Peter N. Trahn (1852-1914) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and died in Los Angeles, California. He enlisted as a private in Company D of the 33rd Wisconsin Infantry of the Union Army in the American Civil War and served until 1865. In the early 1870s he married Ladora D. Trahn (b. Hale) and they lived in McGregor, Iowa, where he was a clerk in a law office. By the mid-1880s they had moved to Webster City, Iowa, and he worked as a traveling salesman. The Trahns became interested in studying Christian Science after Ladora experienced healing through Christian Science treatment. She studied with Joseph A. Adams, a student of Mary Baker Eddy's, in 1886, and then both Trahns took the Primary course with Eddy in September 1888 and subsequently joined the Christian Scientist Association. They joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 6, 1894, and their daughters Mabel Trahn and Atalanta Trahn also subsequently joined. Sometime before 1895 they moved to Los Angeles, California, and listed their names as practitioners in The Christian Science Journal from 1895 until their respective passings. Atalanta was listed as a practitioner from 1908 until 1949. Peter and Ladora Trahn were among the founders of Second Church of Christ, Scientist, Los Angeles in 1898. They took the Obstetrics course in the Board of Education of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in the early 1900s and both were admitted to the General Association of Teachers in 1903.

See more letters.