Marie Pearl Kathryn Bruley

Marie Pearl Kathryn Bruley, age 95, Willow Lake, the widow of Harold Newt Bruley, died in the Parkview Care Center at Bryant on Wednesday afternoon, April 28, 2010. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 2PM in the Congregational United Church of Christ in Willow Lake with the Reverends Rosanne Anderson and Marjie Brewton officiating. Music will be presented by Barbara Warkenthien as organist with Jim Denman and Paul Ehrke as soloists. Casketbearers will be Darin Michalski, Newt & Reis Bruley, Jim Felberg, Wayne Tellinghuisen and Jason Jake Nelson. Visitation will be held on Friday 5-7PM at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark and after noon at the Church in Willow Lake on Saturday. She was born on November 20, 1914 on a farm near Carpenter, the daughter of George and Clara (Fechtelkotter) Nelson. She attended country school in Richland Township and then lived with her grandparents, John & Mary Fechtelkotter in Clark and attended Clark High School graduating in 1932. After her high school education she attended Northern Normal in Aberdeen and obtained her teaching certificate. Once Marie obtained her teaching certificate she began teaching country school in Beadle County and then taught for 2 years in Clark County, Richland Township. On February 8, 1940 she was united in marriage to Harold Newt Bruley at the home of her parents in Richland Township. Following their marriage the couple lived and farmed in Hague Township their entire married life. Newt died on July 23, 2003. Marie continued living on the farm until January of 2010. Her transition from living on the farm to the Parkview Care Center went very well, especially with the loving care that she received from the staff and all the friendships she made with fellow residents. Marie was a longtime member of the Congregational United Church of Christ in Willow Lake where she was active in the Womens Fellowship and also had taught Sunday School. In her younger years, Marie enjoyed many hours playing kitten ball, being named the MVP of a State Tourney. She played on the Carpenter and Willow Lake teams for many years. Some of her other fond moments was spent gardening and canning, sewing and second to none was taking care of her family. Over the years she and Newt had various hired men that helped on the farm and she saw that they all were fed and cared for. In later years she thoroughly enjoyed going to the Carpenter Caf for the senior meals, especially on chicken strip and salad bar day. She was also a member of the Willow Lake Lioness Club. Preceding her in death were her parents, husband Harold Newt Bruley, a son Rodney in 1962, another son in infancy, brothers, Norman G. Nelson, Kenneth (Blanche) Nelson and Carrol Fritz Nelson, and a sister, Dorothy (Glen) Heaton. Grateful for having shared in her life are her children, Rhonda (Rod) Michalski of Willow Lake, Rita (Chuck) Kettering of Watertown and Rick (Lisa) Bruley of Willow Lake, 4 grandchildren, Darin (Jessica) Michalski, Tia (Jim) Felberg and Newt and Reis Bruley and 8 great-grandchildren, Cutler, Kasey, Shay, Adrianna, Kaplan, Sullivan, Archer and Trigg. She also leaves a sister-in-law, Welma Nelson of Willow Lake. Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com