Till We Meet Again

I will never forget the first time I met Bruce. I had flown out to Montana to visit Zach. Weeks before that I had broken my foot and so I was stuck with crutches and a cast on my left leg. To keep from tripping everyone I took to bouncing around on one leg to get from place to place. Bruce thought I was hilarious and started making fun of me by bouncing on one leg himself. I knew we were kindred spirits from that moment on. I also love how Bruce would burst into song at a moments notice. He would always have a sweet tune to sing. I loved getting to know Bruce and introducing him to Anna and I can not wait to visit with him again.  

Obituary for Zach's Grandfather and Anna's great grandfather Bruce.

Our beloved husband and father, Bruce Willes Papenfuss, Sr., entered into His rest in South Jordan, Utah on Monday, November 4, 2013. Bruce was born on April 3, 1929, in Ely, Nevada to Curt Papenfuss and Catherine Willes Papenfuss. Bruce grew up in the beautiful mountains of Montana and always loved his Montana home. Bruce was a gentle person who loved the people around him and found his greatest enjoyment being around family and helping them in their lives. Bruce had a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and was very active in his church, serving in many callings including as Scoutmaster and Bishop and in his community where he was involved in the school board and as a city council member for many years.
Bruce loved his country and served as a Lieutenant in the Air Force for four years during the Korean War. Bruce graduated from Montana State University in Civil Engineering in 1951, and later obtained his Master's Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Washington. Bruce was working as an engineer for Boeing in Seattle, Washington when he met the love of his life, Barbara Frankman who also worked at Boeing. They were married in the LDS Logan Temple in Logan, Utah in March, 1957. Early in their marriage they relocated to St. Ignatius, Montana where Bruce was a partner with his father, Curt, in their building supplies operation. Bruce and Curt operated this business together until it was destroyed by fire in 1979. Bruce and his family rebuilt the business and he continued to operate it until he sold it in 1994. Then he and Barbara served as missionaries for the LDS Church for several years in Scotland, China and doing family history work in Utah.
Bruce is survived by his beloved wife Barbara and five children; Will (Trisha), Tim (Darcy), Barry (Laurie), Erica (Brett), and Scott (Junko) and 20 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, November 8th, 2013 at 11:00 am in the South Jordan, Utah River Ridge Stake Center (10168 S. 1000 West). The family will receive friends that day at the stake center from 9:30 am until 10:30 am. Burial will be in the Veteran's Cemetery in Bluffdale, Utah with military rites. Services are under the direction of the Jenkins Soffe Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the LDS Church's General Missionary Fund.