Bruce Barten

Bruce Barten   Age 76 of Minneapolis   

 

Bruce Palmer Barten, engineer, lawyer, joke writer, musician, artist, and philosopher died in his home on September 23, 2023. He is survived by his children, Sarah (Daniel) Diaz of Chula Vista, CA, Daniel (Emily) Barten of Eden Prairie, MN, Hannah (Emilio) Santoyo of Las Vegas, NV, Andrew (Jamie) Barten of Minneapolis, MN and their mother, Ann Barten; grandchildren Hunter Santoyo, Riley & Kaylee Barten, Nico (Stephanie) Diaz, Tyler (Shantal) Diaz; great granddaughter, Savannah Diaz; siblings Phyllis B. Harris, Carol (Joe) Alfred, Nina Barten, Polly B. Gordon; brother-in-law, Paul Harris; many nieces & nephews.  

 

Born in Marshalltown, IA, Bruce graduated from Union High School in Grand Rapids, MI. He received his engineering degree from the University of Michigan and his law degree from Harvard University. He was a veteran of the Vietnam war. After law school he and his wife moved to Minneapolis, MN where they raised their family.   

 

Bruce loved music.  He performed in choirs at Lyndale UCC, Mayflower UCC, and Swedenborgian Church.  He played with a wide variety of instruments that became the soundtrack of his life.  When taking his children to the beach or picnics he would often contribute to the ambiance with his guitar playing and his rollicking laughter.    

 

Bruce was an artist and a cogitabund, He created large politically themed provocative posters that could be carried at demonstrations. Bruce was an avid reader and philosopher. He read foreign works in their original text for greater authenticity.  Bruce believed that his character was influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche, Walter Kaufmann & Tom Petty. He shared his reflections and interpretations on literature as an Amazon reviewer.   

 

With the support (at times, unwanted support) of his loving and dedicated family, Bruce grappled with the trauma of the Vietnam war and his cognitive dissonance in regards to the zeitgeist of the populace.   

 

As a self-proclaimed and infamous vagabond, Bruce enjoyed rousing and heckling a diverse representation of the Twin Cities subcultures, including but not limited to, the communities of Nokomis Avenue in Minneapolis, 7th Place in St. Paul, Knox Landing in Bloomington, and Briarcliff in Mahtomedi. Whirlygig. Nukerplunker.

 

Memorial service will be 3:00 pm Sun., Oct. 22 at BRADSHAW, 3131 Minnehaha Ave S, Minneapolis with hospitality and visitation beginning at 1:00pm. Memorials can be made to the donor's preferred choice.