Mary Kountz was born in Shasta,
May 29, 1862 to Frank and Sarah Kruger Kountz, pioneers of 1854. Charles
and Mary were married in June 1882 and had three children all born in Shasta:
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Charles Henry Behrens
was born Karl Heinrich July 17, 1859 in Whiskytown, the second son of Ludwig
and Louisa Behrens who had emigrated from Germany. He attended Whiskey
town School and when the family moved to Orland, Charles boarded with friends
to attend school in Redding in 1874 and in Shasta in 1875.
Mary Kountz was born in Shasta,
May 29, 1862 to Frank and Sarah Kruger Kountz, pioneers of 1854. Charles
and Mary were married in June 1882 and had three children all born in Shasta:
| Edna Mabel | b. 1883 | d. Dec. 4, 1969 | m. Walter Eaton |
| Ella Genevieve | b. 1885 | ||
| Earl Charles | b. 1892 |
Ella worked for twenty-five
years in the Bank of Shasta County, the Redding National Bank and the Bank
of America; she was one of the first women in California to be an assistant
bank cashier. After that she had a second career as clerk for the Right-of-way
Dept. in the Division of Highways. Earl Charles, their only son, graduated from Shasta Union High School and never looked back. He graduated
from Stanford, served in the Army in the Philippines and Siberia. After
that he began fifty-one years as political editor of the San Francisco
Chronicle.
In the early years of their
marriage, Charles ran a store and then a hay and grain business in Shasta.
They lived with her mother until 1889 when he leased the Empire Hotel from
John Scott and moved there with his family. He also served as Postmaster
and Wells Fargo agent in Shasta.
In 1884 he was elected Constable
and was the first lawman on the scene of the Ruggles Brother's stage holdup.
In the 1890s, he was also engaged in quartz gold mining, investing in Mt.
Shasta Mine and later was owner of the Oro Fino group of mines in Clear
Creek Valley west of Shasta.
In 1898, he was elected Sheriff
of Shasta County and in 1899 moved his family to Redding. He served one
term as Sheriff and traded places for another term with his undersheriff
James Richardson. Today, Charles Behrens would be called a joiner. He was
member and officer in IOOF, NSGW, American Legion of Honor, Ancient Order
of United Workmen and in Redding he joined the Masons.
Charles died January 3, 1917
in the family home. Mary lived there with her daughters and grandson until
her death January 25, 1949.
Source: Shasta Historical Society - Aug. 2002
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