Craig Castle Brawner

Craig Castle Brawner, 80, of Bozeman, passed away at his residence on April 25, 2012. He was born September 7, 1931 in Cambridge, MA to Craig C. and Ida (Duensing) Brawner. The Brawner family moved to Great Falls, Montana when Craig was a young boy. He attended grade school and high school in Great Falls. Craig served our country in the United States Navy for a short time. At the age of eleven Craig started working at the family Bakery and soon fell in love with Ruth Hoffman. The couple was married on August 20, 1948 in Great Falls. They made their home in Great Falls, and Craig continued to work at the family bakery until it closed in 1965 after which he worked as a master baker and baker manager for Buttery’s Bakery in Havre from 1965 to 1975 and later in Yakima, WA from 1975 to 1991 before retiring. He and Ruth moved to Bozeman in 1992. Baking was always a passion for Craig, he was a phenomenal cake decorator, and won many awards for quality baking. He also enjoyed wood working, and home remodeling, he was an artisan in everything he did. He was also a perfectionist with an amazing work ethic. But he wasn’t all seriousness as his many friends learned; he was a jokester with a hilarious sense of humor. He was preceded in death by his parents, his only brother George and his sister Ferol Lee Hauptman. Survivors include his wife Ruth of Bozeman; children Diane Brawner (Daniel Goodman) of Bozeman, MT, Craig E. Brawner (Linda Brawner) of Bozeman, MT, Laurie Catt (Jim Catt) of Havre, MT, and Nancy O’Neil (George O’Neil) of Redmond, WA; 9 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. A private family service will be held at Shining Mountain Lutheran Church.