As I Remember: Marwill R. Mann (Sr.)

by: Marwill R. F. Mann Sr. (edited by: Marwill R. F. Mann Jr.)

A family history was compiled by my Father’s Father (editor's note: Mawill's father's father was Martin b Bruggemann) in the middle 1920’s, covering lineage back several hundred years. This book was lost during the 1940’s. Of the general outline, this much I remember. My Grandfather and Great Grandfather (on my Father’s side) came from the northern part of Germany, near the port city of Hamburg.
 
(editor's note: Marwill's great grandfather (John Bruggeman) came from Germany - his grandfather (Martin B, Bruggeman was born in Minnasota, USA.)
The original family name was “BRUGGEMANN” {editor's note} Surname is Actually BRUGGMAN with only one N but Jacob Oliver Bruggeman/J. O. Mann used two NN's later in life) and was later changed to MANN.
My Grandfather and Great Grandfather were contractors and builders of commercial buildings and houses. One of the “Bruggemann’s well known in historical records, was at one time mayor of Hamburg. Another was a Pen Ink Artist who moved to Paris to ply his talents.
My Father’s Grandparents

(editors note: It was actually Marwill's great grandparents that moved to Canada from Germany)
moved to Canada sometime after the Civil War and eventually moved on to the United States to Minnesota. My father, Jay Oliver Mann,

(editors note: His father's name was Jacob Oliver Bruggeman later changed to just J. O. Mann)

was born in St. Paul, Minnesota January 26, 1885 and died in Miami, Florida in 1968. Four other children were born; two brothers, “Bill”

(editors note: Bill (William) is actually the brother of Marwill's grandfather , Martin B. Bruggeman)

and “Hilmar” and two sisters.

(editor's note: Jacob Oliver had only two brothers (Cyrille P. and Hilmar Albert) and only one sister (Caroline C.).

Uncle Bill

(editor's note: - J.O.'s uncle or Marwill's GREAT uncle-William Bruggman)

was my favorite. He bought a cup of coffee for me (which I was not supposed to drink) when I was about 5 years old.
My father was the “Black Sheep” of the family, one of the reasons being, he left the Catholic church as a young man and joined the Masons (eventually becoming a 32nd degree Mason). He was successful in almost all things he tried. He was an energetic man and had a traveling wanderlust. When still in his teens, he returned to Germany, the land of his forefathers, and studied in a Junior College for about 2 years. He took two exploratory trips to Alaska (then still practically a wilderness). Right after World War I he was in Chattanooga, Tennessee working on the giant TVA water project, when he was captivated by an 18 year old beautiful girl, working in a candy store. Her name was Vera,

(editor's note: Her name was Vera W. Ivie)

eventually my Mother. They were married in 1918. I was born February 21, 1920 in Miami, Florida and my sister, Betty Doris, was born October 15, 1924 in Long Beach, California.
My mother was short in stature, 4 feet and 11 inches. She was the baby of the family (11 brothers and sisters). Her ancestors came from Scotland and Ireland and came to America about 3 generations before she was born. They settled in the state of Georgia.
My grandmother’s name was Fannie Ivie.

(editor's note: Her maiden name was Fannie Irwin.

She was a good natured, hard working woman, and a “Hard Shell Baptist”, full of quiet love and compassion. She lived to be 94. She married her life-long companion under a giant spreading oak tree by the side of a rural road by a traveling preacher. My grandfather

(editor's note: His Marternal grandfather's name was Allen Agustus Ivie)

had many trades and was a good man, good husband and father. They had quite a few acres of land but times were tough in Georgia and money was scarce. My grandfather had a blacksmith shop. He also had a sawmill which specialized in making wood shingles for homes. It was my mother’s job, when she was about 5 or 6 years old, to gather the rejected shingles to use in their wood fire cooking stove for kindling. My grandfather and his many sons worked the land, plowing with mules. ‘A big thrill for me, as a boy, was when he allowed me to plow one, and only one, furrow, by saying “Gee” and “Haw” to the mule. It was the crookedness furrow ever made, but the joy of that experience left a young boy walking 3 feet above the ground.
I remember my Grandmother telling me of her Grandmother’s “trials of sorrow” during the Civil War. Sherman’s “March to the Sea” (near Atlanta, Georgia) destroyed their home, cattle, and crops and also disbanded the family and servants in many directions. Starvation was a distinct possibility during this period.
My mother was born in Cedartown, Georgia, October 10, 1900 and died in Cedartown June 30, 19 69. She was an attentive mother to my sister and me. As was the culture of those years, most mothers devoted their time to the family. She tried very hard to fulfill these duties (from the head).
Traveling was a “way of life” for us Mann’s in the 1920’s and 1930’s. My father’s occupation in Real Estate and as contractor and builder kept us moving from State to State, mostly from California to Florida and back. In those days, my Father would build 6 to 10 houses in an area and we would live in one of them until the last one was sold, which meant my sister and I would be changing schools every 6 months or so. This meant always new friends, new roots, new places, new faces (what an education). The latter part of 1933, my Father helped get a man elected to Congress from California. Subsequently, my Father was appointed to the position of “Head of the Procurement Division” of the United States Treasury in Washington, D.C. So once again we moved and my sister and I attended schools in the Capitol for several years. I graduated from Miami High school in Miami, Florida in 1938. My sister graduated from Edison Senior High school in Miami, Florida.

A COLLECTION OF MEMORIES

The pleasure when 10 years old, to be able to make my own money to spend by selling “LIBERTY” magazines from house to house, selling them for five cents each, of which I got to keep two cents for myself
At about the same age of 10 years, trying to ride the waves in the big beautiful Pacific ocean on a homemade surfboard (4 feet long), most of the time getting “washed under
At the age of 14 -being part of a Boy Scout Guard aiding President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the platform to turn on the lights of the traditional Christmas tree (traditional since President Calvin Coolidge) Also the honor of getting to shake the hand of the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt at the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House.
At the age of 18--being chosen as one of the youngest artists to work for Paramount Pictures “Famous Studios” helping to make animated cartoons. The first one I worked on was the last “Bet Boop”

black and white cartoon in 1938. Fortunately I was able to help work on many “Popeye” cartoons and several full length features. At the height of production, we had over 700 artists, musicians, story writers, cameramen, etc. At times we were pleasantly surprised by visits of Hollywood Celebrities and music notables such as Johnny Mercer who helped create some of our music.
In my early 20’s I flew solo in an open cockpit plane (PT22-A) with no radio communication equipment. I was in training during World War II as an Air Force Cadet on a Tri-State Mission. On the last leg of the flight, a wet snow blizzard developed with sloppy snowflakes (some looked to be the size of a quarter). This hindered vision and I had to work the manually operated windshield wiper constantly. With all the danger of being lost, and much danger apparent, still I could not help but be dazzled by the complete beauty of God’s handiwork. I finally made it back to the home base runway and the Lord had answered my prayers. ........

Last modified on Monday, October 10, 2005