Final Salute

VALENTINE — Bruno Arnold Schlueter Sr., 97, of Valentine joined his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Oct. 4, 2020.

Bruno was born Aug. 25, 1923, on the ranch home near Mission, S.D., the first child of John Henry and Marie Madglene (Dittmer) Schlueter. He went to school one year in Mission, then moved to Elgin, Minn., where he attended parochial school. He graduated high school in Elgin in 1942.

Early in 1943, he came to Nebraska to work and then volunteered to serve his country in the United States Navy during World War II, volunteering as a Seabee (Construction Battalion). During his service, the Navy asked for firefighter volunteers. He helped build the firefighting school and became an instructor. In September 1944, he was shipped to San Pedro to fire school until he was honorably discharged in 1946. That same year, he married Eugenia “Jean” Brown. Two children, Bruno (Nelia) “Skip” Schlueter Jr. and Donna (Mike) Dammann, were born.

Bruno began building homes in California right after his release from active duty. He and his family moved to Valentine in 1948, and have been a primary building icon in north-central Nebraska since. The church in which the funeral is held was built by Bruno. Anyone he has ever built for will attest to Hebrews 3:3 “The builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.”

Bruno married Joyce Scranton O’Neill Jan. 26, 1974. Surviving this union are Joyce’s three daughters, Patty O’Neill (Joe) Gibson, Annie O’Neill (Dean) Haynes and Bonnie O’Neill (Mike) Mehrens. Survivors also include five grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren; as well as many many stepgrandkids and great-grandkids who also knew Bruno as “Grandpa.”

Being the eldest of his entire family, he was preceded in death by his parents, John Henry (1892-1929) and Marie Madglene (1897-?) Schlueter; his sister, Gladys (Otto) Buechle; and his brothers, Keith (Susie) Schlueter and Wayne (Gertie) Horn. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Joyce; as well as Eugenia “Jean” Snell, the mother of his two surviving children.