Christian M. F. Brun
Christian M. F. Brun, 97, passed away peacefully on October 10, in Santa Barbara, CA.
He is survived by his loving wife, Jane Carey Fristoe Brun, his step sons Noel and Christopher Korten, his son Erik Brun and their spouses, nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He is also missed by his loving cousins in Norway; Dagmar Dolmen, Solveig Brøndbo, Randi Øren, Torhild Moen, Kari Moen, Knut Erling Moen, Per Harald Brun, Arne Martin Brun, Ragnhild Bergestig and their families. He was preceded in death by his stepson Kenneth Korten.
Christian Magnus From Brun was born in Norway on October 3, 1920 to Aage, of Kolvereid, and Petra (From), of Overhalla and baptized at the Nidaros Domkirke. They immigrated on board the Steamer Bergensfjord, through Ellis Island in 1923. Sponsored by Petra’s brothers, Aage found work in a saw mill, the family first settled in Laramie, Dubois and Dunoir, Wyoming, following Tie Hack Lumber camps on the Wind River and then to mills in Everett and Longview, Washington. He graduated from Everett High School in 1939 as Vice President of his class and attended the University of Washington.
He entered the US Army in December 1942 and joined the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate), composed of Norwegians Citizens and Norwegian Americans. They trained as Mountain and Ski Troopers at Camp Hale, Colorado. He received his citizenship in uniform at nearby Leadville, Colorado. Christian served in Company C of the 99th Infantry Battalion in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, with First US Army. The Battalion later served under Third US Army as part of the 474th Infantry Regiment (Separate) in France, Germany and Norway. He participated in five campaigns, receiving the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Belgian Fourragère and the Norwegian WWII Participant Medal.
After the war, Christian completed his studies at University of Washington, entered library school at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill on his G.I. Bill, and began his career as a Librarian and Archivist at University of Pennsylvania. Christian then accepted a position at the University of Michigan’s William L. Clements Library in Ann Arbor, where he met his Wife Jane Carey. In 1963, they moved to Goleta, CA, when Christian became the Head of Special Collections and University Archivist at the University of California Santa Barbara Library, where he served until his retirement in 1990. For the next twenty-seven years they enjoyed their retirement, traveled, enjoyed movies, read widely and devoured their morning newspapers.
Christian was the co-author of Maps and Charts Published in America Before 1800: A Bibliography and authored many articles and pamphlets on American History, rare maps and antiquarian documents. He was a founding and long-time member of the Santa Barbara Corral of Westerners International and was proud to have known so many dear friends and Library supporters like Dame Lotte Lehman, Pearl Chase, Hobart Skofield, David Lavender and Jay Monaghan. To this day, he is remembered by his University and Library family as a knowledgeable, kind, honorable and trusted friend.
Donations can be made in Christian’s memory to the 99th Infantry Battalion Educational Foundation, www.99battalion.org. The family wishes to thank Bill Urbany and Katerina Zamyatina and their associates, who have showed such friendship, compassion and professionalism over these last few years. Following a private memorial, Christian has been laid to rest at Los Osos Memorial Park.