Rachel Vrudny

Rachel Leah Vrudny was born on January 25, 1960,  and raised in Brainerd, MN  as part of a family very involved with swimming and in all the activities at Zion Lutheran Church.  She graduated with honors from BHS in 1978,  being very involved with music, art, drama, and the sports teams.  She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, CA.  She married in 1981 and lived for a time in Saudi Arabia;  she loved seeing different places and peoples.  They lived for years in Ohio and adopted two boys.  Her life took on a new direction after being divorced.  She became a Lutheran early-childhood school teacher through Concordia University-St. Paul and served Lutheran schools in Baxter, MN, New Orleans, LA and Peach Tree City, GA.

Throughout her life she was intentional and loyal in serving her Lord Jesus in directing choirs & other music, with puppet and children’s ministries,  in all the activities of her congregations and schools,  as well as in her artwork and poetry.  During these later years,  she wrote two deeply personal books and various devotionals;  even leading chapel services for fellow residents in the care center.

She was diagnosed diabetic at age 4, but learned to manage that condition successfully and adapt to its complications, especially for her eyesight.  She suffered a brain aneurism in 1994 and an acute ischemic stroke in 2011.  Since that time, she was variously disabled in body and speech, but never in mind, humor, faith, and caring about others.  At Bethany-Good Samaritan in Brainerd she continued to paint with water color, write books and devotionals, as send uplifting Bible verse to friends and family.  In May she contracted the Covid-19 virus and, in time, was taken to the hospital for care ~ a place she was very familiar with throughout her 60 years ~ and the Lord Jesus called her home from there on June 8.

Rachel was very creative,  very talkative,  remembered everything,  very committed to her sons and extended family and friends,  and very humbly faithful to the Triune God under that grace freely given in the name of Jesus Christ in His promise through Holy Baptism.  In many ways she had a tough life,  but was given tougher faith and always found something to be thankful for.  How much she looked forward to entering her eternal home with eternal health and sight!

She is survived by her sons, Joshua and Jeremiah;  parents, Paul and Myra;  siblings, Elizabeth (Bill) Brostrom of MI,  Timothy (Betsy) of MN,  Matthew (Bonnie) of MN,  and Joseph (Kimberly) of MN,  as well as many nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by one brother, Daniel (Lesley) of TX.

A ‘homegoing’(funeral) service will be led by Rv. Steven Benson at Zion Lutheran Church in Brainerd on Thursday, June 18 at 2pm, with a visitation time one hour prior.  Arrangements have been handled by Brenny Family Funeral Chapel of Baxter, MN.