BRUNS, Edward Peter 1932-2011

BRUNS, JOHNSON, BEEK

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - Volunteer (email)
Date: 2/4/2011 at 14:32:43

Edward Peter Bruns
(January 8, 1932 - January 16, 2011)
George, IA

Edward Bruns, age 79 of George, IA died Sunday, January 16, 2011 at the Good Samaritan Center in George, IA.

Memorial service will be 10:30 AM, Saturday, January 22 at Lyon County 1st Presbyterian Church near George, IA, with Rev. Paul Fischer officiating.

Internment will be at a later date at Evergreen Lawn Cemetery in George, IA.

Edward Peter Bruns was born on January 8, 1932, the son of Peter W. and Rena (Johnson) Bruns in Rock Rapids, IA. Ed grew up on a farm northwest of George, IA, attended country school and later graduated from George High School in 1950. As a young man, Ed and his parents attended and were members of the Tabernacle Baptist Church in George. Immediately following high school, Ed attended Iowa State University earning a dual degree in Agronomy and Military Science. While there he was also enlisted in the R.O.T. C. program. Although he was originally trained as an artillery engineer, the Korean Armistice agreement in 1953 changed the needs of the US military. As a result, Ed received additional training to serve in Germany as an officer with responsibilities in base administration, military intelligence and military police. Under his command at this time, were several units comprised of former Nazi SS. In 1956, Ed had completed his ROTC commitment and was honorably discharged from active duty. After leaving active service in the military, like several other veterans at that time, Ed continued as an Army Reserve officer and a US federal employee.

As an Agronomist and Soil Conservationist for the USDA-SCS, Ed was stationed in various areas in western Iowa including Denison and Sioux City, IA. Ed enjoyed life in the military, but his primary reason for being released from active duty, was to marry Ruth Beek. Ed and Ruth were married at the Hope Reformed Church of George on August 24th, 1956 – they continued to be married for 52 years, 11 months until Ruth’s death in July, 2009.

In 1961, Ed and Ruth were tired of life in larger cities and moved back to the farm northwest of George, IA to raise their children closer to their parents. During their time on the farm, Ed, Ruth and their children attended the Hope Reformed Church near George. As a farmer, Ed gravitated toward those ways that he could provide leadership in public service; he was a strong believer of working together with others to solve difficult problems.

Ed was involved with the SCS and active in soil conservation efforts, serving as a Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner for almost 40 years. In the early 1960s, Ed decided to have the ISU livestock specialists and Extension veterinarians at the ISU Vet Med College in Ames help him diagnose problems that he had with several groups of feeder pigs. The diagnosis pointed to water quality problems; ultimately, Ed began working with several other livestock producers and bankers from Lyon and Sioux counties in Northwest Iowa to develop the nation’s first rural water district. Along with these other farmers, Ed saw that water quality was a constraint to livestock operations; a centralized water system was the least expensive way to overcome the problems in effectively treating water for larger livestock operations. These early efforts involved other farmers and created the Lyon and Sioux Rural Water Organization, which became the second rural water utility corporation formed in the United States. Ed served as an officer on the Lyon and Sioux County Rural Water board before its creation and immediately after its formation.

Ed was also involved in other organizations in the community – for example, he was as a member of the American Legion post in George and a board member of the local elevator.
Ed was also a strong believer in life-long education; studying new or different bodies of knowledge was his primary hobby. In the early 1980s, Ed participated in Iowa State University’s Distance Education program to earn a Masters of Agriculture graduate degree. He put this degree to use serving other farmers during the Farm Crisis of the mid-1980’s as an agricultural finance specialist with the Farmers Home Administration in an attempt to improve access to capital for many struggling farmers. During this time, he and Ruth were also experimenting with various alternative specialty crops and value-added agricultural businesses, such as the direct marketing of lamb and premium quality hay. These were not primary enterprises but they served as complements to their traditional corn-soybeans-cow-calf farming operation; these different enterprises allowed Ed to meet new people around the country and learn new things.

In 1995, Ed and Ruth retired from full-time farming and began attending Lyon County First Presbyterian Church south of George. He enjoyed meeting new people in a new church and learning about how others thought about their spiritual life. Ed was also a member of several different Bible study groups over the years; he deeply enjoyed discussions of theology and detailed examination of scripture and different Bible commentaries. His desire to listen intently to different family members who were pastors was not a matter of just being polite; he was intently interested in different, conflicting interpretations and the detailed nuances of this subject matter.

Ed is survived by his son, Mark Bruns; son-in-law, Mike Bertelsen of Waconia, MN; two grandchildren, Bethany and Brady Bertelsen of Waconia, MN; several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Ruth; his daughter, Dialetta Bertelsen; and one brother in infancy.

Source: Jurrens Funeral Homes, Rock Rapids, IA., obit.