White tells of life growing up during depression in the Northwoods
October 24, 2019

Kim E. Strom/Daily Globe
Jeanette White holds a plaque her husband received in recognition of his being the creator of the first Smokey Bear costume "used by any state in the nation." The plaque was presented to Frank Brunner Jr. by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry on July 3, 1994. White gifted the plaque to the Mercer Public Library to go next to the actual head of the first bear costume, made in 1950, and preserved in glass at the library.
By KIM E. STROM
MERCER - The Mercer Public Library has embarked upon a new project - Mercer Memory Events. As part of this project, Jean (Brunner) White came to speak at the library Wednesday about what the family's history was like growing up in Mercer. White was joined by her two sisters, Margaret (Peg) Brunner and Kathy (Brunner) Kadrlik. It was recorded on video.
It's not the first time for them. In the past, the focus was on the history of Smokey Bear and how their father, Frank Brunner Jr., created the first costume and character. But that's not what White c...
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