Community celebrates life of “one of the good guys.”
By BRYCE MARTIN
Pioneer Editor | [email protected]
Bowman County paid a final tribute to one of its finest last week.
Paul Mosbrucker, 48, succumbed to cancer Oct. 30, following a courageous yearlong battle. Hundreds attended his funeral service Nov. 6 at St. Charles Catholic Church in Bowman to mourn his death and to celebrate his life.
Towards the end of the ceremony, a Last Call for Mosbrucker was broadcast over the airwaves, paying tribute to one of the most beloved community members and longtime volunteers of Bowman’s fire department.
His casket was carried out of the church by fellow firefighters in uniform, lifted atop a shiny, red rig that bore his name, and followed behind a long line of trucks from Bowman and the surrounding fire districts of Rhame, Scranton, Marmarth, Amidon and Ludlow, S.D.
Activity in the community seemed to pause as it said farewell.
Mosbrucker would always greet you with a contagious smile. If you knew him, you understood he was one of the kindest, most selfless people in the community.
For 21 years, Mosbrucker offered his time as a dedicated volunteer firefighter for the Bowman Fire Department. As owner of High Plains Glass and Towing in Bowman, he spent his full-time career helping people who found themselves in helpless situations, when they had trouble with their vehicle or had gotten stuck off road.
“… Paul was one of the good guys; the definition of a stand up guy,” Brock White of South Heart wrote on the Pioneer’s Facebook page. “I’m proud to call Bowman home, and though it may be dark, it is moments like this that remind me why it’s the best place in the world.
“Prayers up to his family, and prayers up to the greatest community on earth—it will always be home.”
That comment was one of dozens that offered sympathy for Mosbrucker’s family and detailed how loved Mosbrucker was by his community.
“I did not have the privilege of actually meeting and knowing Paul Mosbrucker but from all of your posts on here I am the one that missed out,” wrote Hettinger resident Krista Warbis. “My thoughts go out to the community and his family.”
Mosbrucker was a devoted brother, husband, father, friend, and community member—it’s easy to understand why he will never be forgotten.
The following video montage was made by Robin Welch of Bowman.
