obit:janice_bruns
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| ===== Janice A. Bruns, Famed Violet Grower, dies at 66 ===== | ===== Janice A. Bruns, Famed Violet Grower, dies at 66 ===== | ||
| - | //BY MAUREEN O’DONNELL Staff Reporter October 25, 2013 8:30PM // | + | {{: |
| + | //BY MAUREEN O’DONNELL Staff Reporter October 25, 2013 8:30PM //\\ | ||
| Returning from a picnic the day after her senior prom, Janice Bruns was in a car accident that paralyzed her from the waist down. | Returning from a picnic the day after her senior prom, Janice Bruns was in a car accident that paralyzed her from the waist down. | ||
| She survived another 48 years and became a nationally renowned grower of African violets. At the peak of her hobby, she had 2,000 | She survived another 48 years and became a nationally renowned grower of African violets. At the peak of her hobby, she had 2,000 | ||
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| Her green thumb created flowers so flawless, “if you didn’t know it was a real plant, you would swear it was fake because it was just | Her green thumb created flowers so flawless, “if you didn’t know it was a real plant, you would swear it was fake because it was just | ||
| perfection, | perfection, | ||
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| When Mrs. Bruns brought the blossoms to garden sales, “They couldn’t put them out fast enough,” said Ann-Marie Keene, a Maine violet | When Mrs. Bruns brought the blossoms to garden sales, “They couldn’t put them out fast enough,” said Ann-Marie Keene, a Maine violet | ||
| lover and creator of a blog, Fuzzy Foliage. “She was one of the top, top show growers. . . .She was an important person in the history of | lover and creator of a blog, Fuzzy Foliage. “She was one of the top, top show growers. . . .She was an important person in the history of | ||
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| “A lot of people still grow it,” said Joe, her husband of 46 years, who built special contraptions to help her roll in close to tend her | “A lot of people still grow it,” said Joe, her husband of 46 years, who built special contraptions to help her roll in close to tend her | ||
| flowers. His work as a physical therapist enabled him to tend to her | flowers. His work as a physical therapist enabled him to tend to her | ||
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| She also wrote for the magazine of the African Violet Society of America and raised and bred Great Pyrenees show dogs. | She also wrote for the magazine of the African Violet Society of America and raised and bred Great Pyrenees show dogs. | ||
| Mrs. Bruns, 66, died Tuesday at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates. | Mrs. Bruns, 66, died Tuesday at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates. | ||
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| of weeks at home, she entered Little Company of Mary Hospital for rehab. She didn’t get home until January. | of weeks at home, she entered Little Company of Mary Hospital for rehab. She didn’t get home until January. | ||
| Joe Bruns was an orderly who heard there was a beautiful young woman in “Room 356, Bed 2.” | Joe Bruns was an orderly who heard there was a beautiful young woman in “Room 356, Bed 2.” | ||
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| “I saw this little skinny, scared girl. She was in a cast,” he said. A friendship began, and when she returned home, they started going out | “I saw this little skinny, scared girl. She was in a cast,” he said. A friendship began, and when she returned home, they started going out | ||
| together in groups. Sometimes they went to see Chicago garage rockers “The Shadows of Night,” who had a huge hit with the song, | together in groups. Sometimes they went to see Chicago garage rockers “The Shadows of Night,” who had a huge hit with the song, | ||
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| “He loved her like out of a movie,” Keene said. When Keene congratulated him on the day after their 42nd wedding anniversary, | “He loved her like out of a movie,” Keene said. When Keene congratulated him on the day after their 42nd wedding anniversary, | ||
| ‘ ‘It’s just as beautiful as it was yesterday, because I’m with her.” | ‘ ‘It’s just as beautiful as it was yesterday, because I’m with her.” | ||
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| Mrs. Bruns found her calling in the early 1980s, when she received African violets from her grandmother. She studied books to bone up | Mrs. Bruns found her calling in the early 1980s, when she received African violets from her grandmother. She studied books to bone up | ||
| on their care. “I built her a plant stand with lights and said, ‘This will hold 24 plants; of course you don’t need any more than that,’’ Joe | on their care. “I built her a plant stand with lights and said, ‘This will hold 24 plants; of course you don’t need any more than that,’’ Joe | ||
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| They sport names with a whiff of faraway places: Persian Lace. Kiwi Dazzler. Wrangler’s High Sierra. Chanticleer. Firebird. Lacy’s | They sport names with a whiff of faraway places: Persian Lace. Kiwi Dazzler. Wrangler’s High Sierra. Chanticleer. Firebird. Lacy’s | ||
| Determination. Buckeye Cranberry Sparkler. | Determination. Buckeye Cranberry Sparkler. | ||
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| Mrs. Bruns especially loved growing the miniature varieties. She did so until about a decade ago, when back problems forced her to give | Mrs. Bruns especially loved growing the miniature varieties. She did so until about a decade ago, when back problems forced her to give | ||
| up her African violets hobby. | up her African violets hobby. | ||
obit/janice_bruns.1382817032.txt.gz · Last modified: 2013/10/26 15:50 by tomgee