Merlyn Bruns

Mel Bruns, 58, Kensal, ND, passed away January 4, 2009 at
Jamestown Hospital with his family at his side, due to complications from
Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy.
A memorial service will be held January
10, 2009 at St Paul's Lutheran Church,
Kensal, at 10:30 am. Burial
will be at Immanuel
Lutheran Church
Cemetery, Stirum/Crete,
at a later date as cremation has taken place.
Merlyn (Mel) George Bruns
was born to George and Edith (McDaniel) Bruns January 6, 1950 in Fargo. He
grew up on his parents' farm near Crete. He
attended Crete Grade
School, graduating from Oakes High School.
He helped his dad on the farm and and got his first guitar at age 7. He formed a band called the Dynamic Dischords
and they played all over the area near Crete
and Oakes. He belonged to Immanuel
Lutheran Church
of rural Stirum/Crete. Mel attended the State School of Science, Wahpeton
and then Valley City State
College for music. Music was Mel's life and he played with several bands
over the years. In June of 1970, he married Denise Colvin. They lived in Fargo and Jamestown.
They had two daughters: Summer and Siri.
Mel moved to
Racine, WI in 1984 and married Linda Haugen on June 3, 1989. They resided
in Wisconsin
for 10 years and Mel continued playing in bands. In 1994, Mel and Linda
moved to Phoenix, Arizona where they resided until 2003.
They moved back to Kensal, to be closer
to family as Mel's health declined.
Mel is survived by
his wife, Linda, Kensal; two children: Summer (Christian) Kjelland, Fargo, and
Siri Larson, Hendersonville, Tennessee; two grandchildren: Natalia Kjelland,
Fargo, and Mawgojzeta Williams, Hendersonville, Tennessee; one sister, Judy
(Larry) Berget, Bismarck; mother-in-law, Audrey Haugen, Kensal; nieces: Sheri
(Todd) Nystedt, Parker, Colorado; Shelly (Jeff) Weinberger, Farmington,
Minnesota, Sharla (Jeff) Mitchell, Pickerington, Ohio; two brothers-in-law:
Roger (Mandy) Haugen, Jamestown, and Terry Haugen, Fairmont, Minnesota.
Mel was preceded in
death by his parents, grandparents, a cousin, several aunts, uncles and his
father-in-law.

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