Obit: Bruengger, Henry (1839 – 1909)
Poster: Stan
 

Surnames: BRUENGGER BUKER DEVEREAUX MEIER

Source: GREENWOOD GLEANER (Greenwood, Wis.) 01/06/1910

Bruengger, Henry (4 APR 1839 – 25 DEC 1909)

Christmas Day, and especially Christmas evening, was indeed a sad one at the little home west of town (Greenwood, Clark County, Wis.), when Christ, in his goodness and mercy, took to his home and his fold, the sourl of the Rev. Henry Bruengger, whose sufferings since the eventful night of Oct. 17th, 1909, when he was so severely burned about the head and face, the result of which eventually caused his death, must have been indescribable.

Henry Bruengger was born in Volksoreil, Switzerland, on the fourth day of April, 1839, and at the age of twenty years ventured alone to this country, arriving at Franklin, Wis., in 1859, where he attended the German Reformed Theological Seminary in that city.

His first charge was a country pastorate at Addison, Washington Co., Wis., which was given him on the first day of Oct., 1867, and the following year, or on Oct. 8th, 1868, he was ordained in the First German Lutheran Church of Chicago.

March 31st, 1869, he was married to Miss Amelia Buker and they came to Greenwood in 1878.

No children were sent to bless this union, but a daughter, whose mother died in the Milwaukee hospital, and who was only six weeks old, was taken into their hearts and home. Marian Emily Devereaux received ever after, the love and protection of her foster parents as much as though she were an only child.

In April 1879, he moved with his wife to Neillsville, Clark County, where he preached the gospel until 1882, when he was called to a pastorate at Monticello, Wis., remaining in that place for about five years. From there he responded to a call at Washburn, Ill., where he followed his calling until Jan. 1, 1891, again coming to Greenwood in 1892, where he lived until he responded to death’s call.

Mr. Bruengger laid the helpmate of his life’s work, who died in this city Aug. 29, 1905, to rest with a heavy heart, but always he bore his many afflictions, which visited him from time to time with the true knowledge of a loving and God fearing man, that “God does all things well.” The late Mrs. Bruengger was a sister of Mr. Fred Buker, Sr., of the West Side.

Mr. Bruengger leaves behind a grief-stricken foster child, Mrs. Marian Meier, and her three children, who looked after the welfare of their grandpa as they always called him, in the latter years of his life.

Outside of the many friends he always made wherever he went, who loved him for his good and benevolent nature and his helpful hand to suffering man and womankind, and the ones mentioned above, he leaves no nearer relatives to mourn his loss in this country, but way over in Switzerland a loving sister received the sad tidings with deep grief. He also leaves several nephews in Switzerland and a nephew who is doing missionary work in India to mourn his death.

The funeral services were the most beautiful ever conducted in this city, and one of the most largely attended, thirty-three rigs driving from the home to the M.E. church, where a beautiful service and sermon was preached in German by Rev. O.J.F. Saewert and in English by Rev. W.T. Hendren, assisted by the Methodist pastor, Rev. W.E. Marsh.

The church was beautifully decorated and the many floral emblems were a devout token of the high esteem in which he was held. The remains were laid to rest in the quiet and beautiful domains of the Greenwood Cemetery.