Peter Brune was born on 15 June about 1801 in Spenge, Westfalen, Germany, to Johan Peter Heinrich Brune and Catharina Elsabein Kiel. His year of birth is an estimate based on death, census, and marriage records.

Peter Heinrich Brune, age twenty-four, parents deceased, married Anna Maria Grabemann from Neuenkirchen on 11 October 1834 in Borgholzhausen, Germany, at the Lutherische Kirchengemeinde. Anna Maria Grabemann, from the community of Neuenkirchen, father, Casper Heinrich Grabemann from Neuenkirchen, deceased; bride born on 2 February 1801, age thirty-three; mother of bride was Marg. Cath. Elsabein Langschmidt.

Peter Heinrich Brune, age fifty-five, emigrated on the ship E. F. Gabain from Bremen and arrived in New Orleans on 15 November 1858. He was listed as a farmer with destination St. Louis. Also traveling with him was his wife, Louise Brune, age fifty-five, origin Hamlingdorf, and they traveled in steerage.

In 1860, they were listed in the federal census in St. Louis mistakenly as Peter Broom [sic], laborer, age fifty-five, Prussia, value of personal estate ten dollars; Louisz Broom [sic], fifty-seven, Prussia; and Henry Broom [sic], laborer, age twenty-three, Prussia. Peter died in St. Louis City on 17 December 1865 and is buried at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Normandy, St. Louis County.

City directories and censuses show:

    • 1860: Peter Brune, laborer, residence north side Bremen Ave and Eighteenth Street. (This is now Twenty-third Street.)
    • 1866: Louise Brunen, widow of Peter, residence on south side of Davis St. between Dora and Twenty-second Street.
    • 1880: Louisa Brune, age eighty, can’t read and write, was living with her son Henry.
    • 1882: Louise Brune, widow of Henry Brune, at 1934 Benton Street. (This is now 2344 Benton Street.)
    • 1883: Bruner, Anna, wid Henry, w 1932 Benton.

Peter’s wife was known by a variety of names on her marriage record, children’s baptisms, immigration records, death record, and church death record including Anna Maria, Catharina Louise, Louise, and Karoline.

Before she married Peter, she had a child. He was Franz “Frank” Heinrich Grabemann, born on 7 December 1830, Borgholzhausen, Westfalen, Germany. He immigrated to the U.S. on 25 August 1883, New York, age fifty-three. In 1900, he lived in Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana, was age sixty-nine and widowed. He died on 22 Nov 1920.

Louise Brune of 2342 Benton Street died on 7 August 1885 of senile debility at age eighty-seven. Church funeral records show her as Karoline Brune, born in 1798. She is buried at St. Peter’s Cemetery with Peter.

Peter and Louise Brune’s children were:

    1. Katherine “Louise” Brune, born on 28 February 1832, died on 25 April 1914 and married Henry Boekenkamp.
    2. Catharine “Kate” Brune, born on 12 April 1835, died on 3 March 1885 and married Gottlieb Biermann.
    3. Henry Brune, born on 6 April 1837, died on 29 July 1911 and married Sophi Hussman.
    4. Catherine Wilhelmine Brune, born on 24 July 1841 and died on 5 January 1842.

Written by Marian Brune McCreary
June 2017

© 2018, St. Louis Genealogical Society
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Last Modified: 26-Oct-2018 19:20