Ancestor Roundup: Timothy Brennan

Timothy (Tim) Clarence Brennan was born to William Maurice Brennan and Mary Frances Blines on 16 August 1895 in Washington, Daviess County, Indiana. He was the youngest of four children, and his siblings were, William Earl Brennan (1887 - 1946), Clara Brennan (1889 – 1890), and Johnnie Brennan (1892 – 1901).

He grew up blocks away from the railroad depot where his father, William worked many different jobs on the railroad and in the roundhouse at Washington, Indiana. Taking in his father’s footsteps Tim left school after 7^th the grade and began an apprenticeship with the railroad. This resulted in Tim becoming the youngest qualified tool and die maker on that line at the age of 16. As a tool and die maker Tim had a job for life with the railroad.

According to my father, his grandfather Tim could make anything. If a part broke at home, he simply took the pieces to the workshop and created a new one. He was a hard worker, creative, and loved to work with his hands.

On 24 July 1916 Tim married Agnes Miller (1897 – 1977) in Washington, Indiana. Agnes was also from Washington and granddaughter of a German immigrants. While she was the second generation, the family still spoke German at home and associated with the German-speaking community located in southern Indiana. Tim was also second-generation American, on his father’s side as his paternal grandparents were from Galway, Ireland.

During their early marriage Tim and Agnes lived near the railroad shops at 314 S. Meridian St. and 3 North St. Both easy walks from home to work. Here they raised their four daughters: Ruth, Helen, Mary Alice, and Margaret.

Religion was a touchy subject in the family. Tim was Presbyterian and Agnes was Catholic. From what my grandmother told me, her father was more laid back and did not fuss about much of anything. Mainly giving in to what Agnes wanted according to religion and child-raising. Which means their children were raised Catholic and not Presbyterian. However, only two of the children stayed with the church as adults.

By 1930 they moved onto a small farm, which at that time was outside of town. Now it is well within the limits of the city. Tim still worked at the railyard and rode a horse into town until they purchased their first car. They had a small herd of milk cows, a vegetable garden, and Anges loved living there as she grew up farming. Tim grew up in town and was never quite as handy with farming.

My father and his siblings spent many summers and weekends with their cousins helping plow, harvest, pick bugs, milk cows, and canning vegetables. He was also afraid of the cows and the bull they kept. According to dad, he never quite figured out how to deal with animals and my father and his middle brother usually did the driving of the herd for him.

Tim retired from the B&O Railroad in 1957 after having a heart attack. He spent the next few years reading, working the small farm, and enjoying life. As a retirement present, the man the workshop reupholstered his favorite reclining chair in the fabric that the seats on the passenger trains were made from. It was a vivid blue nubby fabric that I also remember very well. We had Tim’s chair in our home until the late 1980s when it finally broke for good and could not be repaired. It was my favorite cartoon watching spot as a kid.

My dad remembers the chair from childhood because Tim was an avid reader. He would sit for hours in that chair reading books, magazines, and the newspaper. Next to this chair was a basket with reading material and when my dad would visit, he would sit next to him, pull something from the basket and they would sit and read next to each other. Supposedly it irritated Agnes to no end, wasting his life reading when he should be working. But he introduced my dad to some of his favorite authors, like Zane Grey.

Tim died from a cerebral hemorrhage on 1 May 1962 after battling years with coronary artery disease. He was in the hospital being treated for pneumonia at the time. He is buried in St John’s cemetery next to the catholic church in Washington.

Family Group:

Timothy Clarence Brennan, son of William Maurice Brennan and Mary Frances Bline, married Agnes Miller, daughter of John Miller and Mary Theresa Nagley. They had five children

Infant daughter – 14 September 1916, stillborn

Ruth Eleanor Brennan (24 August 1918 – 14 December 1997), who married Paul Combs

Helen Lucille Brennan (21 October 1919 – 28 October 2016), who married Lester Jones

Mary Alice Brennan (11 May 1921 – 3 January 1996), who married James Norris

Margaret Ellen Brennan (29 July 1929 – 5 December 2009), who married Louis Dant