have three children -- Charles W., George Edgar (twins), born March 24, 1879, and Pearl Irene, born July 11, 1881. Is a member of Covenant Lodge, No. 113, I. O. O. F., and Halcyon Lodge No. 120, A. F. & A. M., Peabody, Newton Commander, No. 9, and Arkansas Valley Chapter, No. 27, Newton, Kan.

Sources:

David Charles Procuniar 3598 Harry Truman Drive, Beavercreek, OH 45432-2272 procuniar@ameritech.net

The Bragonier Family by Georgiana H. Randall 1969.

The Bragunier Family in America by Brittian Bragunier Robinson 1969

First Reformed Church of Hagerstown Maryland church records on LDS micro-film

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