- Sherri Bruner-Osteen, 59
BLOOMINGTON - Sherri Lyn Bruner-Osteen of Ellettsville, 59, formerly of Hickory Valley, Tenn., passed away Saturday, July 31, 2010, at Bloomington Memorial Hospital surrounded by family and friends after a courageous battle with cancer.
She was born July 10, 1951, in Tell City, the daughter of Wallace "Wally" Clarence Bruner and Patricia Ray (Thomas) Bruner. She was preceded in death by her father, Wally Bruner; a sister, Bonnie Susan Bruner; a brother, John Patrick Bruner, who died in infancy; her maternal grandparents, Mary Alice and Raymond A. Thomas and her paternal grandparents, Audrey and Wallace A. Bruner.
Sherri was a loving and devoted wife, daughter, sister and friend to many whose lives she touched in her special way.
Since 2003, Sherri was the editor-in-chief of The Bulletin-Times Newspaper in Bolivar, Tenn., before retiring last year due to health concerns and moving to the Bloomington area. Prior to that, she was an award-winning investigative reporter and writer for the Fayette County Review and held accounting manager roles at sister newspapers, Mid South Horse Review and the Southern Livestock Review.
She was a strong advocate for the humane treatment of animals and was instrumental in founding animal rescue organizations in Hardeman County, Tenn., in 2005.
In the 1990s, Sherri and partner Lucy Cogbill operated Cogbill's Store and Museum in historic LaGrange, Tenn., which was lauded near and far for its antiques, local crafts and nostalgic atmosphere.
Sherri moved to Fayette County, Tenn., in 1981 to help manage a federally funded rural health-care study and later held administrative roles at area agencies providing job training and employment programs for the disabled.
Before moving to Tennessee, Sherri was a research consultant and analyst in the Washington, D.C. area in various positions for the Urban Institute, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Labor and the Legal Services Corp. in the 1970s and 1980s.
Just after high school, Sherri worked as a volunteer and fundraiser in Washington, D.C., helping to bring attention and an end to deplorable conditions and outdated programs at Forest Haven, a public institution for the mentally disabled.
She was also a strong supporter of anti-Vietnam War and civil-rights movements and participated in organizations dedicated to peaceful and safe demonstrations in the Washington D.C. area such as the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee during the 1960s and 1970s. She was part of a class action lawsuit that later won compensation for thousands of demonstrators who were illegally arrested and detained at the D.C. Stadium during a May 1972 anti-war demonstration in Washington.
She attended Saint Cecilia's Catholic High School for Girls in Washington and graduated from the Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C., Class of 1968. She was of the Catholic faith.
She is survived by her husband of 23 years, Aubrey Osteen of Ellettsville; her mother, Patricia Bruner of Tell City; her stepmother, Natalie Bruner of Indianapolis; three sisters, Kathryn Bruner of Bloomington, Kristine Bruner of Ellettsville and Natalie Bruner and her husband, Alan Graeff of Bethesda, Md.; six brothers, Rickey Bruner and his wife, Virginia, of Chicago; Michael Bruner and his wife, Kathleen, of Whiteland; Ted Bruner and his wife, Carol, of Bound Brook, N.J.; Timothy Bruner and his wife, Sydney, of Laurel, Md.; Kevin Bruner and his wife, Gloria, of Bloomington and Wally Bruner and his fianc?e, Tanya Ballew of Indianapolis. Also surviving are 21 nieces and nephews.
A memorial service was held Monday, Aug. 2, 2010, at Saint Paul Catholic Church in Bloomington. A memorial Mass and burial service will be held in Perry County at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hardeman County Animal Rescue, Bolivar, Tenn., or to a favorite.
- Indiana Death Certificates
Name: Sherrilyn Osteen
Maiden Name: Bruner
Gender: Female
Race: White
Age: 59
Marital Status: Married
Birth Date: 10 Jul 1951
Birth Place: Tell City, IN
Death Date: 31 Jul 2010
Death Place: Bloomington, Monroe, Indiana, USA
Father: Wally Bruner
Mother: Patricia Bruner
Spouse: Aubrey Osteen
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1951 - 2010 (59 years)
