Married 31 May 1883 Wellsville, Frnaklin, Kansas to Hannah Marguerite McClain.
To their union was born 5 children:
Rea Millard, Glen Lamer, Carey, Roland Edward Jr, and Hannah M Bruner.
The following was abstracted and compiled by Robin Leidhecker for the Lycoming Lineage, a newsletter of the Lycoming County Genealogical Society, July-August 2009:
"A famous mid-west family has their roots in Lycoming County. From Centennial History of Missouri, by Walter Barlow Stevens (1921) 'It is under the stimulus of opposition and the pressure of adversity that the strongest and best in men is brought out and developed' - a statement which finds its verification in the life record of Roland Edward Bruner, who for many years has been a prominent figure in mining circles in the west and is now at the head of the firm of R.E. Bruner & Company and of the Bruner Realty & Investment Company of Kansas City. The story of his life in its unfolding presents many a picturesque and romantic phase and the entire record has the alluring fascination of success. Mr. Bruner was born in Montoursville, Lycoming County Pennsylvania, August 12, 1860, and while he come of German ancestry, he is of the fourth generation of the family in America. His parents were John and Margaret A. (Bastian) Bruner, of Montoursville, where the father provided for his family through the conduct of a mercantile enterprise. Through the exigencies of the Civil war the financial resources of the father were largely dissipated and in fact he gave all to his country save life, and by reason of his shattered fortunes he determined to start anew in the west.' 'The Civil war was inaugurated when Roland E. Bruner was but a few months old. A few years later the family removed to Kansas and he had the opportunity to some extent of attending the public schools of Franklin County, but his educational privileges as well as his chances in other directions were extremely limited, and when quite young he began providing for his own support by working as a farm hand. A little later he took up the task of herding cattle on the plains at a period when the west was an open range. The outdoor life not only gave him possibilities for physical development but also brought to him the chance of becoming a self-reliant young man. As a herder on the plains he had to depend upon his own judgment as to what was best in caring for the stock and he learned to form his opinions quickly, yet never without that careful judgment which must always discriminate in order to determine the true value or possibilities of any situation. At length, believing that mercantile life would offer him greater opportunities, Mr. Bruner began clerking in a country store and was thus employed from 1875 until 1880. He then accepted a clerkship in the office of the superintendent of the motor power and machinery department of the old Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railway, and later came the chance to see something of the country as a traveling salesman and for five years he was upon the road, traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the lakes to the gulf. This brought him intimate knowledge of the country and he was keenly interested in studying the resources of different sections. His next position was that of manager of the wholesale house of Phillips Brothers in Seattle, Washington, and after a year thus spent he became manager and auctioneer of the Kansas City Fruit Auction and Cold Storage Company, following that business for three years. From early life he was keenly interested in the mineral resources of the country, and while the route was a devious one his path at length led him to the mines with which he has been connected in every position from that of prospector to the presidency of most important mining companies. For a quarter of a century he has given much of his time and energies to the development of mining properties. In the west, becoming president of the Anaconda-Arizona Mining Company, the R.E. Bruner Copper Company, the Missouri Lithograph, Marble & Mining Company and secretary of the Big Niangua Development & Realty Company. In this connection a contemporary biographer has written: "Mr. Bruner's experience has been varied and spectacular. His mining operations have given him a familiarity with every phase and sensation of the miner's life, from prospector to president, and his promotions include some of the richest finds in the central range. The road he traveled was not always smooth; there were bumps and pitfalls at frequent intervals. He was gouged and squeezed and cruelly betrayed by quondam summer friends, but he always accepted his fate philosophically and charged it all to experience. Notwithstanding many drawbacks Roland E. Bruner has made and lost fortunes, helped a thousand men to success, and he has frequently borne the loads and losses of other men--and the attendant knocks--with a peculiar patience and stout-hearted fortitude that is the admiration of all who know him intimately. Mr. Bruner is of the Tom Lawson type of man--a veritable human dynamo. He never exhausts and rarely wearies under pressure; a man of indomitable will, of tremendous energy and never flagging industry, and withal a gentle, kindly sympathetic nature. Always possessed of an optimism that never permitted him to fear defeat or confess failure, he accepted fortune as it came, and confidently relied upon the belief that the 'turn in the road' must come to the man who honestly and intelligently follows a fixed course with determination. This faith never deserted him." Another writer has said: "His investments in mining properties have been judiciously placed, and the control of his interests of this character shows him to be a man of remarkable ability. He understands mining not only from its financial side, but from the scientific standpoint as well, and is the possessor of a most magnificent collection of minerals, composed of some of the rarest kinds: including pearls, amethysts, garnets, rubies, turquoise, opals, coral and diamond rock. This collection also contains a fine specimen of pitch blende, from which radium is made; a quartz crystal weighing four hundred and eighty pounds and numberless valuable specimens, each the best of its kind. These are all systematically and attractively arranged in seven large cases, and his generosity has promoted him to make this collection public in that he permits all who are interested to visit his museum." Aside from his connection with mining interests Mr. Bruner has conducted important business affairs under the name of the Bruner Realty & Investment Company and under the firm style of R.B. Bruner & Company. On the 31st of May, 1883, was celebrated the marriage of Roland E. Bruner and Miss Hannah M. McLain, the wedding taking place at Wellsville, Franklin County, Kansas. They have become parents of five children: Rea Millard., Glen Lamer., Carey, Roland Edward Jr, and Hannah M Bruner. Mr. Bruner belongs to Westport Lodge, No. 340, A.F. & A.M., of which all of his sons are also members, and he is likewise a Consistory Mason and a member of several of the best clubs of Kansas City. The Bruner home is one of gracious hospitality and charm, the family occupying a most prominent social position in Kansas City, while Mr. Bruner it has been said: "He is widely recognized as a man of wide philanthropy and Christian spirit, regarding fully the responsibilities of wealth and doing much service for his fellowmen, not from a sense of duty, but from a sincere and abiding interest in humanity. He is widely known in scientific circles as a geologist and collector of fine specimens; and in mining circles as a most successful business man, while in the city of his residence he is counted among those whose labors have been effective and far-reaching in behalf of public progress, while his personal traits of character are such as win him warm friendships and popularity."
From Kansas City, Missouri, Its History and Its People, 1800-1908; by Carrie Westlake Whitney, Illustrated Vol. II; Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1908:
"It seems a long step from herding cattle on the plains to mine operation and ownership, but this distance Mr. Bruner has covered in the course of an active life wherein labor has been directed by sound intelligence and determination. A native of Pennsylvania, he was born in Montoursville, Lycoming County, on the 12th of August, 1860, and is of German lineage. His great-grandparents in both the paternal and maternal lines came from the fatherland to the new world. His parents were John and Margaret A. (Bastian) Bruner, of Montoursville, where the father carried on merchandising. The somewhat limited financial resources of the family, however, made it necessary for Roland E. Bruner to provide for his own support at an early age. He is practically a self-educated as well as self-made man financially. To some extent he attended the public schools of Franklin county, Kansas, to which place his parents removed during his early boyhood, becoming identified with agricultural interests there. When still but a youth, however, Mr. Bruner began herding cattle on the plains at a period when the west was an open range. The outdoor life not only gave him possibilities for physical development but also brought to him the chance of becoming a self-reliant young man. As a herder on the plains he had to depend upon his own judgment as to what was best in caring for the stock and he learned to quickly form his opinions, yet never without that careful judgment which must always discriminate in order to determine the true value or possibilities of any situation. However, believing that mercantile life would offer him greater opportunities, Mr. Bruner accepted a clerkship in a country store, where he remained from 1875 until 1880. In the latter year he became a clerk in the office of the superintendent of the motor power and machinery of the old Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railway, and then came the chance to see something of the country as a traveling salesman and for five years he was upon the road, traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the lakes to the gulf. It gave him an intimate knowledge of his country and he used his opportunities to study the resources of the different sections of the country to the best advantage. His next position was that of manager of the wholesale house of Philips Brothers in Seattle, in which capacity he continued for a year, when he became manager and auctioneer of the Kansas City Fruit Auction and Cold Storage Company, to which work he devoted his energies with success for three years. Always interested in minerals, this early predilection was a step toward the acquirement of his extensive mining properties at the present day. For the past fifteen years he has devoted his attention largely to mining, and is now president of the Anaconda-Arizona Mining Company, the R.E. Bruner Copper Company, the Missouri Lithograph, Marble and Mining Company. He is likewise secretary of the Big Niangua Development & Realty Company. His investments in mining properties have been judiciously placed, and the control of his interests in this character shows him to be a man of remarkable ability. He understands mining not only from its financial side, but from the scientific standpoint as well, and is the possessor of a most magnificent collection of minerals, composed of some of the rarest kinds, including pearls, amethysts, garnets, rubies, turquoise, opals, coral and diamond rock. This collection also contains a fine specimen of pitch blende, from which radium is made; a quartz crystal weighing four hundred and eighty pounds and numberless valuable specimens, each the best of its kind. These are all systematically and attractively arranged in seven large cases, and his generosity has prompted him to make this collection public in that he permits all who are interested to visit his museum. On the 31st of May, 1883, Mr. Bruner was married to Miss Hannah M. McLain, in Wellsville, Franklin county, Kansas. They have five children. Mrs. Bruner, a lady of culture and charm of manner, presides with gracious hospitality over their attractive home, which is the center of a cultured society circle. Mr. Bruner is widely recognized as a man of wide philanthropy and Christian spirit, regarding fully the responsibilities of wealth and doing much service for his fellowmen, not from a sense of duty, but from a sincere and abiding interest in humanity. He is widely known in scientific circles as a geologist and collector of fine specimens; and in mining circles as a most successful business man, while in the city of his residence he is counted among those whose labors have been effective and far-reaching in behalf of public progress, while his personal traits of character are such as win him warm friendships and popularity."
To their union was born 5 children:
Rea Millard, Glen Lamer, Carey, Roland Edward Jr, and Hannah M Bruner.
The following was abstracted and compiled by Robin Leidhecker for the Lycoming Lineage, a newsletter of the Lycoming County Genealogical Society, July-August 2009:
"A famous mid-west family has their roots in Lycoming County. From Centennial History of Missouri, by Walter Barlow Stevens (1921) 'It is under the stimulus of opposition and the pressure of adversity that the strongest and best in men is brought out and developed' - a statement which finds its verification in the life record of Roland Edward Bruner, who for many years has been a prominent figure in mining circles in the west and is now at the head of the firm of R.E. Bruner & Company and of the Bruner Realty & Investment Company of Kansas City. The story of his life in its unfolding presents many a picturesque and romantic phase and the entire record has the alluring fascination of success. Mr. Bruner was born in Montoursville, Lycoming County Pennsylvania, August 12, 1860, and while he come of German ancestry, he is of the fourth generation of the family in America. His parents were John and Margaret A. (Bastian) Bruner, of Montoursville, where the father provided for his family through the conduct of a mercantile enterprise. Through the exigencies of the Civil war the financial resources of the father were largely dissipated and in fact he gave all to his country save life, and by reason of his shattered fortunes he determined to start anew in the west.' 'The Civil war was inaugurated when Roland E. Bruner was but a few months old. A few years later the family removed to Kansas and he had the opportunity to some extent of attending the public schools of Franklin County, but his educational privileges as well as his chances in other directions were extremely limited, and when quite young he began providing for his own support by working as a farm hand. A little later he took up the task of herding cattle on the plains at a period when the west was an open range. The outdoor life not only gave him possibilities for physical development but also brought to him the chance of becoming a self-reliant young man. As a herder on the plains he had to depend upon his own judgment as to what was best in caring for the stock and he learned to form his opinions quickly, yet never without that careful judgment which must always discriminate in order to determine the true value or possibilities of any situation. At length, believing that mercantile life would offer him greater opportunities, Mr. Bruner began clerking in a country store and was thus employed from 1875 until 1880. He then accepted a clerkship in the office of the superintendent of the motor power and machinery department of the old Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railway, and later came the chance to see something of the country as a traveling salesman and for five years he was upon the road, traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the lakes to the gulf. This brought him intimate knowledge of the country and he was keenly interested in studying the resources of different sections. His next position was that of manager of the wholesale house of Phillips Brothers in Seattle, Washington, and after a year thus spent he became manager and auctioneer of the Kansas City Fruit Auction and Cold Storage Company, following that business for three years. From early life he was keenly interested in the mineral resources of the country, and while the route was a devious one his path at length led him to the mines with which he has been connected in every position from that of prospector to the presidency of most important mining companies. For a quarter of a century he has given much of his time and energies to the development of mining properties. In the west, becoming president of the Anaconda-Arizona Mining Company, the R.E. Bruner Copper Company, the Missouri Lithograph, Marble & Mining Company and secretary of the Big Niangua Development & Realty Company. In this connection a contemporary biographer has written: "Mr. Bruner's experience has been varied and spectacular. His mining operations have given him a familiarity with every phase and sensation of the miner's life, from prospector to president, and his promotions include some of the richest finds in the central range. The road he traveled was not always smooth; there were bumps and pitfalls at frequent intervals. He was gouged and squeezed and cruelly betrayed by quondam summer friends, but he always accepted his fate philosophically and charged it all to experience. Notwithstanding many drawbacks Roland E. Bruner has made and lost fortunes, helped a thousand men to success, and he has frequently borne the loads and losses of other men--and the attendant knocks--with a peculiar patience and stout-hearted fortitude that is the admiration of all who know him intimately. Mr. Bruner is of the Tom Lawson type of man--a veritable human dynamo. He never exhausts and rarely wearies under pressure; a man of indomitable will, of tremendous energy and never flagging industry, and withal a gentle, kindly sympathetic nature. Always possessed of an optimism that never permitted him to fear defeat or confess failure, he accepted fortune as it came, and confidently relied upon the belief that the 'turn in the road' must come to the man who honestly and intelligently follows a fixed course with determination. This faith never deserted him." Another writer has said: "His investments in mining properties have been judiciously placed, and the control of his interests of this character shows him to be a man of remarkable ability. He understands mining not only from its financial side, but from the scientific standpoint as well, and is the possessor of a most magnificent collection of minerals, composed of some of the rarest kinds: including pearls, amethysts, garnets, rubies, turquoise, opals, coral and diamond rock. This collection also contains a fine specimen of pitch blende, from which radium is made; a quartz crystal weighing four hundred and eighty pounds and numberless valuable specimens, each the best of its kind. These are all systematically and attractively arranged in seven large cases, and his generosity has promoted him to make this collection public in that he permits all who are interested to visit his museum." Aside from his connection with mining interests Mr. Bruner has conducted important business affairs under the name of the Bruner Realty & Investment Company and under the firm style of R.B. Bruner & Company. On the 31st of May, 1883, was celebrated the marriage of Roland E. Bruner and Miss Hannah M. McLain, the wedding taking place at Wellsville, Franklin County, Kansas. They have become parents of five children: Rea Millard., Glen Lamer., Carey, Roland Edward Jr, and Hannah M Bruner. Mr. Bruner belongs to Westport Lodge, No. 340, A.F. & A.M., of which all of his sons are also members, and he is likewise a Consistory Mason and a member of several of the best clubs of Kansas City. The Bruner home is one of gracious hospitality and charm, the family occupying a most prominent social position in Kansas City, while Mr. Bruner it has been said: "He is widely recognized as a man of wide philanthropy and Christian spirit, regarding fully the responsibilities of wealth and doing much service for his fellowmen, not from a sense of duty, but from a sincere and abiding interest in humanity. He is widely known in scientific circles as a geologist and collector of fine specimens; and in mining circles as a most successful business man, while in the city of his residence he is counted among those whose labors have been effective and far-reaching in behalf of public progress, while his personal traits of character are such as win him warm friendships and popularity."
From Kansas City, Missouri, Its History and Its People, 1800-1908; by Carrie Westlake Whitney, Illustrated Vol. II; Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1908:
"It seems a long step from herding cattle on the plains to mine operation and ownership, but this distance Mr. Bruner has covered in the course of an active life wherein labor has been directed by sound intelligence and determination. A native of Pennsylvania, he was born in Montoursville, Lycoming County, on the 12th of August, 1860, and is of German lineage. His great-grandparents in both the paternal and maternal lines came from the fatherland to the new world. His parents were John and Margaret A. (Bastian) Bruner, of Montoursville, where the father carried on merchandising. The somewhat limited financial resources of the family, however, made it necessary for Roland E. Bruner to provide for his own support at an early age. He is practically a self-educated as well as self-made man financially. To some extent he attended the public schools of Franklin county, Kansas, to which place his parents removed during his early boyhood, becoming identified with agricultural interests there. When still but a youth, however, Mr. Bruner began herding cattle on the plains at a period when the west was an open range. The outdoor life not only gave him possibilities for physical development but also brought to him the chance of becoming a self-reliant young man. As a herder on the plains he had to depend upon his own judgment as to what was best in caring for the stock and he learned to quickly form his opinions, yet never without that careful judgment which must always discriminate in order to determine the true value or possibilities of any situation. However, believing that mercantile life would offer him greater opportunities, Mr. Bruner accepted a clerkship in a country store, where he remained from 1875 until 1880. In the latter year he became a clerk in the office of the superintendent of the motor power and machinery of the old Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railway, and then came the chance to see something of the country as a traveling salesman and for five years he was upon the road, traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the lakes to the gulf. It gave him an intimate knowledge of his country and he used his opportunities to study the resources of the different sections of the country to the best advantage. His next position was that of manager of the wholesale house of Philips Brothers in Seattle, in which capacity he continued for a year, when he became manager and auctioneer of the Kansas City Fruit Auction and Cold Storage Company, to which work he devoted his energies with success for three years. Always interested in minerals, this early predilection was a step toward the acquirement of his extensive mining properties at the present day. For the past fifteen years he has devoted his attention largely to mining, and is now president of the Anaconda-Arizona Mining Company, the R.E. Bruner Copper Company, the Missouri Lithograph, Marble and Mining Company. He is likewise secretary of the Big Niangua Development & Realty Company. His investments in mining properties have been judiciously placed, and the control of his interests in this character shows him to be a man of remarkable ability. He understands mining not only from its financial side, but from the scientific standpoint as well, and is the possessor of a most magnificent collection of minerals, composed of some of the rarest kinds, including pearls, amethysts, garnets, rubies, turquoise, opals, coral and diamond rock. This collection also contains a fine specimen of pitch blende, from which radium is made; a quartz crystal weighing four hundred and eighty pounds and numberless valuable specimens, each the best of its kind. These are all systematically and attractively arranged in seven large cases, and his generosity has prompted him to make this collection public in that he permits all who are interested to visit his museum. On the 31st of May, 1883, Mr. Bruner was married to Miss Hannah M. McLain, in Wellsville, Franklin county, Kansas. They have five children. Mrs. Bruner, a lady of culture and charm of manner, presides with gracious hospitality over their attractive home, which is the center of a cultured society circle. Mr. Bruner is widely recognized as a man of wide philanthropy and Christian spirit, regarding fully the responsibilities of wealth and doing much service for his fellowmen, not from a sense of duty, but from a sincere and abiding interest in humanity. He is widely known in scientific circles as a geologist and collector of fine specimens; and in mining circles as a most successful business man, while in the city of his residence he is counted among those whose labors have been effective and far-reaching in behalf of public progress, while his personal traits of character are such as win him warm friendships and popularity."
Married 31 May 1883 Wellsville, Frnaklin, Kansas to Hannah Marguerite McClain.
To their union was born 5 children:
Rea Millard, Glen Lamer, Carey, Roland Edward Jr, and Hannah M Bruner.
The following was abstracted and compiled by Robin Leidhecker for the Lycoming Lineage, a newsletter of the Lycoming County Genealogical Society, July-August 2009:
"A famous mid-west family has their roots in Lycoming County. From Centennial History of Missouri, by Walter Barlow Stevens (1921) 'It is under the stimulus of opposition and the pressure of adversity that the strongest and best in men is brought out and developed' - a statement which finds its verification in the life record of Roland Edward Bruner, who for many years has been a prominent figure in mining circles in the west and is now at the head of the firm of R.E. Bruner & Company and of the Bruner Realty & Investment Company of Kansas City. The story of his life in its unfolding presents many a picturesque and romantic phase and the entire record has the alluring fascination of success. Mr. Bruner was born in Montoursville, Lycoming County Pennsylvania, August 12, 1860, and while he come of German ancestry, he is of the fourth generation of the family in America. His parents were John and Margaret A. (Bastian) Bruner, of Montoursville, where the father provided for his family through the conduct of a mercantile enterprise. Through the exigencies of the Civil war the financial resources of the father were largely dissipated and in fact he gave all to his country save life, and by reason of his shattered fortunes he determined to start anew in the west.' 'The Civil war was inaugurated when Roland E. Bruner was but a few months old. A few years later the family removed to Kansas and he had the opportunity to some extent of attending the public schools of Franklin County, but his educational privileges as well as his chances in other directions were extremely limited, and when quite young he began providing for his own support by working as a farm hand. A little later he took up the task of herding cattle on the plains at a period when the west was an open range. The outdoor life not only gave him possibilities for physical development but also brought to him the chance of becoming a self-reliant young man. As a herder on the plains he had to depend upon his own judgment as to what was best in caring for the stock and he learned to form his opinions quickly, yet never without that careful judgment which must always discriminate in order to determine the true value or possibilities of any situation. At length, believing that mercantile life would offer him greater opportunities, Mr. Bruner began clerking in a country store and was thus employed from 1875 until 1880. He then accepted a clerkship in the office of the superintendent of the motor power and machinery department of the old Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railway, and later came the chance to see something of the country as a traveling salesman and for five years he was upon the road, traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the lakes to the gulf. This brought him intimate knowledge of the country and he was keenly interested in studying the resources of different sections. His next position was that of manager of the wholesale house of Phillips Brothers in Seattle, Washington, and after a year thus spent he became manager and auctioneer of the Kansas City Fruit Auction and Cold Storage Company, following that business for three years. From early life he was keenly interested in the mineral resources of the country, and while the route was a devious one his path at length led him to the mines with which he has been connected in every position from that of prospector to the presidency of most important mining companies. For a quarter of a century he has given much of his time and energies to the development of mining properties. In the west, becoming president of the Anaconda-Arizona Mining Company, the R.E. Bruner Copper Company, the Missouri Lithograph, Marble & Mining Company and secretary of the Big Niangua Development & Realty Company. In this connection a contemporary biographer has written: "Mr. Bruner's experience has been varied and spectacular. His mining operations have given him a familiarity with every phase and sensation of the miner's life, from prospector to president, and his promotions include some of the richest finds in the central range. The road he traveled was not always smooth; there were bumps and pitfalls at frequent intervals. He was gouged and squeezed and cruelly betrayed by quondam summer friends, but he always accepted his fate philosophically and charged it all to experience. Notwithstanding many drawbacks Roland E. Bruner has made and lost fortunes, helped a thousand men to success, and he has frequently borne the loads and losses of other men--and the attendant knocks--with a peculiar patience and stout-hearted fortitude that is the admiration of all who know him intimately. Mr. Bruner is of the Tom Lawson type of man--a veritable human dynamo. He never exhausts and rarely wearies under pressure; a man of indomitable will, of tremendous energy and never flagging industry, and withal a gentle, kindly sympathetic nature. Always possessed of an optimism that never permitted him to fear defeat or confess failure, he accepted fortune as it came, and confidently relied upon the belief that the 'turn in the road' must come to the man who honestly and intelligently follows a fixed course with determination. This faith never deserted him." Another writer has said: "His investments in mining properties have been judiciously placed, and the control of his interests of this character shows him to be a man of remarkable ability. He understands mining not only from its financial side, but from the scientific standpoint as well, and is the possessor of a most magnificent collection of minerals, composed of some of the rarest kinds: including pearls, amethysts, garnets, rubies, turquoise, opals, coral and diamond rock. This collection also contains a fine specimen of pitch blende, from which radium is made; a quartz crystal weighing four hundred and eighty pounds and numberless valuable specimens, each the best of its kind. These are all systematically and attractively arranged in seven large cases, and his generosity has promoted him to make this collection public in that he permits all who are interested to visit his museum." Aside from his connection with mining interests Mr. Bruner has conducted important business affairs under the name of the Bruner Realty & Investment Company and under the firm style of R.B. Bruner & Company. On the 31st of May, 1883, was celebrated the marriage of Roland E. Bruner and Miss Hannah M. McLain, the wedding taking place at Wellsville, Franklin County, Kansas. They have become parents of five children: Rea Millard., Glen Lamer., Carey, Roland Edward Jr, and Hannah M Bruner. Mr. Bruner belongs to Westport Lodge, No. 340, A.F. & A.M., of which all of his sons are also members, and he is likewise a Consistory Mason and a member of several of the best clubs of Kansas City. The Bruner home is one of gracious hospitality and charm, the family occupying a most prominent social position in Kansas City, while Mr. Bruner it has been said: "He is widely recognized as a man of wide philanthropy and Christian spirit, regarding fully the responsibilities of wealth and doing much service for his fellowmen, not from a sense of duty, but from a sincere and abiding interest in humanity. He is widely known in scientific circles as a geologist and collector of fine specimens; and in mining circles as a most successful business man, while in the city of his residence he is counted among those whose labors have been effective and far-reaching in behalf of public progress, while his personal traits of character are such as win him warm friendships and popularity."
From Kansas City, Missouri, Its History and Its People, 1800-1908; by Carrie Westlake Whitney, Illustrated Vol. II; Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1908:
"It seems a long step from herding cattle on the plains to mine operation and ownership, but this distance Mr. Bruner has covered in the course of an active life wherein labor has been directed by sound intelligence and determination. A native of Pennsylvania, he was born in Montoursville, Lycoming County, on the 12th of August, 1860, and is of German lineage. His great-grandparents in both the paternal and maternal lines came from the fatherland to the new world. His parents were John and Margaret A. (Bastian) Bruner, of Montoursville, where the father carried on merchandising. The somewhat limited financial resources of the family, however, made it necessary for Roland E. Bruner to provide for his own support at an early age. He is practically a self-educated as well as self-made man financially. To some extent he attended the public schools of Franklin county, Kansas, to which place his parents removed during his early boyhood, becoming identified with agricultural interests there. When still but a youth, however, Mr. Bruner began herding cattle on the plains at a period when the west was an open range. The outdoor life not only gave him possibilities for physical development but also brought to him the chance of becoming a self-reliant young man. As a herder on the plains he had to depend upon his own judgment as to what was best in caring for the stock and he learned to quickly form his opinions, yet never without that careful judgment which must always discriminate in order to determine the true value or possibilities of any situation. However, believing that mercantile life would offer him greater opportunities, Mr. Bruner accepted a clerkship in a country store, where he remained from 1875 until 1880. In the latter year he became a clerk in the office of the superintendent of the motor power and machinery of the old Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railway, and then came the chance to see something of the country as a traveling salesman and for five years he was upon the road, traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the lakes to the gulf. It gave him an intimate knowledge of his country and he used his opportunities to study the resources of the different sections of the country to the best advantage. His next position was that of manager of the wholesale house of Philips Brothers in Seattle, in which capacity he continued for a year, when he became manager and auctioneer of the Kansas City Fruit Auction and Cold Storage Company, to which work he devoted his energies with success for three years. Always interested in minerals, this early predilection was a step toward the acquirement of his extensive mining properties at the present day. For the past fifteen years he has devoted his attention largely to mining, and is now president of the Anaconda-Arizona Mining Company, the R.E. Bruner Copper Company, the Missouri Lithograph, Marble and Mining Company. He is likewise secretary of the Big Niangua Development & Realty Company. His investments in mining properties have been judiciously placed, and the control of his interests in this character shows him to be a man of remarkable ability. He understands mining not only from its financial side, but from the scientific standpoint as well, and is the possessor of a most magnificent collection of minerals, composed of some of the rarest kinds, including pearls, amethysts, garnets, rubies, turquoise, opals, coral and diamond rock. This collection also contains a fine specimen of pitch blende, from which radium is made; a quartz crystal weighing four hundred and eighty pounds and numberless valuable specimens, each the best of its kind. These are all systematically and attractively arranged in seven large cases, and his generosity has prompted him to make this collection public in that he permits all who are interested to visit his museum. On the 31st of May, 1883, Mr. Bruner was married to Miss Hannah M. McLain, in Wellsville, Franklin county, Kansas. They have five children. Mrs. Bruner, a lady of culture and charm of manner, presides with gracious hospitality over their attractive home, which is the center of a cultured society circle. Mr. Bruner is widely recognized as a man of wide philanthropy and Christian spirit, regarding fully the responsibilities of wealth and doing much service for his fellowmen, not from a sense of duty, but from a sincere and abiding interest in humanity. He is widely known in scientific circles as a geologist and collector of fine specimens; and in mining circles as a most successful business man, while in the city of his residence he is counted among those whose labors have been effective and far-reaching in behalf of public progress, while his personal traits of character are such as win him warm friendships and popularity."
To their union was born 5 children:
Rea Millard, Glen Lamer, Carey, Roland Edward Jr, and Hannah M Bruner.
The following was abstracted and compiled by Robin Leidhecker for the Lycoming Lineage, a newsletter of the Lycoming County Genealogical Society, July-August 2009:
"A famous mid-west family has their roots in Lycoming County. From Centennial History of Missouri, by Walter Barlow Stevens (1921) 'It is under the stimulus of opposition and the pressure of adversity that the strongest and best in men is brought out and developed' - a statement which finds its verification in the life record of Roland Edward Bruner, who for many years has been a prominent figure in mining circles in the west and is now at the head of the firm of R.E. Bruner & Company and of the Bruner Realty & Investment Company of Kansas City. The story of his life in its unfolding presents many a picturesque and romantic phase and the entire record has the alluring fascination of success. Mr. Bruner was born in Montoursville, Lycoming County Pennsylvania, August 12, 1860, and while he come of German ancestry, he is of the fourth generation of the family in America. His parents were John and Margaret A. (Bastian) Bruner, of Montoursville, where the father provided for his family through the conduct of a mercantile enterprise. Through the exigencies of the Civil war the financial resources of the father were largely dissipated and in fact he gave all to his country save life, and by reason of his shattered fortunes he determined to start anew in the west.' 'The Civil war was inaugurated when Roland E. Bruner was but a few months old. A few years later the family removed to Kansas and he had the opportunity to some extent of attending the public schools of Franklin County, but his educational privileges as well as his chances in other directions were extremely limited, and when quite young he began providing for his own support by working as a farm hand. A little later he took up the task of herding cattle on the plains at a period when the west was an open range. The outdoor life not only gave him possibilities for physical development but also brought to him the chance of becoming a self-reliant young man. As a herder on the plains he had to depend upon his own judgment as to what was best in caring for the stock and he learned to form his opinions quickly, yet never without that careful judgment which must always discriminate in order to determine the true value or possibilities of any situation. At length, believing that mercantile life would offer him greater opportunities, Mr. Bruner began clerking in a country store and was thus employed from 1875 until 1880. He then accepted a clerkship in the office of the superintendent of the motor power and machinery department of the old Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railway, and later came the chance to see something of the country as a traveling salesman and for five years he was upon the road, traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the lakes to the gulf. This brought him intimate knowledge of the country and he was keenly interested in studying the resources of different sections. His next position was that of manager of the wholesale house of Phillips Brothers in Seattle, Washington, and after a year thus spent he became manager and auctioneer of the Kansas City Fruit Auction and Cold Storage Company, following that business for three years. From early life he was keenly interested in the mineral resources of the country, and while the route was a devious one his path at length led him to the mines with which he has been connected in every position from that of prospector to the presidency of most important mining companies. For a quarter of a century he has given much of his time and energies to the development of mining properties. In the west, becoming president of the Anaconda-Arizona Mining Company, the R.E. Bruner Copper Company, the Missouri Lithograph, Marble & Mining Company and secretary of the Big Niangua Development & Realty Company. In this connection a contemporary biographer has written: "Mr. Bruner's experience has been varied and spectacular. His mining operations have given him a familiarity with every phase and sensation of the miner's life, from prospector to president, and his promotions include some of the richest finds in the central range. The road he traveled was not always smooth; there were bumps and pitfalls at frequent intervals. He was gouged and squeezed and cruelly betrayed by quondam summer friends, but he always accepted his fate philosophically and charged it all to experience. Notwithstanding many drawbacks Roland E. Bruner has made and lost fortunes, helped a thousand men to success, and he has frequently borne the loads and losses of other men--and the attendant knocks--with a peculiar patience and stout-hearted fortitude that is the admiration of all who know him intimately. Mr. Bruner is of the Tom Lawson type of man--a veritable human dynamo. He never exhausts and rarely wearies under pressure; a man of indomitable will, of tremendous energy and never flagging industry, and withal a gentle, kindly sympathetic nature. Always possessed of an optimism that never permitted him to fear defeat or confess failure, he accepted fortune as it came, and confidently relied upon the belief that the 'turn in the road' must come to the man who honestly and intelligently follows a fixed course with determination. This faith never deserted him." Another writer has said: "His investments in mining properties have been judiciously placed, and the control of his interests of this character shows him to be a man of remarkable ability. He understands mining not only from its financial side, but from the scientific standpoint as well, and is the possessor of a most magnificent collection of minerals, composed of some of the rarest kinds: including pearls, amethysts, garnets, rubies, turquoise, opals, coral and diamond rock. This collection also contains a fine specimen of pitch blende, from which radium is made; a quartz crystal weighing four hundred and eighty pounds and numberless valuable specimens, each the best of its kind. These are all systematically and attractively arranged in seven large cases, and his generosity has promoted him to make this collection public in that he permits all who are interested to visit his museum." Aside from his connection with mining interests Mr. Bruner has conducted important business affairs under the name of the Bruner Realty & Investment Company and under the firm style of R.B. Bruner & Company. On the 31st of May, 1883, was celebrated the marriage of Roland E. Bruner and Miss Hannah M. McLain, the wedding taking place at Wellsville, Franklin County, Kansas. They have become parents of five children: Rea Millard., Glen Lamer., Carey, Roland Edward Jr, and Hannah M Bruner. Mr. Bruner belongs to Westport Lodge, No. 340, A.F. & A.M., of which all of his sons are also members, and he is likewise a Consistory Mason and a member of several of the best clubs of Kansas City. The Bruner home is one of gracious hospitality and charm, the family occupying a most prominent social position in Kansas City, while Mr. Bruner it has been said: "He is widely recognized as a man of wide philanthropy and Christian spirit, regarding fully the responsibilities of wealth and doing much service for his fellowmen, not from a sense of duty, but from a sincere and abiding interest in humanity. He is widely known in scientific circles as a geologist and collector of fine specimens; and in mining circles as a most successful business man, while in the city of his residence he is counted among those whose labors have been effective and far-reaching in behalf of public progress, while his personal traits of character are such as win him warm friendships and popularity."
From Kansas City, Missouri, Its History and Its People, 1800-1908; by Carrie Westlake Whitney, Illustrated Vol. II; Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1908:
"It seems a long step from herding cattle on the plains to mine operation and ownership, but this distance Mr. Bruner has covered in the course of an active life wherein labor has been directed by sound intelligence and determination. A native of Pennsylvania, he was born in Montoursville, Lycoming County, on the 12th of August, 1860, and is of German lineage. His great-grandparents in both the paternal and maternal lines came from the fatherland to the new world. His parents were John and Margaret A. (Bastian) Bruner, of Montoursville, where the father carried on merchandising. The somewhat limited financial resources of the family, however, made it necessary for Roland E. Bruner to provide for his own support at an early age. He is practically a self-educated as well as self-made man financially. To some extent he attended the public schools of Franklin county, Kansas, to which place his parents removed during his early boyhood, becoming identified with agricultural interests there. When still but a youth, however, Mr. Bruner began herding cattle on the plains at a period when the west was an open range. The outdoor life not only gave him possibilities for physical development but also brought to him the chance of becoming a self-reliant young man. As a herder on the plains he had to depend upon his own judgment as to what was best in caring for the stock and he learned to quickly form his opinions, yet never without that careful judgment which must always discriminate in order to determine the true value or possibilities of any situation. However, believing that mercantile life would offer him greater opportunities, Mr. Bruner accepted a clerkship in a country store, where he remained from 1875 until 1880. In the latter year he became a clerk in the office of the superintendent of the motor power and machinery of the old Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railway, and then came the chance to see something of the country as a traveling salesman and for five years he was upon the road, traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the lakes to the gulf. It gave him an intimate knowledge of his country and he used his opportunities to study the resources of the different sections of the country to the best advantage. His next position was that of manager of the wholesale house of Philips Brothers in Seattle, in which capacity he continued for a year, when he became manager and auctioneer of the Kansas City Fruit Auction and Cold Storage Company, to which work he devoted his energies with success for three years. Always interested in minerals, this early predilection was a step toward the acquirement of his extensive mining properties at the present day. For the past fifteen years he has devoted his attention largely to mining, and is now president of the Anaconda-Arizona Mining Company, the R.E. Bruner Copper Company, the Missouri Lithograph, Marble and Mining Company. He is likewise secretary of the Big Niangua Development & Realty Company. His investments in mining properties have been judiciously placed, and the control of his interests in this character shows him to be a man of remarkable ability. He understands mining not only from its financial side, but from the scientific standpoint as well, and is the possessor of a most magnificent collection of minerals, composed of some of the rarest kinds, including pearls, amethysts, garnets, rubies, turquoise, opals, coral and diamond rock. This collection also contains a fine specimen of pitch blende, from which radium is made; a quartz crystal weighing four hundred and eighty pounds and numberless valuable specimens, each the best of its kind. These are all systematically and attractively arranged in seven large cases, and his generosity has prompted him to make this collection public in that he permits all who are interested to visit his museum. On the 31st of May, 1883, Mr. Bruner was married to Miss Hannah M. McLain, in Wellsville, Franklin county, Kansas. They have five children. Mrs. Bruner, a lady of culture and charm of manner, presides with gracious hospitality over their attractive home, which is the center of a cultured society circle. Mr. Bruner is widely recognized as a man of wide philanthropy and Christian spirit, regarding fully the responsibilities of wealth and doing much service for his fellowmen, not from a sense of duty, but from a sincere and abiding interest in humanity. He is widely known in scientific circles as a geologist and collector of fine specimens; and in mining circles as a most successful business man, while in the city of his residence he is counted among those whose labors have been effective and far-reaching in behalf of public progress, while his personal traits of character are such as win him warm friendships and popularity."
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