James Alan Brunken

James Alan Brunken, 67, passed away in Geneva, Nebraska. Visitation will be held on Sunday, February 7, 2021 from 1-6pm at Dighton Marler Funeral Home in Stillwater. Funeral service will be held on Monday, February 8, 2021 at 2:00pm at Dighton Marler Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Highland Cemetery in Pawnee, Oklahoma. Dighton Marler Funeral Home of Stillwater is in charge of arrangements.
James was born on June 3, 1953 in Enid, Oklahoma to Lester and Mildred (Vencl) Brunken. He started school at Hunter School and then the family moved to Glencoe in 1959 and James started 3rd grade. During his high school days, he started to work for Max Katz and did some custom farm work. His first tractor was a 930 Case with a four-bottom plow. He did a lot of work for Estie Stokes and Lester who were neighbors. He then started to rent some farms, he rented the Bullard place and the Kenneth Stokes place and enjoyed the farm work very much. He always enjoyed running cows. He then got the opportunity to rent the Ike Hesser place which was 240 acres across the road and rented that for many years.
James bought a truck and started working for Pawnee County Feed. He hauled grain to the port and hauled cattle for Merle Welker to South Dakota. It would be very interesting to clean out the floor trailer after hauling cattle to Load Oats, the temp would range from 0-20* Fahrenheit which makes things a little hard to get out of the trailer, if you know what I mean?!
James then started to haul liquid molasses to Houston and liquid fertilizer to South Dakota to Welker Farms. He upgraded trucks throughout his career to his last truck, a 1999 Peterbilt with a 600 horsepower CAT. You could just push down the pedal and go, a lot different than a 6v92 Detroit which was a big motor back then.
He loved his job with Pawnee County Feed. Last summer he was hauling distillers grain out of Kansas to Skedee. He would always meet at the Pawnee donut shop in the mornings with Vince and Dee Turner and everyone would say the Elevator Boys are here. He had special friends there Kenny Kingsbury, Bo Kisser, Bunk Walter, Glenn Weaver and Susie who owns the donut shop.
James very much enjoyed his life. He asked the Lord to come into his life at First Baptist Church in Glencoe with Pastor Virgil Calvert many years ago. He built a strong faith in Jesus Christ, waking up at 5:30 every morning for his daily devotion and studying the word. He always enjoyed Pastor Kurt’s messages and especially the study of Revelations. Pastor Kurt showed so much wisdom and common sense in these passages which make it easier to understand. We have that peace, all though we all miss him, but we know where he is at. He made that decision, the most important decision in one’s life to accept Christ as your personal Savior.
James is preceded in death by his parents and wife Cindy.
James is survived by his brother Vincent Brunken and his wife Karan as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family members and a host of friends.
Memorial contributions can be made in his name to truckersfinalmile.org c/o Dighton Marler Funeral Home 5106 N. Washington St., Stillwater, Oklahoma 74075.
Condolences may be sent to the family via an online guestbook at www.dightonmarerl.com.