Herbert Theodore Bruns 1911-2005

BRUNS, GLAWE, ROONEY, JOHNSON, SNITKER, THORSTENSON, ALBRIGHT, ROE, SLOUP, MOHR, PFIFFNER, MEYER, SCHALLER, DIETRICH, CLAYTON, ENGLISH

Posted By: Paul Moritz (email)
Date: 11/15/2010 at 08:10:10

Herbert T. Bruns, 94, of Waukon, Iowa, died Sunday, December 4, 2005, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, December 7 at 11 a.m. at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon, with Rev. Lynn G. Groe officiating. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon.
Herbert Theodore Bruns was born March 7, 1911, in rural Monona, Iowa, the son of William and Emma (Glawe) Bruns. As a young man, after attending the Monona Schools, he helped his father run a sawmill and threshing crew and ran a trap line with his brother. During depression days, Herb was part of a CCC Camp in Northeast Iowa which did a number of different public works projects. Following that he worked his way out west, doing a variety of jobs in the Black Hills, Wyoming, and California. Herb returned to Northeast Iowa, and eventually Waukon, where he worked as an auto mechanic for the Peyton Garage and Mike Connor. Later he struck out on his own and operated Herb's Repair for many years. For part of that time he also owned the Snack Shoppe Cafe in Waukon. After retirement, Herb continued to fix lawn mowers and other small engines.
Herb married Marie Rooney in 1937 in Waukon. Marie died in 1949. In 1953 he married Helen Johnson in Clinton, Iowa. Herb was a very resourceful man and could fix almost anything. He even invented a couple of pieces of equipment that helped in the mechanic business. He loved to raise garden produce, berries, and fruit trees and often shared his harvest with friends around town. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed hunting in his earlier days and maintained a lifelong passion for fishing. Herb was also an accomplished woodworker and loved to travel. He was well known among his friends and family for his friendly, easy nature and good sense of humor.
Survivors include his wife Helen of Waukon; ten children, Ken (Kathryn) Bruns of Gary, S.D., Laurayne (DuWayne) Snitker and Ronda (Wayne) Thorstenson, both of Waukon, Bob (Lori) Bruns of Fairbault, Minn., Ron (Colleen) Bruns of Eagan, Minn., Linda (Charles) Albright of Independence, Iowa, Patricia Bruns, Cheryl (Curt) Roe, and Mary Bruns, all of Waukon, and Nancy (Bob) Sloup of Wahoo, Neb.; 26 grandchildren; 58 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; three sisters, Lucille Wagner of Farmersburg, Iowa, Annes Mohr of Beloit, Wis., and Gwen Meyer of Waterloo; a brother, Ed (Maude) Bruns of Shiocton, Wis.; and two sisters-in-law, Liz Bruns of Shoreview, Minn., and Emma Jean (Herb) Pfiffner of Dewar, Iowa.
He was preceded in death by his first wife Marie; an infant son, Steven; a granddaughter, Beth Bruns; two great-granddaughters, Chantel Snitker and Sarah Schaller; three brothers, William, Norbert, and Everett Bruns; and two sisters, Dorothy Bruns and Gladys Dietrich.
Casketbearers are Steve Bruns, Jeff Snitker, Eric Thorstenson, Barb Clayton, Amy English, Chad Albright, Shawn Roe, and Garrett Sloup. The rest of Herb’s grandchildren will serve as honorary casketbearers.

Waukon, IA newspaper Dec. 6, 2005