Address
Locke on 4th
1519 W 4th St.
Waterloo, IA 50702
Norman C. “Norm” Bruggeman, 63, of Waterloo, died on Friday, April 24, 2026, at UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital in Waterloo after a courageous battle with cancer.
He was born July 3, 1962, in Belmond, the son of Mercer and Christinia (Jensen) Bruggeman. He graduated from Klemme High School in 1980 and briefly attended a trade school in Kansas City.
Norm married Chris Olthoff on June 2, 1984, at the Reformed Church in Klemme, and three sons were born to their union; they later divorced. He then married Angene Cronin on October 1, 2019, in Cocoa Beach, FL.
He worked many jobs over the years, beginning as a secondary roads foreman for Hancock County where he worked for over 20 years. He later worked in lawncare and landscaping for many years and spent some time as an OTR truck driver.
Norm was a Cub Cadet legend, known nationwide for his artistry on garden tractors which was featured in numerous publications over the years. It was therapeutic for him and through his work he made numerous lifelong friends.
He was a member of Cedar Valley Church in Waterloo, where he was active in the Tuesday morning men’s Bible study group. He was also a model railroad enthusiast. He built a barrel train and put it to use at many events in eastern Iowa and recently donated it to the church.
Norm is survived by his wife, Angene Cronin of Waterloo; three sons, Nicholas (Jordan) Bruggeman of Rockwell, Alexander (Alicia) Bruggeman of Garner, and Eric Bruggeman of Clear Lake; six grandchildren, Kaden, Aubrey, Brynnlee, Hadley, Maci, and Kason Bruggeman; three siblings, Dorothy Butler of Oskaloosa, Wayne (Jennifer) Bruggeman of Ankeny, and Barbara (Alan) Bredlow of Garner; a sister-in-law, Joan Bruggeman of Klemme; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Calvin Bruggeman; and a brother-in-law, Edward Butler.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at Cedar Valley Church in Waterloo. Visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at Locke at Tower Park, 4140 Kimball Ave., Waterloo; and also, for one hour prior to services at the church in Waterloo.
A gathering of family and friends will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 1, at the Klemme United Methodist Church in Klemme. Burial will follow at Ell Township (Calvary) Cemetery in Klemme. Memorials may be directed to the family. Condolences may be left at www.LockeFuneralServices.com. Locke at Tower Park is assisting the family. Locke at Tower Park, 319-233-3146.
Visitation
April 29, 2026
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Locke at Tower Park
4140 Kimball Ave., Waterloo, IA
Funeral Service
April 30, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Cedar Valley Church
3520 Ansborough Ave., Waterloo, IA
Visitation
May 1, 2026
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Klemme United Methodist Church
109 N 3rd Street, Klemme, IA
Nick and Jordan, Alex and Alicia, sorry about your dad. May he rest in peace.
My condolences and prayers for the entire family. 🙏
Prayers to All the Family. Norm was a great guy💐
I so appreciated Norm. He came down for 4 months or so and helped us with the Hurricane cleanup. I’m forever indebted. Rest in peace my friend and glad to know your with the Father today!
Angene, Words fall short of expressing my sorrow for your loss. May the love of those around you and the love of God help you through the days ahead. Sheri
I met you and Norm in Evansville, Indiana at the tractor show. I’m honored to have known him. My condolences to you all, and prayers for peace and comfort in the days ahead.
I was saddened to be made aware of Norm’s passing. Norm was a student at Klemme Schools where I served as secondary principal. Norm had such a pleasant disposition and always had a smile on his face. Later Norm helped me to get a tractor of mine to the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. I remember we visited and visited in that trip. Great memory! Blessings!
So sad to hear this, although I only worked a short while here in South ga with norm, he made a huge impact on me. I will miss our phone calls and messages
Norm is no longer in pain. He fought a long fight. I respected his ability to push through even when he wasn’t feeling well. Thanks for your time cutting and welding at the Cub Cadet Man Cave.
I am truly sorry, Angene. I know you’ve been a strong person but my heart just breaks for you. Please know that I am praying for you as you go thru this loss. Love you dear friend.
Oh, Angene… I am so very sorry. Thinking of you.
Very sorry for your loss. Norm will be greatly missed by his family and also his Cub Cadet family. I enjoyed our visits about Cubs and trading and working on Cub Cadets together. Thoughts and prayers to the family.
So sorry for your loss
Angene, Sylvia and I are so happy Norman met you! His eyes would just twinkle and he would beam every time he spoke of you. He finally met his “person!” We are so saddened by the loss of our forever friend, since 6th grade, its a very long time. May you and his family find comfort in the support of your family and friends. RIP to our dear friend, we loved you Norm, see you on the other side!