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Forty-three-year-old Maria E. Hogan Brennan (b.
1860) and her son, ten-year-old son, James T. Paul
Brennan (b.1892), lost their lives at the Iroquois
Theater.* They were the wife and child of Patrick
George Brennan (1854–1940).
The family lived at 608 West Fulton Street in Oak Park. A grown
daughter, Katherine Brennan (1882–1969), either did
not attend the theater or survived the fire.
Katherine was the daughter of Patrick's first
marriage, to Mary McGuire.
Patrick G. Brennan worked as an inspector in the production
department of Chicago's American newspaper in 1903
and in his later years as a custodian at the US
District court.
Both Maria's and James' bodies were found at
Rolston's funeral home. Funeral services were held
at St. Columbkille Catholic Church, and burial was
in Mount Carmel Cemetery.
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In the years after the fire
Patrick Brennan filed a wrongful death suit against the Iroquois Theater for
$20,000 for the loss of his wife and son.
In 1906 Patrick's remaining child, Katherine
Brennan, married a piano salesman, Edward J. Burke.
Patrick lived with them for a couple of decades.
In his mid-sixties, Patrick married a third time, to
Nellie Donahue.
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Discrepancies and addendum
James' name was not included in lists of Chicago
public school victims. He may have attended
parochial school.
Patrick sometimes went by George, his middle name.
* The coroner's inquest reported her name as Mary
Elizabeth Brennan, and some newspapers reported it
as Margaret. James' was sometimes reported by his
middle name, Paul, and his last name misspelled as
Brennen. Even Grenan appeared in one newspaper list.
James' age was stated as ten, eleven, and thirteen.
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