William Bruggeman

William Carl Bruggeman, age 87, of Lake City, IA, passed away on Tuesday, June 18, 2019 at Stewart Memorial Hospital in Lake City surrounded by his family.

Funeral service will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lidderdale with Pastor Robert Wagner officiating.  Organist for the service will be Ed Ludwig.  Casket bearers will be Bill's grandchildren and honorary casket bearers will be his friends and neighbors.  Burial will be in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery near Lidderdale with military honors conducted by the Lake City American Legion and the Lake City VFW.

Friends may call at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll after 5:00 P.M. on Friday where there will be a prayer service held at 6:30 P.M.  The casket will be moved to the church at 9:30 A.M. on Satuirday where visitation will resume until 10:15 A.M.  Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the family at dahnandwoodhouse.com

In lieu of flowers, Bill’s family would like to pay it forward and memorial contributions can be made to the “Central Iowa Honor Flight” so his love of country and service can be felt by others.

Bill, as he was known to most, was born on April 3, 1932 in Carroll, IA, to Carl and Marie Bruggeman. He was raised on a farm with his three sisters.  He spent 87 years living in the country.

Bill went to country school up until the 8 ^th grade. Following that, he worked on the farm with his dad.  While roller skating in Carroll, Bill met Doris Kennebeck.  On January 8, 1953, he married her and they enjoyed 66 years together.  On the day they were married, he received his call to serve for the United States Army.

Bill served his country with pride from 1953 to 1955.  He was stationed in Missouri, Arkansas and Alaska and was a veteran of the Korean War era. He served as a field wireman, and had his first daughter, Sheila, in Fairbanks, Alaska, while in the Army.  He was honored to take the Central Iowa Honor Flight to Washington D.C. on September 6, 2014 with his daughter, Brenda, where he proved he could still salute with both the young and old service men and women. He left Washington D.C. with a full heart.

Following his wedding and active military service, Bill came home to continue farming.  Together with Doris, they raised cattle, hogs, chickens, corn, beans, horses, hay, and four children.  Sheila, Brenda, Cathy, and Brett all have fond memories of life on the farm with their dad…putting fence in, sharing a Pepsi after chores, planting trees, pulling weeds, feeding calves and cleaning the tractors are just a few of them.  In addition, Bill loved tending to the garden and his sweet corn and served on the local Cooperative Board.

Whether it was visiting with neighbors, watching the birds on a spring day, talking about the weather, washing his red International Harvester and Farmall tractors, building white painted fences, mowing the yard, driving horses, taking in a sunset over his beloved barn, or relaxing in his favorite chair at the end of a long day’s work, Bill knew that farm life was the best life. Although his “official” last harvest was October of 2013, Bill never truly stopped farming.

Bill was a family man at heart. He danced with Doris at the Lakewood Ballroom, enjoyed her company at the Swizzle Stick and Lidderdale Country Store, and threw many a barn party with her. He was a father who loved and appreciated his children, evidenced by serving as Brett’s best man in his wedding. He was known as “Papa Bill” to many and the grandkids loved making him drinks, singing his silly songs, admiring tractors, watching country western tv shows, and talking about the “good ol’ days” with him.

Bill’s faith was important to him.  After a much-needed rain on the farm, Bill was often found saying the Lord’s Prayer. He was baptized, confirmed, served as an elder and will be laid to rest in the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lidderdale, Iowa.  Bill’s health started to decline slowly over the last several years.  The same Savior that led him through the Depression led him through his health battles with cancer and of the heart and lungs.

He left God’s Country for God’s eternal home, and the mended fences for the pearly gates on June 18, 2019. Left behind are his wife, Doris; and four kids Sheila (Mark) Remsburg, Brenda (Clark) Johnson, Cathy (Mark) Lietz, and Brett (Kelly) Bruggeman.  Singing his songs in his absence are his 13 grandkids and 16 great grandkids, Heather (Guthrey) Fritz and two daughters, Grace and Maya; Holly (Joe) Coppola and three children, Joey IV, Maddox and Saylor; Jeffrey (Aubrey) Remsburg and one daughter, Lettie; Adam (Amanda) Johnson and one son, Brantley; Jill (Jeff) Brock and three children Hadley, AnnaBeth, and Bowen, Ashley (Dean) Smith and two children, Sophia and Sadler; Colby (Brandy) Winter and three children, Kypton, Braeya, and Colewyn; Jocelyn Lietz and one daughter, Jaylee; Jordan Lietz; and Morgan, Benjamin, Madison, and Abby Bruggeman.  His grandchildren will serve as pallbearers, and his friends and neighbors will serve as honorary pallbearers.

He was preceeded in death by his parents, and his sister, Joan Fethkenher; and in-laws Paul (Marie) Kennebeck, Chuck (Louise) Kennebeck, Earl (Vera) Kennebeck, Fred (Norma) Kennebeck, and Florence (Marvin) Snyder, and his lifelong friend, Bob Onken.  In addition, he leaves behind his two sisters, Karen (Stan) Grundmeier, and Carlyss (John) Heuton, and his in-laws Ruth Ann (Rudell) Snyder, Mary Jane (Dale) Bernholtz and Bud (Gayleen) Kennebeck.