Funeral services for 92-year-old Verna Armbruster of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, September 1, 2014, in New Hope Lutheran Church in Comfrey, Minnesota. The church is located at 204 Court Street South.
Interment will be in Sanborn City Cemetery, located at 33067 200th Street in Sanborn, Minnesota.
Pastor Brian Nehring will serve as officiant.
Visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the church the day of the service. Sturm Funeral Home-Springfield, Minnesota, is handling the arrangements.
Verna Armbruster passed away on Thursday, August 28, 2014, at Divine Providence Nursing Home in Sleepy Eye.
She was born in Sanborn on June 21, 1922, the daughter and seventh of nine children of John and Hulda (Ringle) Leopold. Amanda graduated from Sanborn Public High School in 1939.
On June 76, 1942, she married Floyd Armbruster in New Ulm, Minnesota. Floyd entered the United States Army six weeks later, and they didn’t see each other for three and one-half years, until he was discharged in 1945. During World War II, Amanda worked as a riveter (once honored as Comfrey’s own “Rosie, the Riveter”) in an airplane factory in San Diego, California. She said the factory was so loud that you had to shout at the person next to you to be heard. Hearing protection was unknown at the time, and working in this environment may have contributed to her significant hearing loss in later years.
After Floyd was discharged from the Army, they moved to Fairmont, Minnesota, where they made many lifelong friends. In 1958, they moved to Comfrey. where Verna remained after Floyd passed away in 1981.
Their marriage was blessed with four children, Jim, Diane, Jan, and Randy. When their children were young, many yearly fishing trips were taken to the Alexandria, Minnesota area for summer vacations.
Verna was a lifelong homemaker. She was an excellent cook, baker and house cleaner. She and Floyd always enjoyed playing cards with their many friends. When unexpected company or a family member stopped by to visit her, she could always come up with a savory snack and coffee, or a whole meal within the hour. She enjoyed visiting with family and her many friends, and missed that greatly when her hearing loss made those conversations difficult to understand what was being said.
After Floyd passed away, she contented herself with working at the church, where she and others made hundreds of quilts for distribution to Third World countries. One quilt, especially designated for Green Lake Bible Camp and stored temporarily in Salem Lutheran Church in Comfrey, somehow miraculously survived the tornado of 1998, while the rest of the church was destroyed. Her Lutheran upbringing was an important part of her life, and she was a member of New Hope Lutheran Church, where she attended regularly. She sang alto in the church choir and enjoyed many types of music.
Amanda was a caring and devoted mother, and a wonderful grandmother to her many grandchildren. She faithfully attended many of her children’s and grandchildren’s school and sporting events, and also enjoyed watching Minnesota Twins games. In later years, even though her verbal skills had deteriorated, her eyesight was poor and she was nearly deaf, she still enjoyed playing catch with a Nerf ball and was quite good at it. She also logged many miles in her Geri chair walking the hallways at St John Lutheran Home in Springfield. Since February, 2008, she had lived in the memory care unit of St John Lutheran Home and transferred to Divine Providence Nursing Home in Sleepy Eye in May 2014.
She is survived by her children, Jim (Nancy) of Mankato, Minnesota, Diane (Steve) Wisniewski Grzybowski of St. Cloud, Minnesota and Randy (Roxanne) of Sleepy Eye; grandchildren Kelly (Dan) Schepers, Lani (Lee) Vogel, Nathan Wisniewski, Grant (Megan) Wisniewski, Kertrina (Tyler) Richter, Kasandra and Tyler Wisniewski Gryzbowski, Dr. Adam (Dr. Karlyn) Armbruster, Chad (Samantha) Armbruster, Krista (Michael) Moeller, Angela Armbruster; great grandchildren Tyler, Tommy, Norah, Alexis, Sierra, Scarlett, Harper, Alex, Tessa and many nieces and nephews.
Amanda was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Floyd; daughter, Jan; stillborn daughter, Patricia; son-in-law, Michael Wisniewski; brothers, Edwin, Marvin, Leon, Ewald, Gerhardt, John, Glen and Bruce Leobald and sister, Charlotte Springer.
Memorials may be directed to New Hope Lutheran Church.