Earl L. Bruner, My little Grand Daughter:

I was highly gratified to receive the group of pictures of yourself, your parents and family and now I will give you a history of the Bruners, that I received (when I was a boy some seven or eight years old) from my Grandfather, who was at that time some Eighty odd years old.

I would listen to their talk and conversation, and the same is more vividly imprinted on my mind than occurrences that happened twelve months ago.

Some time near the year 1640 there was a man and his family by the name of Bruner (I never learned his given name) came from Germany to the Colonies of North America and located in Baltimore, and afterwards in Fredericksburg Maryland. This man was your Great Great Great Grandfather, he was killed by a team and wagon running over him in the streets of Fredericksburg. He was selling goods run out of the store to assist in stopping the team and lost his life.

At that time your great great grandfather (whose name was Jacob) was a small boy. He was put to learn the hatters trade (as all Germans must learn some trade) and at his maturity he married a miss Margaret Kline who was also Duch, and came to Virginia State for a time. Then moved to Tenn. and located some two or three hundred acres of land in what is now Greene Co. near Myers gap now called Bayleyton. He had several children.

John, Jacob, Elias, Henry, George, Joseph, Daniel, Samuel, Othniel, and two daughters. Ones name was Margaret, who married a man by the name of Baley, if my memory serves me aright. The other girl, I lost her name. Think she married a man by the name of Starnes. Five of the boys and the two girls moved at a very early date to the State of Indiana.

John, the oldest son and his father, who was your Great, Great, Grandfather, was in the Revolution War with England in year of 1776. John lost his life in the war, never got home.

We now come to yoyr Great Grandfather and my father whos name was Samuel. He lived and died in this state Tenn. and was buried on Ball Ridge.in Green Co. a most beautiful place for a grave. His first wife who was your Great Grandmother and my mother, was Mahala McCollum before her marriage, and she had three sons beside myself.

James, John and Harrison. James the oldest moved to Indiana during our Intermexican war. John was taken from his home and placed with the Yankees who had the smallpox, he taken them and died at Kinsport, Tenn. and was buried near the town. Harrison my youngest brother left this country during the year 1858 and went to Missouri and married a lady by the name of Yager. I have not hear from him for thirty years. I suppose my full brothers are all dead, and my mother who was your Great Grandmother, died when I was six years old; near Rogerville , Hawkins Co. Tenn. and was buried in Joseph Russell's grave yard, near Holston river and the waters of Big Creek. I passed through the graveyard once since I was grown but knew not where she lay. And my Fathers second wife was Pollie McCurry.

I have two half sisters by her - Jane and Margaret. Jane married Jeremia Hale who is a relative of your Father and lives at Green Springs Missouri. You can write them if you wish. The other half sister is dead and lays in my grave yard at Double Springs. The third wife of my father was Rececca Hughes whose maiden name. had been Smith, but rather was her second husband and by her I had three half sisters Mahala, Lydy, and Eliza.

The first two are dead. Eliza lives on the old homestead. One of her boys is a teacher in the Laurel Gapp or Bayleyton College, and another is or was teaching public school in his neighborhood. Jackson my half brother by this woman lives in Morristown Tenn. and follows Dentistry and preaching for the Southern methodist - Earl, let me request you to this letter till you are as old as I am, Say Seventy-two, Take up then give it to some of your nearest relatives and you will have something of a Genealogical history of the Bruner Family for nearly three hundred years. miss those two little folks at your house and some of you write often.

A. A. Bruner, Esq.

copied by John D. Bruner 12-19-1915