Private Family Funeral Services for 97 year old Helen Bruck of Harlan will be Friday, January 22nd at 10:00 AM at St. Mary’s Our Lady of Fatima Church in Portsmouth. Burial will be at the St. Mary’s Cemetery in Portsmouth. The Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan is in charge of arrangements.
Helen Magdeline (Graf) Bruck, daughter of Anton and Helen (Book) Graf was born September 3, 1923 in Harlan, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Michael’s in Harlan. She attended grade school at Park School in Harlan and attended Mount Loretta Girls School in Council Bluffs grades 9 through 11 and Harlan High School her senior year. She graduated from Harlan High School in 1941.
Helen was united in marriage to Marcus Bruck on August 26, 1944 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Norflok, Virginia. Six children were born to this union, Bill, Jan, Mary, Bruce, Craig, and Kevin.
Helen was an avid homemaker and she loved doing just that. She was a simple woman who had a heart of gold. She simply loved life. Her best moments were when she could have her entire family all under her roof together, no matter how small her home was. There was always room for one more at her table, no questions asked.
She dearly loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren with all her heart. Especially her little ones. They brought her so much joy and loads of smiles. She had lots of wit. She thoroughly enjoyed her dice and winning the pot at Christmas.
Helen had a strong faith and always kept her rosary close by. She prayed to it a lot and it helped her through anything. Whenever there was a problem of any kind she would say “Well we will just have to pray.” Helen was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Portsmouth.
Helen died on Sunday, January 10, 2021 at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska attaining the age of ninety-seven years, four months and seven days. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband Mark of 64 years. Her siblings Ralph (Jeanette) Graf, Mary Estelle Graf, Agnes (Tony) Miller, Alice (Harry) McGee, Francis (Ray) Tremel, Mary (Delbert) Graeve, Irene (Joe) Tremel, and Cathy Heese. Her granddaughter Michelle “Mitz” Zaiser.
Helen is survived by her children Bill (Darlene) Bruck of Portsmouth, Jan Lasher of Harlan, Mary (Darwin) Gessert of Harlan, Bruce (Karen) Bruck of Portsmouth, Craig (Justine) Bruck of Persia, and Kevin (Jodi) Bruck of Dunlap, and a very special lady Theresa (Bob) Schroer of Caroll, 14 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren, sister-in-law Clara Carroll of Harlan and brother-in-law Vince Heese of Earling, Iowa. Many nieces and nephews and other family members and many friends
