Clarence Francis Brennan 1912 - 1912

Clarence Francis Brennan, first born of Stephen Francis Brennan and Anna Elizabeth Marcusen.  Born at home at 4242 Wilcox Street, Chicago, Illinois on 12 May 1912 at 4:20 AM.  Mother was attended by her mother Mrs. Berjetta Marcusen.

His father, Stephen, drove a Chicago street car, probably for the Chicago Railways Company, the precursor to the Chicago Surface Lines.  His mother Anna, worked with her mother in a laundry business out of their house.

Chicago Street Car form Chicagology

Clarence died 20 July 1912 at about 6:00 PM at 4242 Wilcox Street, Chicago, Illinois.  He was 2 Months 10 Days old.  Documented cause of death was “starvation due to pyloric stenosis” with a duration of 1 month.

According to the US National Library of Medicine, Pyloric stenosis is a narrowing of the pylorus, the opening from the stomach into the small intestine.  Pyloric stenosis occurs most often in infants younger than 6 months. It is more common in boys than in girls.  Symptoms usually start around 3 weeks of age with the primary symptom being forceful or projectile vomiting.  Other symptoms appear several weeks after birth and may include:  abdominal pain, burping, constant hunger, dehydration (gets worse as vomiting gets worse), and failure to gain weight or weight loss.  Today this problem is addressed through a surgical procedure. (Kaneshiro, 2013) 

Clarence Brennan lived and died on this street.  X is his house.

I can only imagine what the parents were going through.  This was their first child, a first-born son.  I have to believe they did everything they could, including calling on the doctor for help, to try and make their son healthy.

He was buried 22 July 1912 in either Concordia Cemetery or Glen Oak Cemetery.