Eileen Mae Bruns

Eileen Mae (Jenneman) Bruns was born April 21, 1925, one of 10 children to Clarence and Louise Jenneman, Salem, SD.  Baptized as an infant, she later attended St. Mary’s parochial school through 8th grade, and went on to graduate from Salem Public High School in 1943.  She worked at Donaldson’s in Minneapolis, MN for one year along with her sister Betty.  She then worked in the offices of the Spencer Quarry, the Salem Special, and for 20 years at the Spencer Bank.

She was united in marriage to Darwin “Bud” Bruns, on May 21, 1949 in the church parsonage of Trinity Lutheran Church in Spencer, SD.  They were blessed with five children.  Eileen and Bud lived in Spencer until a tornado struck the town in 1998, destroying their home.  They moved to a new residence in Salem, SD after the storm, until Bud’s death one month after 9/11.  Eileen continued to live in Salem until she became a resident of Luther Manor nursing home in Sioux Falls.  She passed away on August 9, 2023, at the age of 98 years.

She is survived by three remaining sisters; Jan Koop, Rochester, MN, Mary (Ron) Feterl, Sioux Falls, and Barbara Jerabek; a daughter Susan (Jon) Lindekugel, Hutchinson, MN; a son Barry (Mary) Bruns, Spencer, SD; a daughter-in-law, Sheri (Bruhn) Bruns, Minneapolis, MN; and a son-in-law, Roger Richter, Sioux Falls;  her grandchildren, Andrew Lindekugel, Great Falls, MT, Sara Lindekugel, Hutchinson, MN, Jesse Bruns, Aberdeen, SD, Kristin Bruns (Andrew) Johnson, Silver Lake, OH, Colin (Janae) Bruns, Minneapolis, MN, Lindsay (Harlan) Johnson, Chicago, IL, Tiffany (Justin)  Dubbelde, Sioux Falls, and Dana Richter, Sioux Falls; and 12 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, 6 siblings, and a daughter Kim Richter, Sioux Falls, and 2 sons, Michael Bruns, Chanhassen, MN and Steven Bruns, Sioux Falls.

Memorial services will be at 11:00am Saturday, August 19, 2023 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Spencer, SD with burial in the Spencer Cemetery.  Visitation will be an hour prior to the service at the church.  Arrangements by Kinzley Funeral Home, Salem.