Ruth Margaret Brawner

Our loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister and aunt, Ruth Margaret (Hoffman) Brawner, 84, of Bozeman, passed away on August 18, 2016 from natural causes. Born December 18, 1931 in Great Falls, MT to Edward and Elizabeth Hoffman, she attended grade school and high school in Great Falls. At age 11 she met her future husband, Craig, in confirmation class. On August 20, 1948 they married and raised their family of 4 children in Great Falls from 1949 – 1965; then in Havre Montana (1965 – 1975). Craig & Ruth moved to Yakima, WA (1975 – 1991), and retired to Bozeman, MT in 1992.

Always the quintessential homemaker, mother, and grandmother, Ruth also loved knitting, reading, crossword puzzles, and playing bridge & pinochle in her free time. Even from early years, she filled-in as needed at her husband’s bakeries in Great Falls, Havre, and Yakima; worked at Helmbrecht’s Photo Studio in Havre, and later served as a foster grandparent volunteer at Centennial Park Childhood Learning Center in Bozeman.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Craig Brawner, her parents, two brothers and two sisters.

Survivors include her children Diane Brawner of Bozeman, Craig E. Brawner (Linda) of Bozeman, Laurie Catt (Jim) of Medford, OR and Nancy O’Neil (George) of Redmond, WA; 9 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, 1 brother and two sisters.

A family memorial service will be held with Pastor Joel Seifert of Shining Mountains Lutheran Church on August 28, 2016.