| Notes |
- BIOGRAPHY:
Charles Michael Breiner was born in the Town of Callicoon on May 5, 1876. He went to Long Eddy, New York and worked as a bartender for his brother-in-law, Hugh Pillion who had married his sister, Anna Barbara. Hugh Pillion owned the Arlington Hotel in Long Eddy which at the time was a thriving village. Charles M. Breiner became a tax collector for the Town of Fremont in Sullivan County. He bought and carried a small 38 caliber pistol while discharging this duty. In January, 1902 Charles M. Breiner bought a saloon from Christian Maus for $100. The saloon was located on Long Pond which is now known as Tennanah Lake and contained a bowling alley and had boats in the back for fishing. *1 He met Eula Selena Miller, the daughter of Jacob Charles and Mary Elisabeth Acker Miller, when she was giving a music lesson. Eula played both the piano and violin. She was a school teacher in Mileses, New York. They fell in love and eloped on the Erie Railroad to Middletown, New York where they were married in the First Congregational Church on March 14, 1903. *2 On December 10, 1903 Charles M. Breiner bought a hardware store in Roscoe, New York for $3500. *3 The family moved to Roscoe and lived in an apartment over the store. He soon had a house built on Highland Avenue in Roscoe. As business developed in the hardware store he took on the Buick agency and sold cars as well as building materials. Charles M. Breiner had a little two cylinder Cadillac car. He used this car to take his son to see Monticello after the village burned on August 10, 1909 and to take the family to Newburg for the Hudson-Fulton Exposition during September of 1909. In 1912 the family moved to Middletown, New York where Charles M. Breiner opened an automobile accessory store at 31 James Street. The business paralleled the development of the automobile and grew rapidly and was expanded into 33 James Street. At first Eula kept the books but the growth of the business soon made it necessary for two full time bookkeepers to be employed. A branch store was opened up in Liberty, New York and was managed by Arthur Barringer. During 1912 Charles M. Breiner worked for the election of Theodore Roosevelt when he ran against Woodrow Wilson on the Bull moose ticket. When my father, C. Vincent Breiner was eight years old he met Theodore Roosevelt when he spoke at the Straton Theater on James Street in Middletown. Charles M. Breiner was very much oriented towards the community. He was a very early member of Middletown Lodge 1097, B.P.O. Elks and the Middletown Council, Number 326 of the United Commercial Travelers. Eula S. Breiner on the other hand was very much oriented towards the home and the two children. During this period the family lived at 66 Linden Avenue and in 1917 Charles M. Breiner had a new house built at 63 Linden Avenue in Middletown. In 1918 Charles M. Breiner developed cancer which spread to his liver. He was ill for a long period at home. The family had a hospital bed in the living room of the home and had a nurse to provide care. He died at home on October i3, 1918 at the age of 42 years. *4 He apparently knew much about the Breiner family's origins in Germany as he supplied the information for his father's death certificate which included his place of birth and John's mother's maiden name. With him died much of the knowledge of the family's origins until it was recently uncovered by me.
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1876 - 1918 (42 years)
[1, 2, 3] 
