Obituary of James Edward Brueggemann

James Edward Joseph Brueggemann (or Jim to most who knew him) was born on February 22, 1960, as the third son to Bernard and Rita (nee Huber) Brueggemann. His siblings Lawrence, Robert, Paul, John, and Mary completed the household. From their parents, the Brueggemann children learned a great love of the Catholic Faith and a serious fidelity to their duties of state, especially in the family business, Bavarian Trucking. Jim would jokingly tell his children that "Grandpa's (Bernard's) only rule for his children starting to drive Bavarian trucks and loaders was that they had to be potty trained." While a bit of an exaggeration, once when an insurance agent was speaking to Bernard in the Bavarian parking lot, the agent became quite concerned that an unmanned truck was coming down the road. Bernard replied," That is just my son Jim and he is not very tall yet." 

While at a cousin's wedding on September 16, 1978, James asked a young sixteen-year-old girl, Maria Schappacher, to dance with him. The rest is history. Eventually his children, who often noticed the methodical side of their dad, asked, "How did you know Mom was the one for you?" He basically replied, "I knew there was something very special about that girl the moment I first danced with her and that she would be the one I wanted as the mother of my children." On May 3, 1980, James and Maria married at St. Gertrude the Great Catholic Church in a traditional wedding ceremony. They both knew they wanted just as many children as God saw fit to send them. God blessed this couple with 18 pregnancies and 16 children over the next several years: Bernadette, Jacinta, Catherine, Dominic, Nicholas, Mary, Gabriel, Jerome, Ignatius, Regina, Stanislaus, Joachim, Mercedes, Victoria, Diego, and Carmelita. James often joked that in today's world it is too hard to hire help so he would grow his own. Of his married life, Jim often told his children when they thanked him for being such a good father: "Behind every good man there is a great woman and I married a very special woman." 

A summary of a life so dear to the eyes of the family and friends who knew him proves to be a huge task. Yet, it is no exaggeration to say he will be remembered for his love of God, family, and country in that order. The seed of the Traditional Catholic Faith planted by Bernard and Rita Brueggemann fell on fertile ground in the soul of Jim, through God's abundant grace. As the president of Bavarian Trucking from 1998 till 2026, Jim knew that the Bavarian motto, "Dedicated to Serving God and Country," was much more than a catch phrase for public relations. He would remark that “if Bavarian's only goal revolved around making money, going to work would be a pointless rat race." Instead, he saw it as a means to give back to God by all the donations sent to the various Catholic religious organizations around the world, but especially in his own town of Walton, Kentucky. He attributed all the material success of Bavarian to its being consecrated to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts. This devotion to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts played an essential role in his household. When Jim was a young man (who could not say no to his father!), Bernard asked him to commit to doing a holy hour of reparation to the Sacred Heart before the Blessed Sacrament on the first Friday of each month. This devotion lasted a lifetime as Jim continued to organize All Night Adoration in our own parish of Our Lady of the Assumption up until the last months before his death.  Jim saw all this devotion to God through the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts, both in the affairs of his company and family, as trying to "make a good return on God's investment" in him and all the while knowing that "God cannot be outdone in generosity." 

James always believed the greatest possession he had was the Traditional Catholic Faith. On what turned out to be a few days before his death, one of his children asked, "What is the greatest accomplishment of your life, Dad?" He replied, “That I have such a family and in this screwed up world my children all still practice the Faith." This love of Faith and family naturally made him support candidates in the political sphere who would uphold the rights of God and the Church in society and his country, the USA. To this end, he maintained a strong love and admiration for King St. Fernando III of Castile and Garcia Moreno of Quito, Ecuador. "If only we had such leaders like them for our country," he would remark.  

The many years of Jim’s dedication to Bavarian and his family proved to take a toll on his health as he began to show signs of heart trouble, similar to his oldest brother Larry, and his father, Bernard. His doctor and family would say, "You need to find something that makes you relax more." Yet as his father and grandfather before him, all his pains would go away when he got into the tractor to bush hog. By the time Jim approached his 60s, his family doctor diagnosed him with congestive heart failure, and God slowly started to take from him the ability to work long hours at the Bavarian office. In the winters of 2024-2025, Jim's condition worsened, sometimes only allowing him enough strength to make it to daily Mass. For a man who loved to work and with such a sense of duty, this proved to be a great trial, but an act of Providence to prepare him for eternity. The 12th promise of the Sacred Heart to those who are dedicated to Him states, "They shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving the sacraments. My Divine Heart shall be their refuge in their last moments." As well, Our Lady promised to those devoted to her Immaculate Heart “to assist them at the hour of death with all graces necessary for the salvation of their souls." Jim lived the life of the sacraments and received Extreme Unction throughout the winters of 2024-2025. Then on Friday August 14, feeling even worse than usual, he went to Confession, received Holy Communion, the Apostolic Blessing, and Extreme Unction. About two hours later, he told Maria, "I am ready to go," to keep an appointment with their family doctor. These were his last words, as he had what was believed to be a stroke about 20 minutes later, and was rushed to the hospital. However, Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Mother, who can never be outdone in generosity, would not let him depart until his wife, siblings, and all his children said goodbye to him amongst a chorus of rosaries and prayers for the dying around his deathbed. He died at 10:12 a.m. on the Feast of the Assumption, the day on which Catholics firmly believe that Our Lady was taken body and soul into heaven.  

James is preceded in death by his parents, Bernard (died February 2011) and Rita (died February 2008), his brother Larry (died October 1995) and his grandson Jiuseppe Jahnsen (died February 2025). He is survived by his wife, Maria, all his children, 46 grandchildren and counting, and his siblings, Robert, Paul, John, and Mary. 

The wife and family of James Edward Joseph Brueggemann humbly beg you to pray for the repose of his soul. He expressed this was the most important gift anyone could make to the souls of the faithful departed and lamented how the Holy Souls in Purgatory are so often forgotten. Requiescat In Pace!  While the family of James Brueggemann appreciates flowers, we value Masses and prayers said for the repose of his soul more. Memorial donations can be made by clicking here.