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Donald Burdell Brurud
December 15, 1924 - February 4, 2025
Posted by: Sharon
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Davis Family Funeral Home & Crematory
On December 15, 1924 a blizzard commenced simply to further aggravate the arrival of Don Brurud into this world on the family homestead that was located 11 miles from the county seat of Canton, SD. Dons father, Oscar, 1st generation US Citizen of Norwegian homesteaders, had taken a team of draft horses to meet the doctor that would need a means to get his Model "T" through the mounting snow drifts. 100 years later on 4 February 2025, Don would leave this world with a century of contributions through faith, experiences, friendships, history, invention, leadership, parenting, and patriotism.
BARTLESVILLE, WASHINGTON CO, OK
(permission granted)
In 1929 (age 5), the depression hit and would set the stage of resilience and contributions from the "greatest generation" this world has ever seen. Don and those like him came from a different and wonderful mold.
By the age of 12, Don had broken out as a farm hand by managing cattle/hogs and driving/training 4-horse teams used in cultivating, planting and harvesting on the homestead. He was pulling a grown man's weight by the age of 12. The John Deere Model B tractor also came on the scene which blended legacy farming with the new technology of the future. Don had one foot in the past and other foot in the future.
Upon graduating from Canton High School in 1942, he was drafted into the US Navy for World War II. He served as an aircrewman in the Martin PBM flying boat as the Bombardier/Navigator for anti-submarine operations. He received an honorable discharge as a Second-Class Petty Officer in 1946.
Upon returning to the farm in South Dakota, Don found that the farm had electricity! Which ultimately led to lighting, running water, refrigeration, and heat! He was 21.
Don ultimately followed a Navy buddy and lifelong friend, Ken Gibson, back to Bartlesville, OK which had milder winters, world class quail hunting, a thriving cattle industry, and the finest quarter horses in the world. It was the perfect location for him to spend the rest of his life on his passions, performance horses and cattle. On a more practical level, it sure did help that a thriving oil company like Phillips 66 offered a livelihood to pursue one's passions. It was at Phillips 66 where he contributed 40 years to the marketing department crafting exchange deals with refiners. Additionally, in 1961 without any formal technical background, he has a patent on inventing a plastic motor oil container design that would not deform when using Phillips 66 Marlex plastic resin. It was a wildly successful and profitable container design for Phillips 66 and was utilized across many markets.
Don married Norma Galegar, from Avant, OK on December 24, 1948. Norma was a perfect mother, master chef, and 20+ year business administrator for the Jane Phillips Hospital in Bartlesville. She passed away in 2014, they were married 66 years. Their sons Clark and Brian were born and raised in Bartlesville, OK where they currently live today.
After retiring from Phillips 66 in 1986, Don found a genetic recipe for bloodline combinations that produced the finest specimen of performance and temperament in quarter horses of foundation breeding. He spent the next 15 years as a performance horse order buyer and breeder. He put many miles in selling and transporting horses to markets in California, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. He was indeed living a dream!
Don was a consummate storyteller and loved sharing and receiving a well-crafted story. He loved the characters of the "Osage" as he was one of those characters! He had a warm welcoming smile, disarming charm and wit with an interesting mix of what-is-right with a big dose of determined will. He had the gift of thoughtful influence and guidance benefiting the lives of many. Those of us fortunate to call him dad, grandpa, or friend, all have seen how this American could convince you that you may just not be dreaming big enough or bold enough, and; do not find yourself as the limitation of accomplishing the impossible, and; In the end, if you found yourself successful in such efforts, you better give thanks to God because no one does great things without his help!
Don, you have plowed the northern plains behind horses, landed on a nuclear aircraft carrier and everything in between. You have lived a long and blessed life. We will miss you dad, grandpa, friend, neighbor and cowboy.
Don was preceded in death by his parents Oscar and Hazel, his sister Merlin Gabrielson and brother in-law Ray Gabrielson and his sister Beverly Frislie and bother in-law John Frislie.
Don is survived by his son's Clark Brurud and Brian Brurud of Bartlesville, Granddaughter Bailey Ingham and husband John Ingham of Denver, CO, and granddaughter Mallory Brurud of Denver, CO, and an amazing array of nieces and nephews that gave him great pride.
A graveside service will be held at 1 pm Monday, March 24th at Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Carter Davis and the Davis Family Funeral Home and Crematory Walker-Brown Chapel. Online condolences and remembrances may be shared at www.DavisFamilyFuneralHome.com
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