Kenneth Dean BRUENE

BRUENE, SCHRADER, KLEEN, WEGNER, HOLL, DAY, LUCAS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/19/2016 at 18:35:18

December 13, 1927 ---- August 25, 2016

Kenneth Bruene, 88, of Gladbrook, IA, passed away Thursday, August 25, 2016, at Cedar Valley Hospice Home in Waterloo. Funeral services were 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at the Gladbrook United Methodist Church in Gladbrook. Visitation was from 5:00 p.m., until 7:00 p.m., Monday, August 29, 2016 at the Gladbrook Chapel of the Anderson Funeral Homes. Interment will take place in the Gethmann Cemetery, rural Gladbrook. The Gladbrook Chapel of the Anderson Funeral Homes has been entrusted with arrangements.

Kenneth Dean Bruene, son of Julius and Delia (Schrader) Bruene was born December 13, 1927 at the family farm in rural Gladbrook. He graduated from Gladbrook High School with the class of 1945. He then furthered his education at Iowa State University, graduating with his Bachelors Degree in 1950. That same year on July 31, he was united in marriage to Ruth Ann Kleen at Renwick, Iowa. This union was blessed with five children: Dan, Marilou, Leslie, John and Jodi. Kenneth and Ruth Ann started their family on the Bruene “Century Farm” where they farmed many years before moving to Gladbrook in 1980. In addition to farming, he worked as a professional photographer, taking photos for many weddings and events in Gladbrook and surrounding communities. Ken’s past involvement as District Commissioner for the Tama County Soil Conservation District Board led to him taking a position as Field Representative with the Iowa Department of Agriculture - Division of Soil Conservation. He later moved to Platte City, Missouri where he was able to continue being a steward of God’s creation, working for the Environmental Protection Agency and as a Soil Conservation Commissioner in the state of Missouri. He was a member of the Platte City United Methodist Church and Gladbrook United Methodist Church. He was also a founding member of the Gladbrook Lions Club and 50-year member of the Gladbrook Masonic Lodge. He was very active in the church and community, serving as school board member when the elementary school was built and on the church board when the Gladbrook United Methodist Church was built as well. Ken also belonged to the Soil and Water Conservation Society where he served as President in both Iowa and Missouri. He was very passionate about books and had a personal library of over 4,000 books including mainly works of non-fiction, history and agronomy.

Survivors include his children: Dan of Gladbrook, (Jan) Bruene of Des Moines, IA, Marilou (Steve) Wegner of Platte City, MO, Leslie (Bill) Holl of Platte City, MO, John (Deb) Bruene of Solon, IA, and Jodi (Thomas) Day of Eagan (suburb of St. Paul), MN; grandchildren, Zac, Corby, Mallory, Bryant, Blake, Lucas, Maegan, Dylan and Andrew; five great granddaughters; brother, Roger (Barbara) Bruene of Ames, IA; and Norwegian “son” Bengt. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Ruth Ann and second wife, Lucy Lucas Bruene.

http://www.andersonfhs.com/obituaries/Kenneth-Dean-Bruene?obId=1053332#/obituaryInfo