Barton Bulman
Barton Keith Bulman, five days shy of being 93 years old, passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus, his beloved Lord and Savior, during the early morning hours of Thursday, September 14, 2023 at Gundersen Hospital, with family by his side.
Saturday, October 14, there will be a time to remember Barton, his love for Jesus, his family and others - and to honor his Savior. A time of visitation will be from 10-10:50 a.m., with a service at 11 a.m., followed by lunch and a time of sharing memories of Bart. It will be held at the Calvary Evangelical Free Church, which is located just west of Spring Grove, MN. A private burial with the family was held Friday, September 15 at the Trinity Cemetery near Spring Grove, MN.
Barton was born September 19, 1930 to Clarence and Mary (Spiegler) Bulman. When young and into his early teen years, he was raised on a farm just south of Eitzen, MN, where he learned the value of hard work.
Bart lived in, and played football for, Waukon during his high school years. He worked at a gas station, pumping gas and doing various other duties, in his spare time. Until… a very pretty girl with a beautiful smile caught his eye and heart - then his spare time was partly used up in dating her! His spare time also got taken up in going to the Waterville basketball games and watching her play ball. He and Lotus Wenona Huffey were married August 20, 1950.
In the summer of 1953 they moved from a farm in northeast Iowa to one north of Caledonia, MN. At that time, they had one child and another on the way, and within the next three years, they had two more children - now they had three sons and one daughter.
In the early summer of 1961, Barton came to a living faith in Jesus Christ, and a personal relationship with Jesus began. Recently, Barton’s son, Scott, said that that decision changed the trajectory of his life, and his family’s life. Lotus came to trust Jesus, too - the same day as Bart did (ask one of the children the story of how God did that - it is amazing how God works!). Jesus made all the difference in their earthly lives and for all eternity.
Over the years, Barton and Lotus milked cows, and raised crops, chickens (for a number of years), beef cattle and six children. (They were blessed with two more children - a son and a daughter - in 1965 and 1967.) They also converted a granary-turned-chicken-house (which held 2,000 chickens at one time!) into a six-bedroom home.
Barton also did custom combining for many years; served on the Union Township board for at least 40 years; served for several terms on the Caledonia school board; and served in various offices at the Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Spring Grove, MN, where he and Lotus were members. They were also foster parents for over five years to six kids.
Son Scott (who worked side-by-side with his Dad for over 55 years), also recently said that “Dad was a simple man but not a simpleton.” All who knew him agree that he was an intelligent, honest, funny, caring for others, hardworking farmer who never retired and who never tired of opening up his heart and home to others.
Bart was still feeding the fat cattle twice a day until the middle of last winter when the arthritis in his hands kept him from continuing. However, he would still drive Scott and others around the farm in his 4x4 Ranger when needed. He had a good sense of humor, loved his wife and family dearly and prayed for them every day. He read his Bible and a devotional to Lotus every morning, and he enjoyed, in these later years, helping her make date cookies. He super-enjoyed eating the chocolate cake she would often bake for him, as well as the chocolate chip cookies and date cookies she made. He always said she made the best apple pie he ever tasted.
Barton and Lotus were blessed by the Lord to have celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary this past August 20.
Barton is survived by his beloved wife, Lotus; his two sons, Bruce (Diane) and Scott (Ellen) and their families; his two daughters, Vickie (Dennis, deceased) Roeske and Jeanine (Oyvind) Lorentzen and their families; his daughters by marriage, Denise (Steven, deceased; Kent) Bummert and LeeAnne (Wade, deceased) Bulman and their families; his adopted by faith daughter, Kerry (Ron) Meiners; his adopted by faith son, Arnet Holty; his foster daughter, Jill Field; and his brother, Gary (Alice) Bulman and their family.
Barton’s surviving family includes eighteen grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and many wonderful nieces and nephews. By some, Bart was affectionately called “The Old Dude” - long before he was old! He was a faithful and loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. We were blessed to have him and we are all thankful to God that he was ours. His smile, teasing, love, wisdom and feistiness will be missed by all of his family, many friends, neighbors, as well. But we know he is at perfect peace with Jesus and is reunited with loved ones, who also knew Jesus, who have gone on before him into eternity, and if we are Christ’s - we will see him again, some day.
Among the family members greeting Barton in Heaven when he arrived there were his sons, Steven and Wade; his grandson, Travis Bulman; and his son by marriage, Dennis Roeske. What rejoicing there must have been at that reunion!
The family is grateful to the staff at Gundersen La Crosse for their compassionate care of Dad during his final days and to the Roble Funeral Home of Spring Grove, MN for their prompt and tender assistance with burial arrangements.
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of (“knowledge of” can be translated to “relationship with”) Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” ~ 2 Peter 1:2-4 (KJV)
