Ralph Stanley 'Stan' Bruner, 90
Ralph Stanley ‘Stan’ Bruner, 90
Ralph Stanley "Stan" Bruner, 90, passed away Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls.
Stan was born Oct. 11, 1921, in Rockford, Ill., to Ralph E. and Elsie (Roth) Bruner. In 1923, the family moved to Pomona, Calif., where he grew up and graduated from Pomona High School. He attended one year at Pomona Junior College before starting work for the Pomona Water Department.
Stan entered the military in 1942 and served in Europe until the end of the war. After being discharged from the Army, he returned to the Pomona Water Department.
On Dec. 27, 1947, he married Shirley M. Bell in Ontario, Calif. They had two children before moving to Flathead Valley in 1951.
Stan worked for L.T. Phillips Masonry Construction and was owner of Brick & Builders Supply until 1962, when he purchased the building material side of the business from Phillips. He operated Brick and Builders Supply until 1972. He worked for Buffalo Hill Golf Course through 1979. In 1980, he sold the business property to Anderson Masonry.
Stan loved hunting and fishing, gardening and raising animals. He was an avid reader and loved music. He played drums in high school, during which time he marched in the Rose Bowl Parade for several years. He continued to play the drums in his younger years, playing with several dance bands in the valley.
He had a wonderful sense of humor and will be missed by all who loved him.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Carl.
Stan is survived by his wife, Shirley, of 64 years; daughter, Nancy Hanchett, and husband, Scott, of Kalispell; son, Stanley Bruner, of Melbourne, Fla.; grandchildren, Christopher Hanchett and fiancee Lindsey Heldstab, and Jonathan Hanchett of Kalispell, Katie Benson and husband Scott, and Nathan Bruner of Sacramento, Calif., and Julie and David Bruner of Melbourne; and great-grandchildren, Mackenzie and Sydney Benson of Sacramento, and Ayden Heldstab of Kalispell.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home.
Friends are encouraged to visit the website www.buffalohillfh.com to leave notes of condolence for the family. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the family.