Mortenson, Vernon

Vernon Russell "Brick" Mortenson was born on June 1, 1917 in North Dakota. Mortenson acquired his nickname from his red hair wich he kept throughout his life. In his teens, the Mortenson family moved to Williston, North Dakota. During high school, "Brick" played both center and linebacker on the high school football team. After he graduated from high school, "Brick" was fortunate to find a job working in a jewelry shop and as a life guard during the Depression.

In 1939, "Brick" and a friend drove to Glendale, California in a 1926 Model T Ford. There, Mortenson attended Curtis-Wright Technical School. Shortly after graduation, he secured a position with the Lockheed Aircraft company, a career that continued until his retirement in 1972. "Brick" married Bonnie Jaferian in 1941 at the beginning of World War II. The couple had three children.

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