J. L. Brunken dies; services on Sunday
John Louis Brunken, 84, a retired bookkeeper and former Platte county assessor, died at 9:50 p.m. Wednesday in St. Mary’s hospital after a lingering illness. A resident of Platte county since 1878, he had spent most of his life in Columbus.
Funeral services will be at 2′:30 p.m. Sunday at Immanuel Lutheran church with the Rev. A. H. Guettler, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in the Columbus cemetery.
The body will lie in state at the Gass Funeral home from 11 a.m. Saturday until the hour of the service. Mr. Brunken, the son of John and Hannah Plath Brunken, was born Sept. 30, 1873 at Passaic, N. J. At the age of five he came with his parents to Platte county, and they settled 12 miles north of Columbus, where he attended rural school. Later he attended Columbus High school for one year and was graduated from Fremont Normal College in 1898.
After being associated in various businesses in Columbus, he entered the employ of the First National Bank where he became an assistant cashier. He remained with the First National Bank until 1928, and following its merger with the Central National Bank, he was employed in the bookkeeping department until he retired in 1943.
Mr. Brunken served as Platte county assessor in 1949-50. He was a member of the City council, representing Fourth Ward, from 1908 to 1918. A lover of music, Mr. Brunken was an early member of the Columbus city band.
On March 28, 1900, he married Lina Schneider of Duncan and they had one daughter, Laura, now Mrs. Leonard S. Miller of Columbus. Mrs. Brunken died on March 2, 1928.
His second marriage was to Clara Loseke of Columbus on August 14, 1930, and she survives him.
In addition to his wife and daughter, he is survived by two grandsons, Thomas L. and David P. Miller of Lincoln;  three sisters, Mrs, John Witt, Mrs. Anna Roach and Mrs. Herman Karlin, all of Columbus; four brothers, Gus of Lincoln; Edward of Knoxville, Ia., Charles and Emil of Columbus.
Mr. Brunken was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers,  William, Henry and Otto, and an infant sister.
Died October 16, 1957

• RELATION TO COUSINS: Great-uncle • Son of Johann Diedrich “John” Brunken and Johanna Wilhelmina Plath
• BIRTH: 30 Sep 1873 • Passaic, Passaic County, New Jersey, USA
• DEATH: 16 Oct 1957 • Columbus, Platte County, Nebraska, USA
• BURIAL: Columbus Cemetery • Columbus, Platte County, Nebraska, USA
• FIND A GRAVE MEMORIAL ID: 19609153