Brunk, Truman H. (1931-2010)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2010 Oct 18 p. 24

Birth date: 1931

text of obituary:

Former EMU campus pastor dies

By Eastern Mennonite University staff

HARRISONBURG, Va. — Truman H. Brunk, a former campus pastor at Eastern Mennonite University, died oct. 8 at Rockingham Memorial Hospital. He was 79.

Brunk joined the EMU faculty in 1965 and served as campus pastor 12 years. he was chair of the renovation committee for major renovations to Lehman Auditorium in the mid-1970s.

Brunk will be remembered by many for his leadership in the "miracle library drive" of early December 1969, working with EMU students who raised $111,000 in four days of fundraising to rescue the threatened building project. The Sadie Hartzler library was completed and dedicated in the fall of 1971.

"Truman Brunk was a very special brother among us, highly regarded by faculty and students for his gracious understanding and caring spirit," said Myron S. Augsburger, who became EMU president in 1965.

A 1964 EMU graduate, Brunk went on to earn a master of divinity degree from Eastern Mennonite Seminary in 1969.

After his service at EMU, Brunk served as pastor at Akron (Pa.) Mennonite Church; Blooming Glen (Pa.) Mennonite Church; Warwick River Mennonite Church, Newport News; as associate pastor at Harrisonburg Mennonite Church; and as interim pastor at Neffsville Mennonite Church, Lancaster, Pa.; and Landisville (Pa.) Mennonite Church.

He was the author of two books of stories growing out of 40 years of pastoring and mentoring — That Amazing Junk-Man (2007) and The Singing Junk-Man (2010), published by Cascadia Publishing House.

Brunk is survived by his wife of 58 years, Elizabeth (Betty) Shenk Brunk; a daughter, Kathleen Brunk Isaacs of Morrisville, N.C.; a son, Donald Wayne Brunk of Souderton, Pa.; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Evelyn Hertzler of Newport News and Sandra Steiner of Harrisonburg.