Obituaries

Bruce Brinkman, age 58, of Carroll, Iowa, died early Sunday, November 1, 2009, at his residence following a 4 ½ year battle with cancer. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 A.M., Wednesday, November 4, 2009, at St. Lawrence Church in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Father Timothy Schott, assisted by Deacon Gary Schon. Homilist will be Deacon Gary Schon. Lector will be Donna Goeman. Gift Bearers will be his sister, Renee Kramer, and brother, Perry Brinkman. Soloist will be Joan Sweeney. Eucharistic Ministers will be Jerri Rogers and Larry Kahnke. Honorary Pallbearer will be Brad Coulter. Casket Bearers will be Al Ausborn, Ralph Bock, Ed Dewey, Bruce Jones, Kraig Klopfenstein, and Tom Quandt. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll. Friends may call at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll after 3:30 P.M. Tuesday. A rosary will be prayed at 4 P.M. Tuesday by the Carroll Knights of Columbus. There will be a Christian wake service at 7 P.M. Tuesday by St. Lawrence Parish. Mr. Brinkman was born on October 1, 1951, at Mason City, Iowa, the son of Ronald and Alice (Meyer) Brinkman. He graduated from Klemme High School and then received a two year degree at Iowa Central Community College in Eagle Grove where he played basketball. He then graduated from Wayne State University in Wayne, Nebraska, where he played football and participated in Golden Gloves. He then taught and coached at Bancroft, Nebraska, where he met his wife, Jeanette Kahnke. They were married on June 14, 1975, at Blessed Sacrament Church in Florence, South Dakota. The couple moved to Iowa in 1978 where he taught and coached at Sheffield-Chapin High School for four years. He then became an insurance salesman and manager for Farm Bureau Insurance Company in Garner, Iowa. The family moved to Carroll in 1990 where Bruce worked for Farm Bureau Insurance and later for Auto Owners Insurance. He also coached football at Glidden-Ralston High School and taught and coached at Carroll High School. He was a member of St. Lawrence Parish, Knights of Columbus, Pheasants Forever, Whitetails Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, Carroll Booster Club, and several professional insurance organizations. Bruce was an avid fisherman and hunter. He made yearly fishing trips to Canada, and hunted in South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, South Carolina, and Iowa. Survivors include his wife, Jeanette Brinkman of Carroll; his sons, Brian Brinkman and his wife Karman of Fairmont, Minn., Nick Brinkman and his wife Amanda of St. Paul Park, Minn., and Baron Brinkman of Carroll; three granddaughters, Kally, Karly, and Madison Brinkman; his mother, Alice Brinkman of Klemme; sister, Renee Kramer and her husband Ron of Iowa City; brother, Perry Brinkman and his fiancé Carol Main of Klemme; his mother-in-law, Delores Kahnke of Florence, South Dakota; brothers and sisters-in-law, Larry and Rose Kahnke of Florence, South Dakota, Jerri and Alan Rogers of Brookings, South Dakota, Donna and David Goeman of Glen Burnie, Maryland, Georgia Kahnke of Florence, South Dakota, and Cindy Heald of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Ronald Brinkman; his father-in-law, Lawrence Kahnke; and brothers-in-law, James and Charles Kahnke.