Bruce Arden Engler


Bruce Arden Engler


February 9, 1948 — August 19 ,2019



I never knew him as Bruce. I knew him as Bud. He was more than just that name and those dates. He was my brother. The middle child and only son of Arden and Kay Engler. Older sister Patsy and younger sister Gail filled out the family.


Born and raised in the Tustin area, he lived a good portion of his life on old Engler land by Hewitt Lake. Homesteaded first by great-grandfather Frederick Engler, grandfather Emil, and 
father Arden. He died on this land of his ancestors, with his sisters and Sarah caring for him during his final journey, within sight of the old barn and trout pond. It takes a "village" for this journey, and Walt and Tonya Hartline, Cheryl and Steve Byers, Arden Young and others helped "walk him home."


He was a grandson, son, brother, uncle,  nephew,  cousin, neighbor and member of the community. He always wore a full beard in his adult life. He had a mischievous sense of humor, and his stories often proved that true. Laughter always injected in the telling of childhood and later life. I loved his laugh. I recorded his voice with him telling his name and the date.


He added his favorite story of "Mom always liked me best." His eyes sparkled when he told of stories, events and people. He loved coffee, introduced first as a small child, compliments of his Swedish grandmother.


That farmhouse and land holds fond memories of Grandma Engler; of cousins, running the beams of the barn, the fish pond, the raspberries, crossing the hot sand barefooted in summer to get to the lake to swim. And tales of that summer we grew a large pickle crop and hated it, 
often a topic of discussion. Playing ball in the hay field with cousins Bill and Denny. 4 against 1.
 Denny, the one, always won. The four lost. We grew up rural. We lived the ideal childhoods.
 And we were loved.

 Bud was a builder by trade, owning B.A. Engler, Builder (Construction). He was Navy, serving in the Philippines during the Vietnam Conflict.

 When his wife Barbara (Beebe) died, he eventually met the woman who saved him from his loneliness, and literally his life many times, as he dealt with diabetes and the complications of it, Sarah Hartline. She gave him extra years. They very much enjoyed working jigsaw puzzles, he loved picking raspberries and driving his tractor around the farm.



Bud is survived by sisters Pat Byers and Gail Young, his beloved soul mate Sarah Hartline, cousins, nephews and nieces and Barbara's daughters.

It was his wish to be cremated, with a Celebration of Life to be held Saturday, August 24, 2019 at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Tustin from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.


In lieu of flower donations, please consider Uplift Pine River Area Kids, an organization to feed the kids with foods sent home with them.

 We are all travelers in this world.
 From birth 'til death, we travel between the eternities.
 This has been a difficult journey. Thank you to all the people who have 
helped to lighten the load. 
He is walking into "the Light." 
Rest now, brother, rest now.


— Patsy, "Toot," and Sarah.

An online guestbook is available at www.petersonfh.com.