Donald Christian Bruene, 88, passed away suddenly February 17 at Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday, March 1 at St. Paul Presbyterian Church at 6426 Merle Hay Road, Johnston IA 50131. Interment will take place at Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines. Memorials can be directed to the church.
Don was the son of Chris and Edna (Gethmann) Bruene and was born December 5, 1935, at home near Gladbrook. He graduated from Toledo High School in 1954. On November 3, 1957, Don was united in marriage to Reta Petersen, and from this union they were blessed with a daughter, Sharon, and two sons, Donald (Wayne), and Michael.
From 1958-1960 Don served in the K-9 Corp of the U.S. Army. He trained at Camp Carson in Colorado and served at Fort Gordon in Georgia, Lockland Air Force Base in Texas and a missile base near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a PFC MP.
After his release from the army, Don began farming near Traer until 1983 when he and Reta moved to Toledo. Don worked at the Big Bear farm store and Reta ran her own ceramic business. In 1989, the couple moved to Boone, where Don managed the local farm store until he retired. In 2017, the couple moved to Grimes and became members of St. Paul Presbyterian Church in Johnston. Don enjoyed gardening, growing flowers and watching his granddaughter in her activities until she graduated high school.
Don is survived by his daughter Sharon of Grimes, his son Wayne (Joyce) of Ankeny, his daughter-in-law Nicole and granddaughter Hannah of Inlet Beach, Florida, his grandson Tyler of Altoona, three great-grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and three step-great-grandchildren, his sister Martha Hurlbut and brother Charles (Carol) Bruene, two nieces, and two nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Reta, his son Michael, his parents, his brother George Bruene, his sister Esther Drew, and one niece.
