Loren “Buzz” Brunsman

Loren used to take his children to Solvang in California, an experience driving through the vineyards and wine country surrounding them. They would indulge in an incredible meringue egg, a sweet treat that left a lasting impression, especially after a tense journey gripping the mountainside with my parents arguing.

Through the lens of time, Loren emerges as a man who perceived life as a tapestry of responsibilities—family, work, and faith intricately woven. A complex figure, he wielded words with a brusqueness that occasionally stung, yet his heart was quick to soften, offering apologies and hugs that spoke volumes. For a man with no sisters he did pretty well with the five women in his life.

Occasional car rides with Daddy could result in pulling over to offer a ride to someone who looked in need. It was the early ‘60s so most people accepted. Of course, it didn’t hurt that the backseat was populated by several mortified adolescents. To this day, I have more times than not circled back to “someone in need” that I had initially resisted stopping for, thinking, “ Okay, Daddy”

His grandchild recalls gazing from our farmhouse and spotting Grandpa Buzz sitting in his car, engrossed in a newspaper, patiently awaiting my parents' return before stepping inside. It brought a sense of comfort to see him there in our driveway. She genuinely miss those moments.

As we celebrate the man who shaped our past, let us remember him not only for the complexities that defined him but also for the enduring lessons woven into the fabric of our shared stories. Loren, as known as Buzz, a patriarch of responsibilities and unexpected kindness, lives on in the threads of our shared narrative, a great man whose legacy endures in the tales we tell and the lives we lead.