This was the warm and loving home of the Bruns Family
From 1947 to 1988
(at 415 N. 12th Street, Fargo, North Dakota)

Above is the house back in the 40s or 50s This is the house in the 60s

      Above: The two boys Mom left behind (Dad & Snoopy)
This was definitely the saddest of it all. Both Dad and Snoopy were so incredibly lonely.
Snoopy lived another year after Mom died and every second of that year he waited for her to come home,
listening for her car and/or waiting for her to walk in the door. He died waiting for "his person" to come home.
Everyone else knew she wasn't coming home but Snoopy expected her every waking second until he died.
Everyone missed her so much.

Below: I couldn't resist and had to stand where Mom stood 40 years before.
Mom on the left and me on the right.

The view when heading downstairs.
I must've trotted down these steps a million times but never appreciated this view until years later.

Below are photos of 415 N. 12th St. in Fargo as I cleaned 40 years of one family's living, loving and raising five children.

It's always fun seeing before and after pictures, that's why I did it.
It took a year and lots of memories and tears but it got cleaned, repaired, replastered, painted and finally sold.

After Dad and the boys moved, this beautiful old home was a house keeping DISASTER of epic proportions.

Above: Just inside the front door, before, during and after I cleaned it. Our only phone was in this area.

Above: The living room and looking into the dining room before and during cleaning.

Notice my toy poodle Buff, he's the white spot in the center of the sofa in above photo.
That little guy heard every memory and hung on every word during all my reminiscences.

Above left is the dining room as Dad left it, on the right is completely cleaned, painted walls & shampooed rugs.

Above left is the kitchen before cleanup, what a humungous mess, grease everywhere.
I actually had to use a putty knife on the cupboard surfaces next to the stove. I swear, Dad must've fried everything.
Mom absolutely adored this kitchen and would've loved the after pictures, the kitchen was her design back in the early 70s.

Above left is the very messy hallway leading to the front bedroom, the door is closed.
On the right, after the hallway is cleaned, you see the bedroom door open.

Below is the back bedroom, used by my brother up until he moved.
On the right is after I finished cleaning everything, floor, walls and windows.

Below is the bathroom before and after, you should've seen the tub. EEK!

Fortunately one of Ricky's friends completely emptied the basement and took whatever Ricky didn't want to the dump.
After Mick finished, I cleaned everything and pulled up the stairway carpeting which was filled with coal dust.
Uncle Ed installed the carpeting and he'd done it right because he tacked those carpet pieces
down GOOD with continuous tacks around the front, back and sides of the carpet pieces. It took forever to pull it all up.


After I replastered the walls and ceiling leading up from the basement to the kitchen,
I painted the walls beige and painted the steps dark brown. It looked so nice and clean.
Not long after that a new Trane Furnace was installed because no one would buy the house with an ancient coal burner.
Lots of plastering, sanding then painting as you can see on the steps leading to the basement.
What you see above is the side door leading up from the basement.

The attic was unbelievable. I had five boxes, one for each of us and separated everything according to who it pertained to.
Boy-oh-boy, you talk about going through 40 years of memories and Buffy heard every one.

Below is our beautiful front porch. nice and clean. I replaced the screens on the south side myself including molding.
I've driven by our home in the last year and that porch was filled to the ceiling with junk.
I can't imagine people doing that. We sure had some good times there.

BELOW:
Marceline Patricia, our beautiful and loving Mother.

Mom (July 15, 1925-March 15, 1984)