Aanunsen - Aug 24, 1931, George Aanunsen; a native of Norway, aged 71 years. Funeral services will be held at Goodbody's Ivy Chapel, today Tuesday at 2 p.m. Interment, Greenwood Memorial Park.
Gunerius "George" Aanunsen
Born in 1862 in Norway, Gunerius Aanunsen immigrated to San Francisco in 1889, joining his older brother Peter. A boat captain, he operated a scow schooner called the Fearless in the San Francisco Bay in the 1890s.
Around the turn of the century, he and his brother opened a supply yard for coal, wood, and oyster shells along Petaluma River in Sonoma County, at the southwest corner of the D Street Bridge in downtown Petaluma. Gunerius, who anglicized his first name to George, transported the materials up the estuary aboard his schooner the Fearless, while Pete oversaw sales and delivery.
In 1907, the brothers dissolved their partnership in a less than amicable lawsuit, with Pete retaining the coal and wood supply business while George launched the South Bay Shell Company on the southeast side of the D Street Bridge, directly across from Pete's yard.
The import of oyster shells from ancient shell midden in South San Francisco Bay were critical as a feed supplement for Petaluma's booming egg industry at the time. The site would remain an oyster shell facility for the next 110 years.
In 1909, Gunerius converted the Fearless to a sloop-rigged barge for hauling shells, and purchased a tugboat, the Solano, to pilot it up and down the Petaluma River. The tugboat as served as his home. A well-known character on the Petaluma waterfront, Aanunsen was known as a quiet man with many friends.
In 1928, he persuaded his niece and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Nelson, to sell their home in Norway and emigrate with their child to Petaluma, where Aanunsen purchased a home for them, employing Andrew in his shell import business. After only ten weeks he fired Andrew. Unable to find work, Andrew sued Gunerius for damages before leaving town with his family.
After a gas fire on the Solano in 1930, Gunerius sold his shell business and, at age 67, set sail for retirement in San Diego. He spent a year gathering shells for the purpose of selling them to museums and stores, before his body was found floating in the bay, the apparent victim of an unsolved murder.
Gunerius "George" Aanunsen
Born in 1862 in Norway, Gunerius Aanunsen immigrated to San Francisco in 1889, joining his older brother Peter. A boat captain, he operated a scow schooner called the Fearless in the San Francisco Bay in the 1890s.
Around the turn of the century, he and his brother opened a supply yard for coal, wood, and oyster shells along Petaluma River in Sonoma County, at the southwest corner of the D Street Bridge in downtown Petaluma. Gunerius, who anglicized his first name to George, transported the materials up the estuary aboard his schooner the Fearless, while Pete oversaw sales and delivery.
In 1907, the brothers dissolved their partnership in a less than amicable lawsuit, with Pete retaining the coal and wood supply business while George launched the South Bay Shell Company on the southeast side of the D Street Bridge, directly across from Pete's yard.
The import of oyster shells from ancient shell midden in South San Francisco Bay were critical as a feed supplement for Petaluma's booming egg industry at the time. The site would remain an oyster shell facility for the next 110 years.
In 1909, Gunerius converted the Fearless to a sloop-rigged barge for hauling shells, and purchased a tugboat, the Solano, to pilot it up and down the Petaluma River. The tugboat as served as his home. A well-known character on the Petaluma waterfront, Aanunsen was known as a quiet man with many friends.
In 1928, he persuaded his niece and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Nelson, to sell their home in Norway and emigrate with their child to Petaluma, where Aanunsen purchased a home for them, employing Andrew in his shell import business. After only ten weeks he fired Andrew. Unable to find work, Andrew sued Gunerius for damages before leaving town with his family.
After a gas fire on the Solano in 1930, Gunerius sold his shell business and, at age 67, set sail for retirement in San Diego. He spent a year gathering shells for the purpose of selling them to museums and stores, before his body was found floating in the bay, the apparent victim of an unsolved murder.
Aanunsen - Aug 24, 1931, George Aanunsen; a native of Norway, aged 71 years. Funeral services will be held at Goodbody's Ivy Chapel, today Tuesday at 2 p.m. Interment, Greenwood Memorial Park.
Gunerius "George" Aanunsen
Born in 1862 in Norway, Gunerius Aanunsen immigrated to San Francisco in 1889, joining his older brother Peter. A boat captain, he operated a scow schooner called the Fearless in the San Francisco Bay in the 1890s.
Around the turn of the century, he and his brother opened a supply yard for coal, wood, and oyster shells along Petaluma River in Sonoma County, at the southwest corner of the D Street Bridge in downtown Petaluma. Gunerius, who anglicized his first name to George, transported the materials up the estuary aboard his schooner the Fearless, while Pete oversaw sales and delivery.
In 1907, the brothers dissolved their partnership in a less than amicable lawsuit, with Pete retaining the coal and wood supply business while George launched the South Bay Shell Company on the southeast side of the D Street Bridge, directly across from Pete's yard.
The import of oyster shells from ancient shell midden in South San Francisco Bay were critical as a feed supplement for Petaluma's booming egg industry at the time. The site would remain an oyster shell facility for the next 110 years.
In 1909, Gunerius converted the Fearless to a sloop-rigged barge for hauling shells, and purchased a tugboat, the Solano, to pilot it up and down the Petaluma River. The tugboat as served as his home. A well-known character on the Petaluma waterfront, Aanunsen was known as a quiet man with many friends.
In 1928, he persuaded his niece and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Nelson, to sell their home in Norway and emigrate with their child to Petaluma, where Aanunsen purchased a home for them, employing Andrew in his shell import business. After only ten weeks he fired Andrew. Unable to find work, Andrew sued Gunerius for damages before leaving town with his family.
After a gas fire on the Solano in 1930, Gunerius sold his shell business and, at age 67, set sail for retirement in San Diego. He spent a year gathering shells for the purpose of selling them to museums and stores, before his body was found floating in the bay, the apparent victim of an unsolved murder.
Gunerius "George" Aanunsen
Born in 1862 in Norway, Gunerius Aanunsen immigrated to San Francisco in 1889, joining his older brother Peter. A boat captain, he operated a scow schooner called the Fearless in the San Francisco Bay in the 1890s.
Around the turn of the century, he and his brother opened a supply yard for coal, wood, and oyster shells along Petaluma River in Sonoma County, at the southwest corner of the D Street Bridge in downtown Petaluma. Gunerius, who anglicized his first name to George, transported the materials up the estuary aboard his schooner the Fearless, while Pete oversaw sales and delivery.
In 1907, the brothers dissolved their partnership in a less than amicable lawsuit, with Pete retaining the coal and wood supply business while George launched the South Bay Shell Company on the southeast side of the D Street Bridge, directly across from Pete's yard.
The import of oyster shells from ancient shell midden in South San Francisco Bay were critical as a feed supplement for Petaluma's booming egg industry at the time. The site would remain an oyster shell facility for the next 110 years.
In 1909, Gunerius converted the Fearless to a sloop-rigged barge for hauling shells, and purchased a tugboat, the Solano, to pilot it up and down the Petaluma River. The tugboat as served as his home. A well-known character on the Petaluma waterfront, Aanunsen was known as a quiet man with many friends.
In 1928, he persuaded his niece and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Nelson, to sell their home in Norway and emigrate with their child to Petaluma, where Aanunsen purchased a home for them, employing Andrew in his shell import business. After only ten weeks he fired Andrew. Unable to find work, Andrew sued Gunerius for damages before leaving town with his family.
After a gas fire on the Solano in 1930, Gunerius sold his shell business and, at age 67, set sail for retirement in San Diego. He spent a year gathering shells for the purpose of selling them to museums and stores, before his body was found floating in the bay, the apparent victim of an unsolved murder.
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