Charles "Chuck" Brunke - Roper and Sons

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Charles “Chuck” Fredrick Brunke, 77, of Martell, NE passed away September 14, 2023. He was born February 9, 1946, in Campbell, NE to Frederick and Ruby (Lindgren) Brunke. He was baptized and confirmed through Westminster United Presbyterian Church and was a devoted Christian throughout his life.

Chuck graduated from Campbell High School in 1964 and went on to study electronics at Milford Trade School in Milford, NE. After he received his degree, he went to work as a Customer Service Technician at IBM in Lincoln until his retirement.

On July 6, 1966, he married his high school sweetheart, Sharon Parks. They wed at Campbell Trinity Lutheran Church. Chuck served in the U.S. Army as an RTO from 1968-70 in the Vietnam War. He was a patriotic and honorable man who took great pride in his country.

Chuck enjoyed bowling, golf, Husker football, fishing, and spending time with family and friends. Although he couldn’t participate in many activities later in life, he always had a positive attitude, an ornery grin, and never complained. He was happy sitting in “his chair” and spending time with his family; especially his three grandchildren. His wise advice and sense of humor will be greatly missed by many.

Family members include his wife of 57 years, Sharon; daughter Tabitha Parks of Lincoln and her daughter Jade Poggensee; daughter Tonya (Kyle) Bernadt, and their children Kellen and Lilia of Roca; and many other family members and friends that he held dear to his heart.

Memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 14th at Southwood Lutheran Church on 4301 Wilderness Hills Blvd, Lincoln, NE 68516. Celebration of Life Gathering will begin at Noon prior to the memorial service. Interment will be held at a later date at the Presbyterian Cemetery in Campbell, NE.

Memorials may be sent to Southwood Lutheran Church online or to 4301 Wilderness Hills Blvd Lincoln, NE 68516 or to the Mourning Hope Greif Center online or to 1311 South Folsom Street Lincoln, NE 68522 in lieu of flowers. When making an online donation, please enter Chuck’s name.

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October14

Celebration of Life

12:00 pm-1:00 pm CST

Southwood Lutheran Church

4301 Wilderness Hills Blvd, Lincoln, NE 68516

October14

Memorial Service

1:00 pm CST

Southwood Lutheran Church

4301 Wilderness Hills Blvd, Lincoln, NE 68516

Share a memory Print obituary

Share a Memory or Condolence

October 16, 2023

Many memories of Chuck, to many to put into words. But I will say that he will be missed and always remembered.

– Twicks

October 13, 2023

Uncle Chuck was always happy, loving & mild mannered. His sense of humor made family get togethers so much fun. Being named after him, Uncle Chuck was always my hero. His service to his country helped motivate me to follow in his footsteps. We will miss him but his memory will always be with us to seek to love others and love God.

– Charles ‘Kurt’ Smith

October 4, 2023

While Chuck was my uncle, he was more like an older brother when my family spent summers back in Campbell during the years when my father and mother, Doug and Janice Choquette, would return home to farm with our relatives during summer recess from Dad’s work in the school in California. It’s a time etched in my mind, heart and soul to this day, and being on the Brunke farm was a huge part of that. Chuck’s antics with my brother and I while he was high school age provided us with lots of good entertainment and devilment, as he had his father’s sense of humor and fun. Squirting my brother and I through the cracks in the barn walls when we spied on him as he milked the cow, setting us on the backs of the sheep as they fed in the trough in the barn so he could watch us get bucked off, leading us around the property with firecrackers blowing up stuff, and going to someplace that seemed like a huge distance away on Saturday nights for root beer in a glass jug so we could have root beer floats. These and so many more memories mix with knowing him as he and I both got older, which unfortunately meant we didn’t see each other often for years at a time. But every time we talked or saw each other I was reminded of the same loving joker of a man that he was, and what salt of the earth that he was. He was totally dedicated to his family and loved his girls and grandchildren with a zeal not seen often in as big a man as he was. The last conversation we had on the phone a few months before he passed, when he surely was feeling poorly, he said clearly and emphatically that if any of our family ever made it through his neck of the woods to be sure to come stay with him. We talked Husker football occasionally and his dedication to the team is reflected in me as well. Go Big Red! Hearing of his passing from my older brother was like a shot to my heart and I’ve shed more than a few tears in his memory. Like so many of the Brunkes he was unforgettable and a true Nebraskan. I love you Uncle Chuck! Rest in peace!

– Joel Choquette

October 2, 2023

Sincere condolences to you and your family, Sharon.

– Kathy Erickson

September 29, 2023

How blessed I am to have had Chuck in my life. Gentle. Wise. Caring. Loving. Conversationalist. Good ole country boy. Great father and grandfather. Fun to talk Cornhusker football with. I will dearly miss him. I shall hold dear our memories and interactions. The last wonderful evening I shared with him in June at Kyle and Tonya’s house will forever be embedded within my heart. His infectious smile and laugh were on full display. Nothing like sitting on the deck, sharing a meal, conversing about football, nature, life, family, and this great country, and washing it all down with a few cold ones. Love you, Chuck. Sincerely – Conehead