Ann Carla Bruns

I was born on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1946 in Sidney, Nebraska and named Ann Carla Bruns. I was the 4th living child of Carl Arthur Bruns and Alice Viola (Clark) Bruns. I was raised outside Chappell, Nebraska on the family farm that had once belonged to my maternal Grandfather, Frank M Clark. My mother had complications during her pregnancy with me so my birth was a bit of a miracle, something I found hard to live up to later in life. I was doted upon and at least a bit spoiled by my siblings, Gary, Niesje and Irven and my Aunt JoAn. My job was often to entertain house guests with songs and accomplishments. At the age of 4 I took a "test" in (I think) Hastings Nebraska so I could enter kindergarden a year early. I had so many cousins in the class of 1964 and my parents thought it best I attend school with them instead of being a year behind them. My cousins were often like siblings to me, we spent hours playing together and later I often stayed with their families when my parents traveled. Major shaping events of my childhood were attendance at Zion Lutheran Church, death of my cousin and friend Jill Clark, my father becoming president of the National Association of Wheat Growers and my mother's breast cancer and subsequent surgery in Rochester, Minnesota. I have always felt so fortunate to be in a small town and attend school K-12 with most of my classmates. Not only were the cousins my family but I also came to feel that way about my class members. I didn't have a "clique" but felt about as comfortable and uncomfortable around everyone. I went to work at Doc Newcomb's office as soon as I could drive legally (15). His job references got me many jobs later in my life. I'm so grateful for the experience. After high school graduation, I attend Central Business College in Denver, CO. I lived in a private home and worked for my board and room. My family thought having a family atmosphere would be better for me moving from such a small town to such a big city. After I graduated from CBC I briefly attend college in Greeley, Colorado. I went back to Denver and worked for Beneficial Finance Company. There I met the brother, Lyle Myhre, of Gary Myhre, a fellow employee. Lyle was on boot camp leave from the Navy and we ended up spending a week together. We wrote while he was at sea near VietNam and a year later became engaged. I went to California in the summer of 1967 to be near him and we married at the US Naval Base in Long Beach, California on August 19, 1967. We moved to San Diego while he attended corps school. I followed Lyle to Guam (unaccompanied tour) in April 1968 and lived in "boonie" housing with the gecko's and shrews. Our oldest, Sean Carl was born in Guam. After the service, we spent a short time in Chappell until Lyle was accepted in school (Aims) in Greeley, Colorado. We bought rental properties with my parents which kept us very busy. During our time, there Janna Nicole and Chad Wayne were born. We moved to DesMoines, Iowa, then to Grand Forks, North Dakota (Lyle's home) where we had our own business, Myhre Management Company and I worked for a Saving and Loan Bank. In 1981 Lyle and I divorced. We remained friends until his death in 2015. The kids and I moved to Fort Collins, Colorado in '81, a place I consider as much HOME as Chappell. Most of my adult life I spent managing real estate. I worked for Promar Property Services, had my own business Myhre Management Company (Fort Collins) which I sold to Foxfire Property Management, working for them after the sale. After the untimely death of my sister, Niesje, I went back to school (Front Range Community College) and worked many jobs, Newton Maintenance Company; Mailboxes, ETC; Anheuser-Busch as a tour guide. In 1991, I learned about Bill W and followed his path until my death. My mother died in December 1993. After the death of my mother, I moved to Lincoln, NE to be with my childhood sweetheart, Don Faustman. We were together 4 years during which time I came to love his boys, Geoff and Nick, and got to know and admire his ex-wife Carolyn. I was managing Advance Self Storage in Lincoln for Trillium Corporation out of Bellingham, Washington and I moved alone to Anchorage, Alaska for a year to open Tudor Storage for them. Then I transferred with Trillium to Denver, CO to manage Workshops in Glendale. My father died in 1999. When Workshops sold I moved back to Fort Collins briefly, then back to Chappell. I lived in Chappell until 2013 when I moved back to Fort Collins. While in Chappell I worked for the Chappell Housing Authority, Becky's Health Hut (Sidney) and America Inn (Sidney). I lived in the farm house where I was raised while remodeling my little house in town with the help of my cousin Steve Clark and Richard Paulson. I so enjoyed being in my little house on Main Street and was sad to sell it in 2015. I loved to travel, going to Europe 4 times between 2000 and 2015. I've been in all but two states (Kentucky and South Carolina) by 2015. My two favorite words are "Road Trip". I'm devoted to my family, my 3 children, Sean, Janna, Chad and my 7 grandchildren. Megan and Robert Duncan, Aiden Myhre; Jordan and Dylan Walsh; Raven and Zachary Myhre. I've lived for at least a few months with each of my children and am pleased to know I would be welcomed back at any time. I moved back to Fort Collins permanently in 2013 when Janna and her boys moved to Colorado from Pennsylvania. With all my kids in Colorado I wanted to be close. In December 2014, I was diagnosed with colon cancer and had emergency surgery. After alternative therapy, I considered myself cancer free in 2015. I credit my vegan lifestyle with helping me recover completely and quickly, I quit my job as receptionist at Narconon in Fort Collins to help care for my ex-husband, Lyle Myhre in September 2015. After his death in October of 2015 I spent more of my free time doing the things I love: cooking, scrapbooking and quilting. I wish to be cremated and my ashes can be spread or buried. I have a marker in the Chappell cemetery, next to my parents and my sister. I was preceded in death by my parents, Carl and Alice (Clark) Bruns, my brother Gary Lee Bruns, my sister Niesje Joy Bruns Heerman. I am survived by my children Sean Carl Myhre (Sara), Megan, Robert and Aiden; Janna Nicole Clark, Jordan and Dylan Walsh; Chad Wayne Myhre, Raven and Zachary and by my best friend Heidi Jobman; many relatives and friends. I wish for my children to add the date and cause of my death and any kind words they wish to include. Written by Ann C Bruns January 2016.

Ann Carla Bruns

November 28, 1946 - July 31, 2017