Esther Brunner, age 92, of Prior Lake, MN, formerly of Wichita, KS, was called to her Heavenly Home to be with her Beautiful Savior on Saturday, July 29.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Holy Cross Lutheran Church (14085 Pike Lake Trail NE) in Prior Lake on Friday, August 4th at 10:30am. There will be one hour of visitation prior to the service from 9:30-10:30am at the church. Following the Celebration of Life, Esther will be laid to rest at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.
On August 13, 1930, in Wichita, KS, Esther Ellen Simpson was born to Ermon Forrest and Goldie Victoria (Johnson) Simpson.
She married Harold James Brunner on January 11, 1958 at Grace Lutheran Church in Wichita, KS. Harold and Esther raised two sons, Harold James Jr. “Jim” and Douglas Bryan.
Esther enjoyed many hobbies and activities over the years including quilting, sewing, cake baking and decorating, camping, traveling, and square dancing.
Esther’s first job was working the soda fountain at the Woolworths in Wichita. She also worked for Cudahy’s in Wichita, JC Penny in St. Louis, and she ended her career working for Apple Computer in San Jose, CA where she was employee 182 of the company. She was especially proud of working on the first computer mouse before the world even knew what it was.
Harold and Esther retired in Wichita and two years ago moved to Minnesota into an apartment connected to the back of Doug and Sheri’s house in Prior Lake.
Esther is survived by her husband of 65 years, Harold; son, Douglas (Sheri) Brunner; daughter in law, Tracy Brunner; siblings, Merlin Simpson, Steve (Cheryl) Simpson, Mary Summers; granddaughters, Jamie Miller and Tiffany Brunner; grandsons, Robert (Ashley), Rusty (Jen), and Michael (Marissa) Brunner; great grandchildren, Aubree, Thomas, Macee, Braylynn, Robert, Asher, Jericho, and Silas; two great-great grandchildren; Tracy’s children, Zachary, Riley and Travis Dawson; and many other loving relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Paul Simpson; sister, Kay Mueller; and son, Jim Brunner.
