Bruce Arthur “The Colonel” Bieri (74) – This cowboy took his final ride February 5th, near Inn of the Mountain Gods Casino and Resort on the Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico. Bruce spent his final weeks road-tripping in his “traveling condo”, gambling, beating felony charges(non-violent, case was dismissed), gambling, helping neighboring campers shovel snow, gambling, loaning his truck to strangers so they could get to work, gambling, and giving them the remaining gas he had to ensure they could stay warm during a Southern New Mexico blizzard Fern that brought 18 inches of snow. Before arriving at his final campsite, he made a pit stop at Billy the Kid Casino/Ruidoso Downs Racetrack where he had visited with his brother Brian and friend Wayne in the early 70’s. Unfortunately, upon arrival, his traveling condo was a little too tall and hit the “not so welcome” gate. In Bruce’s words, he ended up replacing the ceiling air-conditioning unit with a skylight. While in New Mexico, he was also able to check visiting the International UFO Museum in Roswell off his bucket list, which he had talked about for years. Before embarking on what ironically ended up being his kick the bucket list trip, Bruce supported three of his favorite places in the Midwest on his way out of town: Oneida Casino, Ho-Chunk in Wisconsin Dells, and Hard Rock Casino in Rockford, IL. The Buffalo slots were his favorite along with table game Mississippi Stud.
Bruce was born October 27th, 1951, in Madison, WI. He graduated from New Lisbon High School and started a painting business, which led to him completing Certified Auctioneer School (CAI) from Indiana University and Accredited Appraiser of Real Estate (AARE) programs. Bruce then started Wild Rose Auction and Real Estate Company and later Wisconsin Real Estate Auctioneers. Bruce mentored many auctioneers along the way and valued their success as much as his own. He also co-owned and revived the Wild Rose Hotel with buddies Tom, Rick, Craig, and Dick. After almost 40 years in the auction industry, Bruce got his commercial driver’s license (CDL) and hit the road – this allowed him to see many parts of the country and loved every minute of it. Of thousands of professional accomplishments, accolades, and awards, Bruce was proudest of achieving the 1999 Wisconsin State Fair Bid Calling Champion and being named the 2003 Wisconsin Businessman of the Year – which led to dinner with President George W. Bush.
Outside of gambling, Bruce enjoyed watching (and cheering because if you knew Bruce, he was the most vocal person every place he went) his sons Blake and Bryce play sports – especially Home Talent Baseball, watching the Packers (in addition to his parlay cards), playing cribbage, attending his son-in-law Wayne’s races at WIR, buying/selling anything where a dollar could be made or lost, taking an afternoon nap, waxing and shaping his iconic handle bar mustache, checking in on Tanya and David and helping others in any way he could. He especially enjoyed the time spent with family over the last year including learning about a long-lost daughter and granddaughters. He spent his last 10 months on his daughter Meredith’s land, staking claim as LOT 151, hanging out, dancing, storytelling, laughing, gardening, cooking, playing cribbage, camping at the Iola Car Show, tinkering, and loving family every single day. His final act of kindness was delivering five turkey dinners to families in need — invoicing Meredith $2,800 for labor. In Bruce’s words, they were partners on the deal. One of his (and our) favorite memories was putting on a Santa themed suitcoat at Christmas and auctioning off random items from a surplus store to his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. His auction chant was as sharp, crisp, and world-renowned as it was 30 years ago.
Bruce was quite the ladies’ man and married his first wife Myra (who happened to be his high school English Teacher) and instantly became Dad to Myra’s children Tanya and David. Soon after, his daughter Meredith was born who was the apple of his eye until she developed her own opinions. Bruce considered his business a family business with Myra clerking, Tanya and David running lunch wagons and Meredith running tickets and running up Bruce’s tab. When Bruce needed a change of scenery he embarked on his second marriage to Donna which brought new and fresh help at his auctions with his sons Blake running tickets and Bryce running lunch wagons. Donna and Bruce enjoyed traveling, hunting, fishing and loved their boys immensely. While neither Myra nor Donna earned the title of Forever Cowgirl, he respected their intelligence and the mom’s they were to his children.
The cast of characters he leaves behind includes Daughter Meredith Bieri (Wayne Posselt), Son Blake Bieri, Son Bryce Bieri, Children Tanya Eagan (John) and David Sanders (Laura), Formerly long-lost daughter, Tanya (Eric). Yes, he had two daughters named Tanya which is very on brand for Bruce. Bruce’s Grandchildren: Maggie Mae (Everett), Macy (Ryan), Kyle (Abbey), Bodhi, Johnny (Brooke), Jack (Michaella), Harleigh, Starr, Tegan, Aaron, Aiden, Olivia, Leila, Gabi. Great grandchildren: Louie, Everett Jr, Cooper, Noah, Rainbow, and River. His Siblings: Brian (Peggy), Sandy (Louie), David (Peggy), John (Brenda), Dawn (Ed), Special Niece Andrea, a roster of nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. Former wife Donna Kruchten who confirmed Bruce was a “good shit,” Long time friends Jay, Eli, Rusty, and Vicki. He will also be deeply missed by Oneida, Hard Rock, and Ho Chunk Casinos, Camel Straights (Eagle 20’s when times were tough), The Dollar Tree, Temu and Menards. He also left many VIP Casino Hosts behind.
Greeting him in whatever place he ends up next are his parents Betty & Samuel, his Grandpa Art, first wife Myra, in laws Ann, Milan, Mahala and Albert, Dear friend and brother-in-law Jack Kruchten, many friends and business associates and in another final surprise, Cy Young (Fifth Cousin, Fourth Removed…. seriously).
Due to the recovery effort needed for his Truck and Traveling Condo in New Mexico, Blake, Bryce, Meredith, and Wayne flew out to bring it home. Bruce was looking down, smiling, crying tears of joy, and laughing more than anything watching the shenanigans they encountered. The four of them spent the weekend looking for a gentleman named “John” from New York who called him in the hospital, thinking he had answers to Bruces final days. They checked the entire campground and resort for New York License plates to no avail. When they were packing up, they finally got John on the phone and felt a moment of relief. Hilariously, John ended up being a telephone scammer claiming to be from Reader’s Digest informing us Bruce had won $2.5 million, $10k/week for life, and a White Mercedes Benz with the “black rims Bruce picked out”. Every day since he passed, his children say WTF or you are never going to believe this one at least five times a day. None of those are the result of hidden cash, surprise life insurance policies, buried treasures or offshore bank accounts. He lived life to the fullest till his very last breath and exemplified the philosophy “Can’t take it with me when I’m dead.” One of his last communications to Meredith was a text message that stated: “Don’t want a lot of questions, just need funds.”
Going once… Going Twice… Sold!
And if Bruce owes you money, please call (917) 382-4963 and ask for John. Kindly let him know the amount and deduct it from his $2.5 million prize!
Meredith, Blake, and Bryce wrote this how we envisioned Bruce would have wanted it written, and shared details because if you were familiar with Bruce, he would love nothing more than to provide one final laugh for those who are reading – whether you knew him or not. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a dad like Bruce, who truly was his kids’ biggest fan, hype-man, and best friend. We love you Pops!
For those who have not seen Bruce in recent years, it is worth sharing that in his final decade, Bruce did the hard, quiet work of becoming a better man — confronting alcohol, learning about trauma, and understanding mental health. His last decade reflected a quieter, healthier chapter of life that allowed him to be more present with family and friends.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who loved Bruce, understood him, learned from him, and carried his advice forward into their own lives. To honor his memory, we invite you to reconnect with an old friend, mend a broken relationship, or go out of your way to help someone in need — small acts of kindness Bruce believed in deeply.
Services will be held on Saturday, March 7th at Valley Funeral Home, N1858 Greenville Drive, Greenville, WI 54942. Visitation will take place from 4:00–6:00 PM, service beginning at 6:00 PM. You can also join us at Oneida Casino, Green Bay any time after 8:30pm that evening. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Fox Cities Acts of Kindness, with proceeds supporting those Bruce affectionately referred to as “the underdog.” A future scholarship for an aspiring auctioneer will be created — a tribute to the craft he loved and the people he mentored.
PS: If you are Jennifer, please reach out because we have a special note Bruce had written for you recently. Also included is a file of his accolades he wanted you to see.
