Harold Evans Brenno was born on May 27, 1910 in Valdez, Alaska. He passed
away on Friday, May 28, 2004 at the Knipp Hopper Home, on Vashon. Harold was
the youngest child of Halvor and Betty Brenno, hard working Norwegian
immigrants.
Harold was eight when his parents decided to leave Valdez and move to Vashon
Island, where other family and friends were already located.
He attended Vashon schools and picked berries in the summer with his
brother, Mel and sister, Florence. He also worked many odd jobs around the
island including, Saturdays at Hoshi’s green house and hauling wood for the
school furnace.
Two-weeks into high school he quit and went to work for Zarth’s Garage at
Center. Harold said, “They used to call Zarth’s the Peanut College, because
they learned more there than at school.”
In 1926, he worked for Libby McNeil in Alaska. A few years later returning
to Vashon and worked for Manson Construction.
In 1931, Harold returned to Alaska, this time to Juneau. His brother, Mel
was working in Juneau at the time. Lawrence Scales stowed Harold away on a
boat bound for Alaska. Upon reaching Juneau, he discovered jobs were
difficult to find, but Mel said, “Go to the hiring man at the Juneau Mine
and ask about insurance, he will give you a job in the mine.” It worked,
besides hiring for the mine, the man earned extra money by selling
insurance.
Arriving from Vashon was Harold’s sweetheart, Ione Bacon. They were married
on August 28, 1931. In 1934, they moved back to Vashon along with their son,
Buddy (Harold Carl Brenno.)
Harold worked for the Puget Sound Depot and the WPA until he purchased Fred
Stevenson’s gas station in 1937. Automobiles were always his passion, either
owning or repairing, it did not matter whose he would be right there! He
expanded the business to include a wrecker, auto parts and repair. From 1946
to 1948, he ran an ambulance service along with Brenno’s Service, offering
around the clock emergency assistance.
In 1958, Harold was a charter member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He
and the other members put in many hours helping to establish the Eagles on
Vashon.
In 1976, Harold decided it was time to retire and explore other interest:
family, traveling, and woodworking. Harold and Ione loved to spend time
traveling and eventually bought a little one-bedroom hideaway in Index, WA.
By the time they sold it, it had three-bedrooms and a shop! He was always
busy puttering around building something, an addition, a cabinet, or a
child’s picnic table.
Ione was diagnosed with Alzheimer and he became her caregiver, until an
operation forced him to relinquish the job. Ione was admitted into the
Vashon Nursing Home. He visited her daily until she passed away in 1985.
Harold then became active in the Vashon Vagabonds and traveled on many RV
trips with family and friends. During this time, he became acquainted with
Adele Peck and they were married while on a trip to Alaska in 1987.
Harold was predeceased by his wife Ione Brenno, a son Harold Carl “Buddy”
Brenno, and on May 5, 2004 his brother, Melvin Brenno.
Survivors include his second wife, Adele Brenno; Children Bob and Diane
Brenno; Betty (Brenno) and Bobby Lewis; George and Barbara Brenno, and
Barbara (Brenno) and Kenneth Cooper all of Vashon; Thirteen grandchildren
and Seventeen great grandchildren.
Memorials or remembrances may be made in his name to The Vashon-Maury Island
Heritage Society, P.O. Box 723, Vashon, WA 98070. At his request, there will
not be a memorial service.
