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.

In 1955, Mortenson along with his friend P.T. Reilly set off on a three week rafting trip on the Colorado River. His second trip occured during record floods in 1957-58. Mortenson's final river trip was in 1962 for which he designed and built a special boat called Flavell II.

Always building things, "Brick" built several houses in which he and his family lived. He built his own swimming pool in the 1940's, designed a new type of pack frame in the 1950's, and constructed a four-story observation/water tower in the 1970's. After his river running days, "Brick" discovered a new passion for the San Juan Islands. In 1963, he purchased 40 acres of land on Orcas Island where he built his own home. Sadly, his wife died in 1980. In 1981, "Brick" remarried and stayed on Orcas Island until 1998. Vernon Mortenson died on December 16, 2000 at the age of 83, after a lengthly battle with cancer.

From the guide to the Vernon "Brick" Mortenson Collection, 1955-1962., (Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives Department.)