Sheri Melinda Bruhn

Sheri Melinda Bruhn (Geipel) passed away on December 14th, 2024 at Raleigh Hills Assisted Living in Portland, OR, surrounded by family. Sheri was born on March 14th, 1961 in Kalamazoo, Michigan to Treina and Karl Geipel.She graduated high school and subsequently the Van Buren Skills Center with a secretarial certificate, and started her first job at First National Bank in Kalamazoo.

Born into the New Apostolic Church, Sheri was very involved in church activities including playing the organ, singing in the choir, coordinating children’s Christmas programs, helping to prepare dinners for events, and arranging flowers for events large and small.

She was still working at the bank in Kalamazoo when a mutual friend suggested to David Bruhn that he send a letter to Sheri, which he did in October of 1981. They corresponded over the next month, and phoned a few times. When they finally met in person on Thanksgiving that year, they connected even more and fell in love. They were married on September 5th of 1982 in South Bend, Indiana.

They moved to David’s hometown of Racine, Wisconsin, and after 5 years, Richard was born in 1988. In Racine, Sheri worked as a switchboard operator for Pioneer Savings and Loan, as well as several other jobs in similar roles. For career reasons, the family moved to LaPorte, Indiana briefly, and then back to Coloma in Sheri’s home state of Michigan, where Matthew was born in 1991. The family later moved to St. Joseph, Michigan, where Sheri worked as a librarian assistant at the boys’ middle school for years. They stayed in Michigan until 2004, when another career move relocated the Bruhns to Simi Valley, California. 

It was here (in Thousand Oaks, CA) that Sheri landed her beloved job at California Lutheran University as the Administrative Assistant for the Residence Life office. The students and young staff were a joy to her, and the Thursday Chapel services were always a highlight of her week. This is where she got the nickname “Sher Bear”. Sheri worked toward a bachelor’s degree at Cal Lutheran – and received academic honors.

Sheri played the organ and piano in many congregations, including Hartford, MI, Racine, WI, Michigan City, IN, St. Joseph, MI, Buchanan, MI, Reseda, CA, Mission Hills, CA and finally Camarillo, CA. Early on, wanting to join in the family with a stringed instrument, she bought a string bass and took lessons. She was the fourth member of the family string quartet, and played in the church orchestras for several years.

Sheri’s health began to decline just prior to 2014, and in 2021 she and David moved to Portland, OR to be closer to son Richard and his family. Sheri retained her lovely smile and happy disposition to the very end, even after entering memory care in 2023. Everyone who met her, including caregivers and hospice workers, noted what a sweet person she was – even toward the end of her life. This was her essence.

Sheri is survived by her father, Karl Geipel; husband, David; son Richard and daughter-in-law Heather and two granddaughters Emberly and Cambria; son Matthew and daughter-in-law McKenna; sister Rachelle (Sheli) McElroy; sister-in-law, Tammy Laux (husband Carl); niece Jackie and nephew Johnny (Sheli) and nephew Travis (Tammy & Carl). Sheri is preceded in death by her mother, Treina Geipel.

The family would like to thank the staff at Gentog Adult Daycare, Raleigh Hills Assisted Living memory care, and Gracious Care Hospice for their dedicated, loving and compassionate care. They all were such a support to the family and especially to Sheri. They made an unbearable journey bearable.

A celebration of her life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 26th, 2025 at Riverview Abbey Funeral Home, 319 S. Taylors Ferry Rd, Portland, OR 97219. The Vimeo livestream will be available via the link below at approximately 1:45 P.M. Visitation with the family will take place after the ceremony.

https://vimeo.com/event/4823005/3457e6fc31

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