Cover photo for Jean Bruns's Obituary
Jean Bruns Profile Photo
1923 Jean 2018

Jean Bruns

October 30, 1923 — August 28, 2018

Marjorie Jean Bruns, 94, passed away August 28, 2018. Visitation will be 9 to 10 am Saturday, September 1st at St. Francis Xavier Parish, 1001 E. 52nd St., Kansas City, MO followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 10 am. Interment will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions to the St. Francis Xavier Food Pantry.Jean was born October 30, 1923, in Rock Island, IL to Arthur C. and Maude (Spenader) Johnson. Jean was the youngest child and only daughter. The baby of the family by several years, Jeannie, as they called her, looked up to her affectionate, accomplished brothers and later grew to love and admire her sisters-in-law. Her parents were deaf, and Jean learned sign language right along with speaking. She was proud of her resourceful, hard-working father and her loving, intuitive mother who made their way in both the deaf and hearing worlds.After graduation from Rock Island High School where Jean was the business manager of its yearbook, The Rock Island High Watchtower, she attended a medical technician school in Chicago. Upon finishing the course work, she moved to Kansas City first working at then St. Margarets Hospital in Kansas City, KS and later Childrens Mercy Hospital. For fun Jean took up fencing and also dabbled in photography. Van Johnson was her movie star crush.While at Childrens Mercy, she became friends with Pat Bruns who just happened to have a single brother-in-law, John. A blind date was arranged. John and Jean fell in love and were married on July 29, 1950 at Holy Cross Parish in Kansas City. The couple chose Colorado for their honeymoon during which Jean kept a diary of the road trip. Afterwards they made their home in the Northeast neighborhood of Kansas City, MO, moving into the home that would be theirs for over 50 years.Nine months and twenty-seven days after the wedding (Jean always laughed, "Thank goodness for the twenty-seven days!") John and Jeans son, Steve was born. Two daughters, Susie and Teresa, completed the family. Jean stopped working at Childrens Mercy after Susie was born, but later when all three children were in school, she was a favorite "lunch lady." She worked first at the cafeteria for Cardinal Glennon High School and later at Holy Cross School. Jean always found time to volunteer. Whether at Holy Cross Church and its Altar Society or the schools PTA, Jean was willing to help. She also volunteered collecting money in the neighborhood for United Way and the American Heart Association. After retiring, she volunteered for over twenty years at the American Lung Association.As a homemaker, Jean always had a system in place: Monday was wash day; Tuesday was ironing day; Wednesday was upstairs cleaning day; Thursday was downstairs cleaning day; Friday was clean sheet and rotate mattress day; Saturday was the grocery store shopping. (One bag of candy was bought and lasted as long as it lasted.) Sunday was Church. Dinner was always at 6 o'clock and the table was set with placemats or tablecloth, napkins and a full set of silverware. A movie fan, Jean was known to cry at the sad ones. A two-hanky movie would have been an especially good one. Maybe surprisingly, soap operas could sometimes have a similar effect. Daughter Susie came home from school one day to find her mom crying because Joe Riley was killed off on One Life to Live. (He was no Van Johnson, but he was a pretty exceptional man. Thats probably why they found a way to bring the character back. Jean was pleased.)Baking from scratch was the norm for Jean. Birthday cakes or pies were mandatory, but cookies ruled - at least a half a dozen different kinds for Christmas. The best chocolate chip recipe was on the Toll House package and a Snickerdoodle recipe was a favorite. Easter and Christmas were celebrated with a brunch. Though the menu could alternate between Italian or Polish sausage and muffins or breakfast rolls, children and later grandchildren were insistent that a special Baked Deviled Egg Casserole and Bloody Marys always be served. The "egg dish" recipe as well as the idea of brunch was brought back from California after a visit with her brothers and their families.Jean was a good listener but did not have the gift of gab. However, she did have a way with words that made you smile. Some family members might remember "hall-y hall" (an impressive entryway) and "ordervies" (little bites of something fancy before a meal.) She didnt mess around with cute euphemisms for body parts or body functions though. She liked correct "scientific" terms. Never wanting to offend, "hells bells" was the worst that came from her lips. Family was everything to Jean and John. They made sure their children received a Catholic education and the sacraments. Sunday evenings were visits to Grandma Bruns house where aunts and uncles and cousins were usually around. Any vacation meant visiting relatives. Family dinners included discussion. Open arms welcomed a daughter-in-law and sons-in-law. Family was more than genes; they loved their adopted and biological grandchildren equally. All grandchildren benefited from her practical and patient wisdom whenever she took care of them. Everyone learned how to play War, solitaire, gin rummy, and lotto games. She let them turn her kitchen into a grocery store and the hall and staircase into a hotel. She believed it was never too early to teach things like the alphabet and counting.In her family, Jean was preceded in death by her parents and older brothers: Warren and Donald, both of whom did not survive infancy, Vincent (Anna), and Kenneth (Jean). A nephew, Ken Johnson, Vince and Annas son, survives her. From Johns family of thirteen siblings, a brother-in-law, Jim Bruns survives her as well as numerous nieces and nephews from the Bruns, Zaner, Pogue, Nelson, and Trussell families. Jean was preceded in death by John in 2009. They had been married for 58 years. She is survived by their children: Steve Bruns and wife, Jeannette; Susie Bruns; and Teresa Bruns Sosinski and husband. David. There are seven grandchildren: Andy Bruns (Ashlee), Matt Bruns, Allison Ayres (Rob), Rick Deppeler (Megan), Kathleen Stearns (Kyle), Abigail Sosinski and Alex Sosinski. And seven great-grandchildren: Alex and Abbey Bruns, Maggie and Hugh Ayres, RJ and Rhett Deppeler, and Aaron Stearns.
Visitation St. Francis Xavier Parish

Saturday, September 01, 2018

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

1001 E 52nd StreetKansas City, Missouri 64110
Directions Mass of Christian Burial St. Francis Xavier Parish

Saturday, September 01, 2018

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

1001 E 52nd StreetKansas City, Missouri 64110
Directions

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