Dietrich William Bruns (1887-1967)

BRUNS, STROHMAN, SCHRADER, MEYERS, GEGNER, KOCH, NICHOLS, CROSS, KRACHT

Posted By: John Bruns (email)
Date: 4/2/2020 at 17:03:48

D.W. (Dick) Bruns, age 80, of 702 East Elm Street in Sigourney, died March 26 at the Camair Convalescent Home in Oskaloosa. He had been a patient there since 1965.

He was born January 3, 1887 in Sigourney, the son of Herman and Margaret Schrader Bruns. He attended Keokuk County schools. He married Ethel Strohman January 7, 1914 and she died September 30, 1956. He married Marjorie Meyers Gegner September 6, 1959 in Sigourney and she survives.

He is also survived by two sons, Ernest and Ralph of Sigourney; two daughters, Mrs. Dorothy Koch of New York and Mrs. Esther Nichols of Sigourney; a step-son Gerald L. Gegner of Cedar Rapids; and a step-daughter, Mrs. James Cross of Fort Dodge; 17 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren; one brother, Henry Bruns, and one sister, Mrs. Emil (Dora) Kracht of Sigourney.

He was preceded in death by two sisters, Lena and Elsie.

He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, member of I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 98, and the Keokuk County Fair Board. He was active in developing the first 4-H Club in Keokuk County and was a leader for several years. While he was the leader, Keokuk County 4-H Club, showed Grand Champion pens of five sheep for five consecutive years at the Iowa State Fair.

He farmed from 1910 to 1935 and raised purebred sheep. He started a store, D.W. Bruns and Sons, Seed and Wool, in 1935. In 1937 he added bottle gas and in 1947 built a gas bottling plant. The store became Bruns, INC. in 1954 and he retired in 1961.

Funeral services were held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Holm Funeral Home with Rev. W.H. Cross and Arthur Lang officiating. Burial was in Pleasant Grove Cemetery. Casket bearers were Glen Moothart, Allan Chrisman, Tom Baxter, Martin Holm. Raymond Bruns, and Leroy Kracht. Mrs. David Wilcox was organist and Mrs. Clell Wilson, soloist.

Published in the Sigourney News-Review newspaper located in Sigourney, Iowa on 29 March 1967.