Harold Wrenn
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Harold Brent Wrenn (1878 - 1938)

Harold Brent Wrenn
Born in Chicago, Illinoismap
Ancestors ancestors
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 30 Apr 1910 in Los Angeles, Californiamap
Descendants descendants
Father of
Died at age 59 in Chicago, Illinoismap
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Profile last modified | Created 15 Oct 2014
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Biography

Harold Brent Wrenn was born on November 5, 1878, in Chicago, Illinois, to John Henry Wrenn and Julia Ann Griggs. His siblings who were also born in Chicago were:

  1. Alice Wrenn Norcross (1870-1914)
  2. Ethel Pansy Wrenn (1872-1924) [1]

Harold graduated from Harvard with a degree in music in 1902. He was an excellent violin player. The summer of 1902, he started working in his father's office, John H Wrenn and Company, brokers, Chicago. That winter of 1902-1903, he became ill with typhoid fever and went to California, and later in the spring to Honolulu, Hawaii. In the summer of 1903, he went to Europe, studying music at Dresden and Prague. In 1906 he returned to Chicago after becoming ill. Later he resumed work in his father's brokerage firm. In 1907 Harold had to stop work again due to illness. He went to Los Angeles, California in January of 1908 and his health improved so much, he moved there permanently. [2]

The 1910 Census shows Harold living as a boarder with a widow named Elizabeth Werth. His occupation is listed as real estate broker. Next door lived Judge M T Allen's family, the home of his future wife, Lois Allen. [3]

He bought a lot of properties in Los Angeles, California, Coalinga, California, Pearblossom, California, and Montana. [4]

He married Lois Celeste Allen on April 30, 1910, in Los Angeles, California at Lois' family home on Pasadena Avenue and Avenue 50. [5]

The wedding announcement headline was "Beautiful Society Girl Who Will Wed Only Son of Millionaire". The article said "Every one is rejoicing that Lois Allen is to stay in California and her friends can congratulate her fiance, Harold Wrenn, not only upon his engagement, but also upon the fact that he has decided to make his home here. Many of the girls of Miss Allen's set have married away from home, and have even gone to foreign countries." [6]

Lois and Harold honeymooned at Del Monte and other points of interest in California. [7]When they returned they lived with Lois' parents for a few months on Pasadena Ave while waiting for their bungalow to be ready for them at Echo Avenue and Avenue 50. [8]

They had two children:

  1. Mary Natika Wrenn Taylor (19 Feb 1911-19 Feb 1980)
  2. John Henry Wrenn (19 Dec 1913-22 Jan 1981)

Harold and Lois Wrenn lived at 151 E Avenue 50 in Highland Park, which was a fashionable area of Los Angeles at that time. Their 2 children, Mary Natika and John Henry were born at this house. They moved to 465 S Grand Ave in Pasadena sometime between 1926-1930 where they lived until they died. [9] [10]

465 S Grand Ave, Pasadena, 1960
465 S Grand Ave, Pasadena, 1994

When Harold's father, John H Wrenn, died in 1911, he left his library of 5,300 items to Harold and his sister, Alice Wrenn Norcross. It was mostly first edition English literature from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries and the Romantic poets in particular. Harold spent several years preparing a detailed catalogue that was published in 5 volumes in 1920. Alice died in 1914, and her husband, Frederick Norcross, and Harold sold the library to the University of Texas at Austin. They accepted half of its worth under the conditions that it stay together, be named the Wrenn Library, and be suitably housed. Agreement for purchase was in 1918. [11]

In 1921, Harold purchased the Aitken Library and sold it to U of Texas for the $20,000 he paid for it to complete the Wrenn Library. [12]

He died on October 24, 1938, in Chicago [13] while visiting, at the age of 59. He died suddenly at the Racquet Athletic Club in Chicago where he stayed when he visited. He just collapsed while walking across a room. He probably had a stroke or a heart attack. [14] He is buried at Angelus Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles, California with his wife Lois, her family, and their son John Wrenn and wife, Lucy Miller Wrenn. [15]

References

  1. First hand information from his granddaughter, Lucy Wrenn Hermes
  2. Secretary's Third Report By Harvard College (1780- ). Class of 1901, https://books.google.com/books?id=hMsnAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA397&lpg=PA397&dq=lois+celeste+allen,+california&source=bl&ots=30WqlGIm29&sig=AwKkW4zvy_Bbtssfy0SX-PKkdm0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjeo9TAuKfOAhUFWSYKHUOPDtEQ6AEIXjAP#v=onepage&q=lois%20celeste%20allen%2C%20california&f=false, Google Books, p 397, Harold Brent Wrenn
  3. "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVLM-P6M : 20 October 2015), Harold B Wrenn in household of Elizabeth N Werth, Los Angeles Assembly District 74, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 49, sheet 14A, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,374,096.
  4. First hand information from his granddaughter, Lucy Wrenn Hermes
  5. "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLWG-WQY : 28 November 2014), Harold Brent Wrenn and Lois Celeste Allen, 30 Apr 1910; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 1,033,220.
  6. Los Angeles Herald, 10 Apr 1910, p 30, https://www.newspapers.com/image/44231760/, "Beautiful Society Girl Who Will Wed Only Son of Millionaire"
  7. Newspapers.com - The Los Angeles Times - 5 May 1910, Thu - Page 22, https://www.newspapers.com/image/?spot=6889110, Harold and Lois honeymooned at Del Monte, California
  8. Newspapers.com - Los Angeles Herald - 19 Jun 1910, Sun - Page 37, https://www.newspapers.com/image/?spot=6819637, Mr and Mrs H B Wrenn Planning New Home at Echo Ave and Ave 50
  9. First hand information from his granddaughter, Lucy Wrenn Hermes
  10. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Pasadena, California, City Directory, 1929 p 773, http://interactive.ancestry.com/2469/3712317/268581339?backurl=http://person.ancestry.com/tree/7488140/person/-1083918491/facts/citation/100160369789/edit/record, Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
  11. The Wrenn Library, https://books.google.com/books?id=fcT2xjeOEQoC&pg=PA142&lpg=PA142&dq=harold+wrenn,+aitken+library,+u+of+texas&source=bl&ots=tu3BKd6bPT&sig=vICzBmtBKwxrUD0Ht3LWnhkM1gk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjG7dCovazOAhWBRyYKHQFDCcUQ6AEIJDAB#v=onepage&q=harold%20wrenn%2C%20wrenn%20library%2C%20u%20of%20texas&f=false, pg 140
  12. The Aitken Library, https://books.google.com/books?id=fcT2xjeOEQoC&pg=PA142&lpg=PA142&dq=harold+wrenn,+aitken+library,+u+of+texas&source=bl&ots=tu3BKd6bPT&sig=vICzBmtBKwxrUD0Ht3LWnhkM1gk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjG7dCovazOAhWBRyYKHQFDCcUQ6AEIJDAB#v=onepage&q=harold%20wrenn%2C%20aitken%20library%2C%20u%20of%20texas&f=false, pg 142
  13. "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2MK-24NC : 17 May 2016), Harold B Wrenn, 24 Oct 1938; citing Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference , record number , Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm .
  14. First hand information from his granddaughter, Lucy Wrenn Hermes
  15. "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVKS-DTLH : 13 December 2015), Harold Brent Wrenn, 1938; Burial, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America, Angelus Rosedale Cemetery; citing record ID 37719071, Find a Grave,http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=37719071

Sources

  • "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXNN-GYW : 24 December 2015), Herold in household of John Wrenn, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district ED 24, sheet 118A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0186; FHL microfilm 1,254,186.
  • "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSS2-BLY : 6 March 2015), Harold Wrenn in household of John Wrenn, Precinct 11 South Town Chicago city Ward 3, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing sheet 4A, family 63, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,240,247.
  • "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVLM-P6M : 20 October 2015), Harold B Wrenn in household of Elizabeth N Werth, Los Angeles Assembly District 74, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 49, sheet 14A, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,374,096.
  • "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLWG-WQY : 28 November 2014), Harold Brent Wrenn and Lois Celeste Allen, 30 Apr 1910; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 1,033,220.
  • "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHQD-PSS : 14 December 2015), Harold E Wrenn, Los Angeles Assembly District 61, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing sheet 13A, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,820,105.
  • "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2MK-24NC : 17 May 2016), Harold B Wrenn, 24 Oct 1938; citing Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference , record number , Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm .
  • "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQ6Q-TVX : 27 December 2014), Harold B. Wrenn, 24 Oct 1938; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,953,407.
  • First hand information from his granddaughter, Lucy Wrenn Hermes




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