Mervin Howard Brun

November 16, 1921, Chignik, Alaska — February 09, 1993, Seldovia, Alaska

Buried in Seldovia City Cemetery Plot #566

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HAROLD MERVIN BRUN, or MERVIN HAROLD BRUN, as some records show, was born November 16, 1921, in Chignik to Martha and Carl Johan Brun. As a child, he attended school from April to September. Many times his was one of only two families to stay in Chignik the entire winter, while the rest of the village left to hunt and trap.

The Aleut village of Perryville formed a cooperative to stock and farm blue fox on Chiachi Island and for a period of time, he lived on the island with his father, where they raised blue fox.

In 1940 Mervin was living in Chignik with his mother’s family and working in the cannery.

Mervin went from Chignik to Seldovia in 1941. From there, he went to Anchorage to sign up to fight in WWII, but due to an enlarged heart was he was turned away. He then worked on building the railroad for a bit before returning to Seldovia.

His years between 1961-62 were spent in Seward, and then he returned to Seldovia where he worked for years for Frank Raby, then for AYR Cannery and Whitney Fidalgo. He was superintendent of Whitney Fidalgo during the 64 earthquake. After the earthquake in 1966, he moved Whitney Fidalgo to Kodiak. He also was a partner with Wakeland in a photography business in Seldovia.

He was married to Florence Nyman, Linda Thomason and Honeybee Wallin and fathered five children.

Throughout his life, he worked in many fishing canneries in Port Lions, Ouzinkie, Old Harbor, Woody Island, Kodiak and Seldovia. In several of the canneries, he worked his way up to being superintendent. He also worked as a store manager in Seldovia and Seward.

He died February 9, 1993 and is buried in the Seldovia City Cemetery, Plot #566.