Ina A. (Muzik) Brinkmeyer was born on Christmas Day 1869 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the daughter of Joseph and Josefa Muzik. She came from Minnesota to Los Angeles, California, in 1890 with girlfriends to work in a boarding house. However, they heard that things were booming in Prescott, Yavapai County, Arizona Territory, so they traveled there to work in a restaurant. She met Henry Brinkmeyer in Prescott, and they were married on April 11, 1891. Henry owned the Brinkmeyer Hotel, and Ina, a fine seamstress, began making all of the sheets for the establishment. She and Henry kept the books together. At the end of each month they sat at the dining room table balancing accounts, and their children were often part of their discussions. On December 30, 1891, Ina had twin daughters. Baby Ina died on May 22, 1892, at four months of age, and Iva died on July 8, 1892, at six months of age, the cause being “the summer complaint” or diarrhea. This was a very common and tragic problem for infants and their parents during the late nineteenth century. On February 2, 1895, Ina had Henry, Jr.; then Marcella Ester was born on July 3, 1897; and Caroline Emily was born on April 16, 1901. Around the dining table, which is still in use in the beautiful home at 605 W. Gurley Street, Ina supervised the children’s homework. She read to them practically every night and encouraged their studies. Ina also attended all the school functions and urged the children to participate in school social activities. She made hats, shoes and beautiful clothing for the girls' dolls. The family took part in many picnics and drives in the horse and buggy out Williamson Valley Road and to the American Ranch even after the automobile came to Prescott. Before the completion of the Gurley Street house, Ina and her family lived on Montezuma Street in the hotel, where all the children, except Caroline, were born. The Gurley Street location at the end of the streetcar line was a better place to raise her active children than Whiskey Row. The radio Ina listened to faithfully and other furnishings she selected still remain in the Prescott home and have been well cared for through the years since her death. The house remains in the family’s hands and is included in the National Register of Historic Places. Ina taught Sunday school both at the Methodist and the Christian Science churches. She was an active member of the Western Star Rebekah Lodge, No. 9 Golden Rule Chapter No. 1, and Order of the Eastern Star. Ina died in Prescott on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1947, and was interred in the mausoleum at Mountain View Cemetery in Prescott. Her daughters, Marcella and Caroline, and her sister, Emily Muzik Brinkmeyer, are also represented in the Territorial Women’s Memorial Rose Garden. Donors: Herman and Cookie Brinkmeyer, May 2005 Photo Located: Yavapai County People & Family Collection - Folder - Brinkmeyer Family Updated: 7/16/2015, D. Sue Kissel
