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- We are not sure of Albert Hugo Mehner's birth place! For certain hisparents were from Burkhardtsdorf, (just south of Chemnitz, Saxony,Germany). Albert Hugo Mehner was born October 3, 1877 in Saxony, Germany(According to his eldest son Karl Trevor Mehner, from a letter dated Feb.1969) However, according to his youngest son Robert Mehner, Albert Hugo Mehnerwas born in Stuttgart, Saxony, Germany in 1877. (The Klahiam of theEllensburg H.S., June 1910 where he served on the faculty says that hewas born in Dresden, Germany!--that was in the general area ofChemnitz/Burkhardtsdorf-- the Mehner ancestral home in Saxony). Hisparents were Karl Ernest and Therisa Otto Mehner. At the age of 4 he came with his brothers and parents to Mount Vernon,Knox County, Ohio in about 1880-81. The family came west in 1890. Theylanded in Seattle the year after the great fire. Because of Karl Ernst Mehner's failing health, the family decided to buya ranch in Kitsap County in 1891. They bought 15 acres at Fairview nearTracyton, across the narrows from Bremerton, WA. on the waterfront onPort Washington. Albert was 14 years old when the family arrived at theranch. They lived on a gladiola farm called 'Gladshore' Or 'Gladi Acres'. He delayed attending high school because of the need to help on thefamily farm. He must have resided in Tacoma (or did he commute from Bremerton?) from1896-1900 when he graduated from Tacoma High School as one of the classspeakers at his graduation in 1900 (he was 23!) With few roads and nobridges, he must have ridden one of the famous 'mosquito fleet' commuterboats between Bremerton and Tacoma. It must have been during theseTacoma days when he met his future wife Eva Mae Damon. They were married in Tacoma June 18, 1904 and honeymooned in FridayHarbor in the San Juan Islands. In the spring of 1901, the family sold the 15 acres and moved to thenearby fledgling city of Bremerton. That was also the year his olderbrother Paul married Isabell Hicks at Bremerton and became the city'sfirst clerk. (Paul was later Mayor from 1912-1914) He graduated from the University of Washington (AB) in 1904. In 1903, 04he acted as the Assistant to the famous Professor of Zoology TrevorKincaid of the University of Washington. Albert developed one of thelargest collections of seaweed in the world. Interestingly, he named hisfirst son Karl Trevor after his mentor in 1905. He was an instructor at Juneau, Alaska High School in 1904-5 where hisfirst son was born. He was instructor of Sciences at the Ellensburg,Washington High School in 1905-9 (at least) where his second son, Warren,and his third son, Abert Hartson, were born. John and Nancy (Mehner) Ruhlman have a photo of Albert in April, 1911 (hewas 39 years old). The address on the photo is 219 North Bassett,Madison, Wisconsin. The photographer was Curtiss, Madison, Wisconsin.We believe he graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a MS inScience. Albert Hugo Mehner taught Biology (an ichthyologist- 'a branch of Zoologythat deals with the study fishes and sea plants') and headed up theentire Science Department at the Washington State Normal School (laterCentral Washington University) in Ellensburg where he taught until 1916. In 1916 he developed Yellow Jaundice ('yellow pigmentation of the skin,tissues, and body fluids caused by the deposition of bile pigments') andthe doctors insisted that he give up teaching and take up outdooractivities. After a one year stay in Grants Pass, Josephine County,Oregon, the family moved back to Bremerton. They remained there and were living at 1308 Pleasant Ave. in Bremerton,June 3, 1918 when their fourth son Robert David was born. They raisedgladiolas at 'Gladishore Acres' on the Port Washington Narrows just southEvergreen Park. They are still listed at that address in the BremertonDirectory of 1920-21. We assume Albert and Eva owned the 'Mehner Apartments' that are alsolisted in the 1920-21 City Directory at 413 Washington Ave. (Althoughanother Mehner family branch could have owned them.) In 1971 the City ofBremerton built a parking garage there! Albert and Eva were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Bremertonand organized the first Boy Scout Troop in Kitsap County, WA. Theireldest son Karl Trevor Mehner said in a letter in Feb. 1969 that therewas a stained glass window in the Bremerton Baptist Church (about 5th andWarren Streets) with the Mehner name on it. (we have been unable to provethis - JJR) Albert remained in Bremerton until 1928 when he moved to Seattle wherehis wife Eva was one of the first female real estate brokers on CapitalHill. He was a professor at UW. He was bedridden in the late 1930's. Hedied in Seattle in 1939. We believe he was cremated. It is also interesting to note that they named their 'Warren Paul Mehner'after his mother Eva Mae Damon's family, the Warren's of Berwick, Maine! -Information from RobertDavid Mehner, Sr. [Coy Family Tree. FTW] Obituary, Bremerton Daily News - 03, April 1939 ALBERT HUGO MEHNER Albert came to the United States of America at the age of five andreside at 309 Pleasant Ave., Bremerton, Washington. He was cremated -Home Undertaking Mortuary, Seattle, Washington, and remains werescattered on Puget Sound. Albert Hugo Mehner was born in Stuttgart, the capital ofBaben-Wuttemberg, Germany in 1877 and came to the U.S.A. in 1880, At theage of 5 (or 3?) He lived with his parents and brothers in Ohio for ashort time before coming to the Puget Sound country in 1891. They farmedfor a time at Fairview (near Tracyton, across the Narrows from Bremerton,Washington). Albert’s father was a tailor in the old country andestablished 'Mehner and Son Naval Tailors and Outfitters' in Bremertonabout 1900. The Son was Albert’s brother Paul. Due to farm work, Albert was late going to Tacoma High School, 1900but eventually graduated from the University of Washington, AB.,1904 andthen took Graduate work at the University of Wisconsin. He taughtscience at Juneau’s Alaska High School, 1904-5 and went on expedition forthe New York Museum of Natural History in the wilds of Alaska. He later taught Science in Ellensburg High School and later became theassistant to the famous Biology Professor, Trevor Kincaid at CentralWashington Teachers College at Ellensburg, WA. and then headed up theentire Science Department at the Central Washington Teachers Collegeuntil 1916. At that time he had one of largest seaweed collections inthe world! Interestingly, he named his first son after the Professor(Karl Trevor Mehner). Then he developed yellow jaundice and the doctors insisted that hegive up teaching, and take up outdoor activities. So in 1916 they movedto Grants Pass, Oregon for a year, and then to Bremerton where RobertDavid 'Bob' was born June 03, 1918, the address was on Pleasant Avenueabout 1 block up from the Port Washington Narrows, on the east side ofthe street, a small one story structure. By 1919 they moved to a 24 acre ranch on Phinney Bay 4 miles north ofBremerton,this was ‘Gladishore’ where they cultivated gladiolus bulbs andcut flowers to sell in their store in the Dietz Building on Pacific near4th in Bremerton. This was called - Gladishore Floral Co. About 1928, they moved 4 miles south of Bremerton to the Old GorstHomestead, and lived in the big two story house on Gorst Creek. In 1929 they bought the Strand Apartments at 221 Belmont North, (nowis 221 Belmont East) Seattle, the phone number was Capital 6158. Theythen moved across the street to the corner house, 232 Belmont N. atThomas St. about 1931. They then moved to 420 18th N. (now E.) about 1932. Albert died in Seattle, the 2nd of April, 1939. The information above was contributed by Robert David ‘Bob’ Mehner, Sr.,their fourth son. ALBERT MEHNER FUNERAL TODAY Funeral services for Albert H. Mehner, Sr., 61 years old, a retireduniversity and normal school professor and a Seattle pioneer were set fortoday at the Home Under-taking Company, at 8th and Hubell Place near PikeStreet. Mr. Mehner died Sunday. Mr. Mehner had suffered from heart trouble brought on five years agowhen the motor of a boat in which he and a son, Robert David, were cruising, failed off OrcasIsland. Mr. Mehner rowed through high waves and darkness for five hours before they reached shelter. The retired professor was born in Germany. At an early age he movedwith his parents to Ohio. The family came to Seattle in 1889. Mr.Mehner attended the old Denny School, and later the University ofWashington, graduating in 1904. While a senior at the University he wasassistant to Prof. Trevor Kincaid in the Zoology Department. After leaving the University Mr. Mehner taught science a year at aJuneau, Alaska high school: then taught science five years at EllensburgNormal School: was a member of the Physics Department at the Universityof Wisconsin a year and a half and then returned for a five-year stay atthe normal school. He later moved to Bremerton to rest and study,returning to Seattle about ten years ago. He taught here for a time atthe Y.M.C.A. until retiring. In Ellensburg, Mr. Mehner organized thefirst Boy Scout troop in Kittitas County. Surviving besides the son, Robert, are Mr. Mehner’s widow, Mrs. EvaDamon Mehner at the family home, 420 18th Ave N.; three other sons,Albert Hartson Mehner, radio operator on the Coast Guard cutter Alert;Warren, Mount Vernon, and Karl T. Mehner, Bremerton, and a brother, PaulMehner of Bremerton, a former state senator and one-time mayor andpostmaster of Bremerton.
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1877 - 1939 (61 years)
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