Résumé

Worker, Craig Shipbuilding Company, Long Beach, CA, 1942. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Montana, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 10, accessed 08/11/2025.)

Ensign / Lieutenant, U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve, Air Corps, 1942-1961.

Architect, Decker and Christenson, Architects, Seattle, WA, 1950-1953.

Principal, Alfred H. Croonquist, AIA, Architect, Seattle, WA, 1956- . In 1960, Croonquist had an office in Room #2201 of the White-Henry-Stuart Building, a large University of Washington-owned office building located in Downtown Seattle's Metropolitan Tract. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1960, p. 221.) In the American Architects Directory 1962, (Chicago: Bowker, 1962), p. 145, Croonquist noted that he had designed alterations to a "1st S & L" in Seattle in 1959. In 1962, he continued to operate an office in Room 2201 of Seattle's White Henry Stuart Building.

Professional Activities

Croonquist was a Registered Architect in the State of WA in 1962.

He joined the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Seattle Chapter, in 1951.

High School and College

Graduate, Billings Senior High School, Billings, MT, c. 1942.

B.Arch., University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 1951.

College Awards

Tau Sigma Delta, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 1950.

Relocation

Alfred Harrison Croonquist was born in Red Lodge, Carbon County, MT, on 08/17/1924 to Alfred H. Croonquist and Senia J. Pollari.

Just before the architect's birth in 1920, the family resided on Word Avenue in Red Lodge. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Red Lodge, Carbon, Montana; Roll: T625_967; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 16, accessed 08/11/2025.) They continued to live on Word Avenue in 1930. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Red Lodge, Carbon, Montana; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0001; FHL microfilm: 2340987, accessed 08/11/2025.)

In 1935, the Croonquists lived in Billings, MT, where the architect's father first served as the Executive Secretary for the Dude Rancers Association and, by 1938, worked as a manager for Northwest Airlines. The family dwelled at 2714 7th Avenue North in Billings in 1935. (See Billings, Montana, City Directory, 1935, p. 88.) Alfred attended Billings Senior High School, graduating c. 1942.

On 12/13/1942, at age 18, Croonquist dwelled at 335 East 9th Street, Long Beach, CA. He worked for the Craig Shilbuilding Company during this post-Pearl Harbor period. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Montana, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 10, accessed 08/11/2025.)

Croonquist joined the US Navy’s Air Corps on 08/27/1943 and was discharged on 11/22/1945. He was an Ensign in the US Naval Reserve in 12/1948. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926–1975; Record Group Number: 147; Series: Post-WWII through Vietnam Era Selective Service Records, Montana; Series Number: 147-76-0343, accessed 08/11/2025.)

In 1950, Croonquist, his wife Shirley and son David resided at 4316 Union Bay Place in Seattle. WA. At this time, he was an architecture student at the University of Washington and he also worked in the library to earn extra money. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: 827; Page: 4; Enumeration District: 40-187, accessed 08/11/2025.)

As a young draftsman with the Seattle architectural firm of Decker and Christenson in 1951, Croonquist and his family lived at 3313 Hoover Place in Seattle. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1951, p. 287.)

It is likely that the Croonquists resided in Bellevue, WA, during the 1960s, from at least 1964 through 1967, where his sons Dave and Tom attended Bellevue High School. (See Bellevue High School Beacon Yearbook, 1964, p. 61 and Bellevue High School Beacon Yearbook, 1966, p. 132.)

Parents

His father was also Alfred H. Croonquist (born 04/14/1890 in Livingston, MT-d. 01/10/1938 in Gallatin County, MT), who died early in life at age 46.

The architect's grandfather, also named "Alfred Croonquist" (born 09/19/1862 in Sweden-d. 12/28/1947 in Spokane, WA), managed a department store in Red Lodge. The US Census of this year indicated that he had immigrated from Sweden to the US in 1872 and had been naturalized by that date. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Red Lodge Ward 3, Carbon, Montana; Roll: T624_829; Page: 8a; Enumeration District: 0010; FHL microfilm: 1374842, accessed 08/11/2025.) The 1900 US Census indicated that he had arrived in 1871 and listed his occupation simply as "merchant." (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Joliet, Carbon, Montana; Roll: 909; Page: 3; Enumeration District: 0004, accessed 08/11/2025.) The architect's paternal grandfather married Mabel Elizabeth Harrison (born 07/08/1870 in New Haven, CT-d. 01/12/1945 in Spokane, WA) on 12/26/1888 in Livingston, MT. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Montana State Historical Society; Helena, Montana; Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950, accessed 08/11/2025.)

The architect's father Alfred H. Croonquist had several jobs during his adulthood. Early in life in 1920, he worked as a merchant in Red Lodge, MT, like his father. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Red Lodge, Carbon, Montana; Roll: T625_967; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 16, accessed 08/11/2025.) By 1930, he had switched to operating a dude ranch outside of Red Lodge. His family owned their own house, worth an estimated $3,000 according to the 1930 US Census, in line with values of nearby residences. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Red Lodge, Carbon, Montana; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0001; FHL microfilm: 2340987, accessed 08/11/2025.) He worked for the Dude Ranchers' Association in 1935, likely an industry marketing group. By 1938, at the time of his death in a plane crash near Bozeman, he worked as a district traffic manager for Northwest Airlines. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services; Helena, Montana; Montana Death Records, accessed 08/11/2025.)

His father married Senia Josephine Pollari (born 03/21/1894 in Finland-d. 10/1979 in Red Lodge, MT) on 07/09/1914 in Saint Maries, ID. Senia had been born in Finland to Antti Pollari (born 12/20/1871 in Finland-d. 12/21/1944 in Red Lodge, MT) and Josefiina Penttila (born 12/23/1868 in Kaustinen, Finland-d. 03/28/1955 in Red Lodge, MT).

Both the architect Alfred Croonquist and his sister Senia Mabel Croonquist Hart (born01/01/1918 in Red Lodge, MT-d. 04/18/2010 in Red Lodge, MT) bore the names of both parents. Senia Hart marriedRussell Blackwell Hart (born 09/21/1909 in Coeur d"Alene, ID-d. 08/06/1985 in Billings, MT), a department store manager for the Hart-Albin Company, on 04/19/1942 in Spokane, WA. She also had a daughter named "Senia."

Spouse

Croonquist married Shirley Ann Mehlhoff (born 04/29/1925 in Eureka, SD-d. 01/16/2024 in Seattle, WA) on 09/12/1947 in Billings, MT. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services; Helena, Montana; Montana State Marriage Records, 1943-1986, accessed 08/05/2025.)

The couple divorced in King County, CA, on 04/06/1976. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington, Divorce Index, 1968-1996, accessed 08/11/2025.)

Children

He and Shirley had three sons, David Alfred Croonquist (born 09/28/1948 in Billings, MT), Thomas Frederick Croonquist (born 04/29/1950 in Seattle, WA) and Mark Jeffrey Croonquist (born 01/13/1965 in Seattle, WA).

Biographical Notes

In 1942, his World War II draft registration card indicated that Croonquist was Caucasian with ruddy complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He stood 6-feet, 2-inches tall and weighed 195 pounds.(See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Montana, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 10, accessed 08/11/2025.) His Korean War draft card indicated that he then weighed 200 pounds and had broken his left finger, likely sometime between 1942 and 1948. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926–1975; Record Group Number: 147; Series: Post-WWII through Vietnam Era Selective Service Records, Montana; Series Number: 147-76-0343, accessed 08/11/2025.)

SSN: 517-20-2599;

• Red Lodge, MT (Architect's Birth)
  Red Lodge, MT

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• Seattle, WA (Architect's Death)
  Seattle, WA

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