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George 'Shorty' Bruns

[February 01, 2010]  LINCOLN -- George Lee "Shorty" Bruns, 78, of Lincoln, died Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010, at 11:22 a.m. at BroMenn Hospital in Normal.

His funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church in Lincoln, with the Rev. Mark Kaley officiating.

Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Wednesday at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home in Lincoln and at the church one hour prior to the service on Thursday.

Burial will be in Hartsburg Union Cemetery, Hartsburg.

Mr. Bruns retired from Caterpillar Tractor Co. in East Peoria and from farming in Logan and Tazewell counties.

He was born Oct. 12, 1931, at Hartsburg to George Earl and Zella Shirley Bruns. He married Mary Ellen Reiners on March 19, 1949, in Marshall.

He is survived by his wife, of Lincoln; one son, Mike (and Jill) Bruns of Emden; one daughter, Sue (and Louie) Fitzpatrick of Atlanta; six grandchildren, Angie Bruns, Sherre (and Jerry) Stark, Chad Fitzpatrick, Jessica (and Brandon) Booth, Rachel Amberg and Lynette Amberg; and eight great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by one son, Richard Leslie, who died in 1951; one daughter, Barbara Ellen Amberg, who died in 2007; and one brother, Robert Bruns. He was the last of his immediate family.

He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Lincoln.

George was a die-hard Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears fan. He was an avid player of checkers and cards and loved to garden.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald House or the donor's choice.

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