This collection of papers and photographs focuses on the history and people of Alpena, Michigan, although there are other Michigan counties and topics documented in it. Additional related Michigan materials may be found in several other photographic and papers collections of Fred R. and Tom C. Trelfa.
Biography:
Fred R. Trelfa, born April 9, 1886 in Strathroy (Ontario), moved to Alpena, Michigan, in 1895. He had a brother, Tom C. Trelfa, of Detroit. On September 16, 1914, Fred married Mable C. Hagen. She died on August 19, 1974, after 60 years of marriage. They had two children, Mable and Richard T.
Fred Trelfa attended public schools until 1902 when he began working with the Alpena City Water Company. He worked for Holmes and Kelsey Wholesale Grocery Company from 1905 to 1908 and at Alpena County Savings Bank from 1908 to 1919, as a bookkeeper and bond teller.
In 1919, he began work at Fletcher Paper Company, where he worked until he retired in 1959 as secretary-treasurer and director of the company.
He was active in school organizations, the Masons, and historical societies. He was a community leader interested in preserving Alpena’s history, including hundreds of photographs and manuscripts that he collected and organized.
Fred R. Trelfa died March 27, 1979, at age 92, in Alpena. (This information is from Fred’s obituary.)
