Vernon E. Brummer

February 27, 1926 - September 12, 2018

Vernon E. Brummer, 92, passed away on September 12, 2018, at Pratt, Kansas. Vernon was born February 27, 1926, to Joe and Edna (Miller) Brummer, at Duquoin, Kansas. He attended Keystone Grade School and then Zenda High School. He took a farm deferment during WWII and served with the Army in Korea from 1950-1952. He married Wauneta Sowers on March 24, 1956, at Murdock, Kansas. They had two sons, Joe E. Brummer and Jon E. Brummer. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Wauneta; son Joe of Fort Collins, Colorado, his wife Lori, and their 2 sons, James and Tyler; son Jon of Casper, Wyoming, his wife Lynette, and their children, Seth, Emma, Reid, and Eliza; sister Virginia McGuire of Pratt, Kansas; and several nieces, nephews, other family, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Edna, and granddaughter, Audrey Marie Brummer. Vernon lived on a farm in Harper County, Kansas all his life. He raised wheat and cattle and loved his baby calves. When asked what his favorite part of farming was, he replied “I loved it all.” He proudly served on the board of the Zenda Coop and was active in the Zenda Lions Club for many years. He loved to travel, enjoying trips to New Orleans and Hawaii with the Coop board. Later, Vernon explored a good chunk of the mountain west while visiting Joe and Jon and their families. He explored parts of Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, and Montana. He said that one of the most memorable things he had seen in his travels was the headwaters of the Missouri River in Montana. Nebraska was also a favorite place to visit. While Joe’s family lived there, he came to love sandhill cranes. After Joe’s family moved, he continued to make trips to Kearney to witness the crane migration along the Platte River in the spring. Vernon also loved traveling around Kansas, attending various bluegrass concerts, and viewing the wildlife at Salt Plains and Quivira National Wildlife Refuges. Seeing whooping cranes at Quivira was another unforgettable experience for him. He spent most of his mornings after retirement at the Coop Elevator in Zenda visiting with friends and drinking coffee. Someone referred to him as the troublemaker of the bunch. Visitation will be Friday, September 14, from 9 am - 8 pm at Larrison Mortuary, Pratt. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 15, at Larrison Mortuary, Pratt, Kansas, at 10:30. Graveside Services with Military Honors will follow at the Attica Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Interim Hospice or Zenda United Methodist Church in care of Larrison Mortuary, 300 Country Club Road, Pratt, KS 67124. Condolences may be left at www.larrisonmortuary.com