‘Appreciation is the greatest gift’

Rich Braun has kept two lessons from his father in his heart.

The first lesson, he said, was his father’s “sense of generosity [that] certainly carried over into my life,” and the second: Always having a large, prosperous garden.

Braun entered partial retirement in 2016 after a successful career in many different fields.

His career began as a field agent for Associated Milk Producers Inc. in Hillsboro, Wisc., and later, he moved with his family to Cincinnati to work for Couple to Couple League International — a Catholic apostolate that promotes and teaches Natural Family Planning (NFP).

While in Ohio, Braun also worked part-time as a driving instructor.

Braun and his wife, Vicki, moved back to Wisconsin nine years ago and settled in Reedsburg when he officially retired from full-time work.

But believing that “God calls us; we move to different areas and God places in front of us things to do,” Braun quickly realized that he wanted to give back in his free time, and since then, that desire has led him to two part time jobs, to make a difference in his community.

Driving for VARC

After returning to Wisconsin, the first part-time job Braun accepted was driving a transit bus for the Vernon Area Rehabilitation Center (VARC) in and around Sauk County.

He explained that “they had a need for transit drivers here for VARC, which is a handicap workshop,” and said, “I had made inquiries even prior to coming about driving bus.”

The interview was a shoo-in, and Braun started shortly after, driving clients with disabilities to and from work.

The ins-and-outs of the job, Braun said, were beginning early in the morning and driving “to Sauk City and working my way back to Reedsburg, making stops at rural communities such as Denzer, North Freedom, Rock Springs, and then onto the workshop at VARC.”

In the afternoon, Braun would reverse the route to take clients home after their workday.

Even though the work was simple, Braun was happy to serve and made an effort to become “connected with each individual and their respective families” by being a friendly face, saying a kind word, and making small talk at the beginning and end of each day.

He said he learned that “the individuals that rode my bus were all truly unique” and that “each had their own personalities along with their disabilities”.

Braun drove for VARC until 2020, and even after leaving, he said he’s happy to know that those clients remember him when he sees them in and around the community.

Helping with funerals

Four years ago, Braun decided to try something new and made the decision to leave VARC.

After being exposed to the funeral business by his younger brother who had started a funeral home in Kenosha years prior, Braun decided that it would be a meaningful job to try.

Braun explained that he was familiar with Farber Funeral Home in Reedsburg, and, that he, rather unexpectedly, stopped by and asked if they had any need for part-time help.

Braun said the response at the time was: “No, not really, but we’ll keep you on our list.”

“Within a month, they gave me a call,” he continued and soon after began his work there as a greeter during visitations.

Braun said his role was to welcome families and friends of the deceased, hold the home’s door, direct visitors where to go, and occasionally answer questions, and added that, even though the work was simple, “Appreciation is the greatest gift given to me by those whose lives are nourished at the funeral home.”

Now, a few years down the road, Braun has learned the back-end of the business and is authorized to conduct removals from hospitals, nursing homes, or hospice centers.

He said that’s “what I really enjoy because it’s the first contact with the family,” explaining that he’s a source of solace for the family at the first point of separation with the deceased.

Additionally, “One of the commitments that I’ve made, regardless of the person’s faith life, is that I’ll always pray a Rosary for them if I can,” Braun explained.

“I’ll pray it on the interstate, or sometimes when I haven’t had the opportunity to do that, I’ll pray a decade on the way to the cemetery for that person that’s riding in the back, for their soul and for their family,” he continued.

In his work, Braun explained that he’s been inspired by the words of James Drummey.

Drummey wrote, “The purpose of a funeral Mass is not to celebrate the life of the deceased but to ask God’s mercy on the soul of the person, His loving comfort on the family and friends, and for His grace to help all those present to prepare well for their own death.”

“That, to me, summarizes what I’m trying to be about,” Braun said.

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