Clarence A. Brunkhorst

Clarence A. Brunkhorst, 94, of Kearney, died August 1, 2022 at the St. Luke’s good Samaritan Village in Kearney. Funeral Services will be 10:00 am, Friday, August 12, 2022 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church with Pastor Tim Barone officiating. Burial will be 2:30 pm, at Roselawn Cemetery in Columbus, Nebraska. Visitation will be on hour prior to funeral at the church Friday morning. Memorials are suggested to Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Clarence was born March 18, 1928 on a farm by Monroe, Nebraska to Herman and Margaret (Braasch) Brunkhorst. He moved with his parents from Monroe to a farm by Platte Center and then to a farm southwest of Columbus. He attended rural school, Columbus Immanuel Lutheran school and graduated from Columbus Kramer High School in 1945. After high school he worked in Denver, Colorado. He served in the United States Air Force from 1946 – 1949 and attended University of Colorado 1949-1951. Clarence married Mary Louise Miller December 23, 1950 in Columbus, Nebraska. He attended University of Nebraska in Lincoln, 1951-1954, where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering, then completed the Modern Business Program with Alexander Hamilton Institute in 1970. In 1982 he received his Master of Business Administration from Kearney State College. From 1954-1993, he was with Consumers Public Power District and Nebraska Public Power District in Norfolk, Lincoln, Kearney, O’Neill and then back to Kearney in 1976. He retired in 1993 as the Central Regional Manager for Nebraska Public Power District. Clarence was a Kearney and Lincoln Jaycee, President of the O’Neill Chamber of Commerce, and member of the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce. Formerly a member of the Lions and Rotary clubs. He was a member of the Kearney American Legion Post #52, National Society of Professional Engineers, and Institute of Electrical Electronic Engineers. He also served on the Board of United Fund, Friends, YMCA, Board of Adjustment, and Jubilee Center. He donated over 22 gallons of blood through the American Red Cross. He was a lifelong member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. He held various offices and member of various boards of the church during his lifetime. He and his wife served as missionaries in El Paso, Texas and Mexico from 1994-1995. He was a delegate a number of times to the state and national conventions for his church and for the Lutheran Hour Ministries conventions. Clarence is survived by his wife, Mary Brunkhorst of Kearney; son, Tim and Deb Brunkhorst of Platte City, MO; daughters, Ann and Erv Sanders of Topeka, KS, Susan and Steve Meyers of Brookings, SD, Lori and John Gruttemeyer of Papillion, NE; 9 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Clarence was preceded in death by his brothers, John and Rudolph Brunkhorst; sisters, Marie Brunkhorst and Frieda Burrus.

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Clarence A. Brunkhorst

March 18, 1928 - August 1, 2022