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10 www.DesertMessenger.com June 18, 2014 Desert Messenger offers FREE Classifi ed Ads! Here's the small print: Items for sale under $1000. Private Party Only. 1 per month. Yard/Garage/Craft Sales, Wanted, Give-a-ways, Free, Lost & Found, etc. (non-commercial) For more information, contact Rain at 928-916-4235 or Email: Editor@DesertMessenger.com In Memoriam Summer AA Meetings QUARTZSITE, AZ Gloria 316-617-1877 Mon. & Thurs. 5:30pm Local Survivors Group 375 Sunrise St. Tuesday nights at 6:30pm, Quartzsite Community Bible Church hosts their summer music jam schedule. Amplifi ed instru- ments and playing all music includ- ing Gospel music. 375 E. Sunrise St. Let's have a good jam summer. Summer jam Quartzsite - You are invited to at- tend services at Covenant Lutheran church this summer. Pastor Fred Saltow will be here to conduct com- munion services on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the months of June, July and August. A potluck will be held after services on the 3rd Sunday. We welcome you and your family to join us. Bring a dish to share and join our fellowship time together. Services will begin at 9:30 AM and we are located at 270 East Cowell Street. Additional services will be held and conducted by congregational members throughout the summer as well. Dates will be announced at the above services. The last Sunday of each month congrega- tion members will be visiting local churches in the area. Summer services at Covenant Lutheran Remembering "Sonny" Brunet By Joanne Winer Many people were shocked a little over a week ago to learn of the sudden passing of one of the most wonderful and caring person in Quartzsite, Delber "Sonny" Brunet. We all knew him as Sonny, and most people called him that. Sonny Brunet and his wife Joanne came to Quartzsite many years ago, and bought the building that used to the the town library, and they made it into a Gum Gallery for Joanne's vast collection, while living in the back of the building. After awhile, they bought prop- erty on Washington St., a small house and several RV spaces. They eventually moved the Gum Gallery there, and leased out their building behind Silly Al's to the Salvation Army, where their thrift store was for 12 years. All the time the thrift store was there, Sonny and Joanne volunteered to help at the store, and Sonny did a lot of the mainte- nance on the property, putting up fences, etc. When the Salvation Army moved to their new location, Sonny knew some of us wanted to start another thrift store to be able to raise money to help other groups in town, like Police, Fire Dept, etc. and offered to lease it to us, at a very reasonable price. So, for the past 4 years, we have occupied the building, and it has been huge suc- cess, thanks to all the volunteers, and especially thanks to Sonny and Joanne, her for being a part of the store by volunteering and being on the committee, and Sonny for all his hard work getting the store ready for opening by scraping up old carpet and laying new, fi x- ing all the little problems that old buildings can have, and just being so supportive of our efforts. All of us are so saddened that he is no longer here. Sonny was also very active in the local VFW Post 769, joining in the Men's Auxiliary, bartending, cook- ing, whatever was needed--he loved the comradeship of his friends there, and could always be counted on to help wherever needed. They will also miss him a lot. For me, it is a little more per- sonal because Sonny helped do something for me that I will never forget and will be thankful for the rest of my life. When we started Celia's Rainbow Gardens, one of the fi rst things we put in was the fountain at the entrance--we had already gone to the school the year Celia died and had all the students and teachers put their hands in wet cement molds of bricks that we planned to build a wall with to surround the fountain, which was Celia's special area of the Gardens, so she would be surrounded by her friends. We never found anyone who could volunteer to do the brick work for a long time. Many years later, Sonny and Joanne were planning their fam- ily reunion--we had become good friends, and Paul and I were invited to the celebration out at the town park. We had met many of their family members by this time, and loved them all--turned out that many of the family were brick ma- sons, and Sonny asked them about working over the weekend to build the wall around the fountain for us. So, many family members came out early on the Saturday before the celebration and not only put the brick wall around the fountain patio, but also built the rock wall around the fountain itself. After fi nishing on Sunday, we all gathered at the pavilion for a great celebration of their 50 years of marriage as well as the family reunion--Paul brought his piano out and all the kids played with him--photos at the bookstore called the Razz a ma Tazz band!! It was a great event, and Sonny and Joanne were surrounded by their loving family and friends. It was very spe- cial for Paul and I too. Sonny was born on April 25, 1933, and he met and eventually married Joanne Phelps on Novem- ber 4, 1951. He was predeceased by his twin sister Thelma and his sister Juanita has also passed. He is survived by his siblings-sisters Vicky (Glenwood Springs, Co), and Darlene (Eau Claire, Wis.), and brother Darrell (Clifton, Co.) Son- ny has a son Raymond fromYork Valley, Az (who has 2 daughters)), and a daughter Debbie Hilbish (2 sons). He also has many many grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephews--it is a large extend- ed family! His grandson Shane and girl- friend Eva also live in Quartzsite on his property and have helped tremendously during his illness. There is so much more to Sonny than I can possibly put into words, but I know that he is in a special place and will never be forgotten by all of us who loved him be it rela- tive or friend. He made a big dif- ference in many lives, and will be missed very much--special prayers go out to wife Joanne and family for their loss until they meet again.