Mother and father, Andrew and Catherine (Moeller) Brehm immigrated from northwest of Frankfurt, Germany in the 1890's. They settled on a farm in northern Iowa, where he worked until he was able to buy a farm of his own in Kansas. His farming operations consisted largely of Hereford cattle raising in the Flint Hills in eastern Kansas. It was through the 4-H Club and living in a farming community that Clarence, born August 7, 1910, learned of Kansas State University, from which he graduated in architecture. He went to work for Amerada Petroleum Corporation, attended Tulsa University night school, obtaining a B.S. in petroleum geology, and then obtained a M.S. in petroleum geology at the University of Oklahoma.

Previous to his work with Amerada, he was a surveyor with U.S. Coast Survey and surveyor and computed with Geophysical Research Corp. After leaving Amerada, he joined Kingwood Oil Company in Effingham, IL, as chief geologist in 1938-40. He moved to Mt. Vernon in August, 1940, and set up his office as a consulting geologist. After several successful ventures as a consultant for Deep Rock Oil Company, Sohio and Great Lakes Carbon Corp., he entered the oil producing business as a contractor and explored for petroleum. C. E. Brehm Producing Company was organized in 1944, and he employs approximately 150 families in this operation in the Illinois Basin and the Big Horn Basin of Wyoming, with offices in Casper, Wyoming, Denver, Colorado and Mt. Vernon.

He became interested in the cattle business in Illinois as a Polled Hereford breeder and farmer, after buying the Rosier Cross farm 2 1/2 miles north of Belle Rive. Shortly after, he acquired about 2500 acres in White County, IL, which is entirely a grain producing operation. The Belle Rive farm, making a total of 5000 acres, is devoted to raising registered Polled Herefords and agricultural production.

He is majority owner of American Stratigraphic Company In Denver and Anchorage, Alaska, and Canadian Stratigraphic Company in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He serves as Chairman of the Board of both these organizations, which are service companies to most of the independents and major companies. They do world wide research for companies in Africa and the Middle East, stratigraphic studies, data processing, geological information and supervising drilling operations and management.The C. E. Brehm Foundation has given over 40 scholarships to Mt. Vernon High School graduates and others.

C. E. Brehm was director of First Bank and Trust Co. since 1951 and director emeritus since 1975. He is director of King City Federal since 1960, was active in the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and past vice president in 1959-60. He has been a member of the Independent Petroleum Assn. of America since 1940 and is presently vice president for Illinois. He was a director of the American Polled Hereford Association, has been on the governor's oil and gas board, is a past president of the Illinois Geological Society and has served on many committees of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. He is active in the Endowment Board of Kansas State University, is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Mt. Vernon, where he served as a trustee during their expansion and building program, contributing largely financial assistance.

He is a director and past chairman of the Mt. Vernon Airport Authority, having served since its inception. He is a past president of the Mt. Vernon Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Mt. Vernon AF&M Lodge, Elks, Moose and others.

He is a member of several game conservation groups including Shikar-Safari International and Game Conservation International.

He is the most active independent oil operator and has been a leading producer among independents for the last 20 years. He was awarded the Wildcatter of the Year award by Illinois Oil and Gas Association in 1975.

His wife is the former Carol Bennett from Greeley, Colorado, and they have six children,

1. Sylvia,
2. Karen,
3. Jane,
4. Jack,
5. Stacy and
6. Tyson.

Clarence Eckhardt Brehm’s also has a son Dwight.

Submitted by: Stacy Brehm Tate

*NOTE* Some ommisions may have occured to protect living individuals.

"Facts and Folks A History of Jefferson County, Illinois"
Jefferson County Historical Society
Printed by Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas, TX Page 99
Submitted by Sandy Whalen Bauer