Bruns, John E.

BOTTERMAN, WARNEKE, ROHRSSEN, WOBBERKING, SCHOENBECK

Posted By: BCGS
Date: 1/14/2010 at 10:42:58

John E. Bruns is a representative of one of the oldest pioneer families in Bremer county, his great-grandfather having been one of the first settlers in Maxfield township. He has himself been a resident of this part of the state since his birth and is now one of the progressive and active farmers of this locality, owning and operating eighty acres of the Bruns homestead. He was born October 26, 1888, and is a son of Carl and Anna (Botterman) Bruns, the former born in Maxfield township April 26, 1860, and the latter in Cook county, Illinois, January 15, 1861. The father has devoted his farm of one hundred and sixty acres of choice land on section 13. He is also vice president of the Readlyn Savings Bank, of the Maxfield Telephone Company and the German Mutual Insurance Company of Maxfield township and is a man of recognized business ability. He and his wife became the parents of four children, all of whom reside in Maxfield township, where they were born and reared. They are as follows: Mrs. Amanda Warneke, who was born January 19, 1883; Mrs. Evelyn Rohrssen, born April 24, 1885; John E., of this review; and Carl F., born December 7, 1893.

John E. Bruns was reared in Maxfield township and acquired his education in the district schools and in Oelwein Business College which he attended for four months. When he began his independent career he naturally turned his attention to the occupation to which he had been reared and since that time has been engaged in general farming and stock-raising upon eighty acres of land, constituting a portion of his father's homestead. He has provided this farm with a modern residence and substantial barns and outbuildings and he has developed it along progressive and practical lines, making it today one of the finest properties in this locality.

On the 8th of September, 1910, Mr. Bruns was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Wobberking, who was born in Blackhawk county, Iowa, September 21, 1889. She attended the district schools of that locality and also a business college in Waterloo. She is a daughter of Karl and Lena (Schoenbeck) Wobberking, native of Germany, the former born September 24, 1858, and the latter March 16, 1859. The parents settled in Franklin township, this county, about the year 1883 and later moved to Blackhawk county, where they now reside. Mrs. Bruns' gradfather, Christian Wobberking, also a native of Germany, makes his home with them. Mr. and Mrs. Karl Wobberking became the parents of eight children: Herman, Dorothea and Karl, who have passed away; Mrs. Bruns, wife of the subject of this review; and Louise, Emil, Walter and Louis, residing with their parents in Blackhawk county. Mr. and Mrs. Bruns have a daughter, Florence Lena, born June 15, 1911.

Mr. Bruns is a member of the Girard German Lutheran church of Maxfield township and he gives his political allegiance to the republican party. He is a young man of force, experience and ability and his record is already a credit to a name that has long been an honored one in this community.

History of Bremer County, Iowa Vol. II 1914