Mr. Bruening was born in Germany in 1843; and came to America as a young man settling in Cleveland, Ohio. He married Catherine Buscher, who also was born in Germany in 1850, on July 7, 1874. They lived in Cleveland until they came to North Dakota to homestead in 1882. He proved up on his claim in 1893. He also had a tree claim on the same section. The homestead was on the Northeast 1/4 of Section 8 in Wyard Township. They were the parents of five children: John, Mary Anna, Henry, Katherine and Joseph. The two youngest children were born in North Dakota.
They lived in a sod house and had just moved into a new frame house shortly before Mrs. Bruening died on September 16, 1892. Mr. Bruening died June 6, 1896, leaving the children without parents at an early age. The older ones took care of the younger ones. Old school records show that Henry Junior took the responsibility of guardianship of the younger ones.
Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 104B