Gilbert Brummels

COLERIDGE — Gilbert Brummels, 102, Coleridge, died May 12, 2018, at the Providence Medical Center, Wayne.
Visitation and a prayer service were May 16 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Coleridge, and continued Thursday one hour prior to services.
Funeral Services were May 17 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Russ Lambert officiating.
Burial was at the Lawn Ridge cemetery, Coleridge, with military rites by the Hartington VFW Post 5283, the Coleridge American Legion Post 114, the Legion Riders, and the Navy Funeral Honors Team.
Honorary Pallbearers were his granddaughters, Jackie Froendt, Brenda Tyndall, Patt Gall, Carol Stewart, Kara Wiedeman, Anne Schulte, Kendra Kemnitz, Evie Potts, Melissa Doerr and Laura Brummels.
Pallbearers were his grandsons, Douglas Brummels, Mike Nelson, Lee Potts, Jeff Brummels, Jeremy Brummels, Peter Brummels, Daniel Brummels, Thomas Brummels, Chris Brummels and David Brummels.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home, Coleridge.
Gilbert Ernest Brummels, son of Harry Ernest August and Ida Emilia (Fuhrman) Brummels was born Jan. 12, 1916, at the family farm home near Hoskins.
Gilbert grew up on farms between Randolph and Hoskins and attended rural grade schools through the eighth grade. During the 1930s Depression years as a young man, he traveled by freight trains to the west coast seeking employment at various jobs to send wages home to his parents and large family. Gilbert and his brother, LeRoy, had begun farming with their dad when World War II broke out in 1941. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy from late 1941 and served until September 1945. Gilbert served two and one half years on the USS Reid, a destroyer and the remainder of his service on the USS Heide as a Boatswain Mate 1st Class of an APA (Amphibious Attach Transport) landing craft in Okinawa and Iwo Jima. The ships he served on participated in 14 major battles and four campaigns earning 56 battle points for five bronze stars and several other medals of honor. He was placed in harm’s way many times and by the grace of God returned home.
Gilbert married Lois Faye Coulter at the St. John Lutheran Church Parsonage, Randolph, Sept. 12, 1944, while he was home on leave from the U.S. Navy. After Gilbert was discharged from the Navy, the couple farmed on several farms near Randolph, three years near Brunswick, then on a farm west of Coleridge for 47 years before moving into Coleridge in 2001.
Gilbert was a strong, hard-working, quiet, humble, giving and mild-mannered man. He had a strong faith and loved his family and farm. He was a good son, husband, father, grandfather and neighbor. He enjoyed reminiscing about farming, his horses, the threshing runs and the milk cows.
Gilbert was a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Coleridge, VFW Post 5283 and the American Legion.
He is survived by his children, Judy (Ron) Nelson and Robert (Kathy) Brummels, all of Coleridge; Joan (Jim) Potts, Hartington; Dwight (Gloria) Brummels, Randolph; and Kent (Debbie) Brummels, Hartington; 20 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild; brother, Robert (Darlene) Brummels, Elkhorn; sister, Verlene Ryan, Norfolk; sisters-in-law, Delma Ronspies, Norfolk; Francis Brummels, Ewing; Gloria (Omar) Smith, Norfolk; Joann Brummels, Prescott Valley, Ariz.; and many nieces and nephews.
Gilbert was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Lois, of 73 and one half years. who died Feb. 21, 2018; son, Gaylen, and daughter-in-law Gloria Brummels; grandson, John; great-grandchild, Aimee; brothers, LeRoy, Vernon, Kenneth, Merlin and Willard Brummels; and sisters, Mildred Warneke, Pearl Warneke, Hilda Warneke, Edith Owens, Ellen Cunningham and Jeanette Wheeler.