Edith Joyce Brulla, 95, of Howards Grove, Wisconsin, was reunited with Daniel “Pops” Brulla, the love of her life, on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. She passed away peacefully at home of natural causes.
Edith was born December 29, 1926 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Edith attended grade school at Holy Name Catholic School in Sheboygan and North High School in Sheboygan. Edith was a registered nurse graduate of St. Agnes in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. Upon graduation, Edith worked as a nurse of Dr. Kovacic’s office. This is where she met her future sister-in-law, Rogene (Brulla) Grabner who introduced her to her brother, Danny. Danny and Edith married September 2, 1950 and were married for 70 years.
The day before their wedding, Danny received his draft notice for the Army. They honeymooned at Wisconsin Dells and left for Camp Carson in Colorado Springs, where they lived for 2 years. They returned to Sheboygan to be close to family and started their own family. The summer of ’73, they moved to a farm near Howards Grove where she lived happily raising her family.
She was creative and artistic. Her talents included sewing, knitting, crocheting, gardening (72 tomato plants her first season on the farm), and canning pickles to last the year for a family of 15. In her later years, she and Danny enjoyed weaving, entering their artwork in art fairs and winning numerous awards. She was strong, progressive and advocated for all her children. She was brilliantly organized and planful, taking 12 of the children (and pregnant with another) across the US for a 2,400-mile road trip to Colorado. She thought nothing of orchestrating meals for 15 on a daily basis. Edith had a witty sense of humor. For example, she put out the American flag on the first day of school after a long summer with the kids at home, declaring it a National Holiday.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Daniel Brulla; father and mother, Albert and Helen (Mortl) Koellmel; an infant brother, Albert Koellmel Jr; and father- and mother-in-law, Joseph and Antoinette Brulla.
She is survived by her 13 children: Phillip, William (Daryle), Paul (Sandy), David (Dawn), Therese (Mike) Roberts, Mary, Christopher (Colleen), Ann, Peter (Tim), Beth (Chuck) Strempler, Susan (Bob), James (Kelly), and Carol (Ray). She was also survived by 16 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren: Helen, Russell, Ben, Dionne, Elli, Eli, Lauren, Mitch, Augusta, Sara, Skylann, Uma, Mani, Alisa, Tess, Jensen, Gabe, Marina and Benji. She is further survived by sisters-in-law, Rogene Grabner and Phyllis Pentek, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service is planned for Sunday, March 6, 2022 at Reinbold-Novak Funeral Home, 1535 S. 12th St., Sheboygan. A time for visitation will take place from 1:00 p.m. until the service time at 2:00 p.m. A celebration of life is planned for the summer of 2022. Her funeral service will be recorded and available on her obituary page for viewing at www.reinboldfh.com.
I am sorry to read of Edith’s passing. Her father was my husband’s paternal grandfather’s cousin. She sounds like an amazing woman. I wish I would have known her. My deepest condolences.
Carole Minster Wagner