David C. Bruns

March 23, 1954 - January 25, 2021

On Monday, January 25th, 2021, long time Cedar Falls resident, David C. Bruns, loving husband, father of two sons and grandfather of 8 children, entered into eternal life at the age of 66. Dave was born on March 23rd , 1954 in Belmond, Iowa to Curtis and Bonnie (Larsen) Bruns. On May 5th, 1972 he married Barbara JoAnn Schmidt. They raised two sons, Nicholas and Daniel. He attended Hawkeye Technical College until 1973, studying mechanical design and machining. He was hired as a wage employee at John Deere in 1974 and retired as a machinist in 2012. Over the past year he worked part time at Ace Hardware in Cedar Falls. He was an active member of Jordan Crossing church, helping prepare and serve community meals on Friday nights, which helped support his gift of gab. Not only did Dave love spending time with his family, he had a passion for the outdoors and was an avid fisherman and hunter. He also enjoyed playing pool, card games, swimming, giving people a hard time, travelling, giving any dog around him treats, and trying to sing his favorite classic rock songs. When he wasn’t busy working around his yard, helping neighbors (or anyone who needed a helping hand), he was attending his grandchildren’s events (swim meets, trapshooting meets, volleyball, softball, baseball, basketball, or concerts) with a big smile. If you drove with Dave, you better have held on tight. He would spend more time looking at deer and pheasants in the field or sharing stories of how he caught this big fish while giving you hand motions with his right (sometimes both) hand(s). He didn’t pay much attention to the road, but he got to where he was going. It was rare to go anywhere with him and not run into someone he knew which turned into catch-up conversations. Not only did he give a lot, he never took anything from you besides some work. He lived by his values and always tried to do the right thing and be the best embodiment of a husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, neighbor, or friend. His caring heart, loud laugh, one-word texts, building numerous birdhouses, ability to fix about anything with a couple well placed screws, and his zest for life will be greatly missed. Dave was preceded in death by his father, Curtis, his mother, Bonnie, and three brothers, Leland, Dennis, and Douglas. “Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last". He is survived by his wife Barbara, his brother Scott, his sister Becky, several extended family members, his two sons Nick (Stacy), Dan (Hailey), and 8 grandchildren; Kaleigh, Brody, Anna, Benjamin, Emily, Ellie, Claire and Robert. A celebration of Dave’s life will be held later this year. Condolences may be sent to [email protected] or [email protected] If desired, friends can direct contributions to the family in support of a memorial fund, which will be established at a later date.