The Friday Finish - Bernd Grüner, Loyal Friend Passes - Togetherness, Tradition, Celebration - 50 EC Superheroes

July 11, 2025

Bernd Grüner, Our Loyal Friend Passes

“Things are rarely what they seem and never as they are.”

That was a social media post by Bernd that sums up for many their experience of this loyal friend and servant of God that graced the grounds of Red Bird Mission and surrounding communities spanning six decades. Bernd was an alumnus of Red Bird Mission School and in recent years served as a dorm parent, soccer coach, and security guard at Red Bird.

Bernd first came to Red Bird Mission School as a foreign exchange student from Germany in the 1970’s. God used that experience 40 years later as he was tapped to work weekends as a dorm parent at the Johnnie “JL” Turner Dormitory shepherding young men from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean Islands. When international students began filling the Red Bird Mission dorms in 2014 he wholeheartedly took on the task of becoming Red Bird Christian School’s (RBCS’s) first soccer coach. Coaching soccer resurrected his love and passion for the sport that Grüner played at Berea College and professionally as well.

Patty Vance, Red Bird School Alumni Association President, posted,

“He was such a proud alumnus, always eager to share stories and memories. He especially loved the children at school. He was a very giving person who never hesitated to help. That was Grüner —always helping, always caring.”

He loved to cook and developed a line of salsas and bread that were sought out in the local community and by Work Camp volunteers from many states. It was common that a conversation with Bernd included a new variation of spices or blend of peppers he had discovered in his culinary pursuits.

Social media posts being shared include the joy he brought to a relationship and his smiles that lifted hearts. He enjoyed bringing a laugh from others by sharing a joke that was uniquely Grüner’s humor.

Melanie Adams shared,

“Grüner always had time. Time for a quick conversation, time for a joke (even if I didn’t always understand it), time to just be there.”

The greatest tributes to Bernd that tie the Red Bird community together today are the testimonials that Bernd was a true friend that would show up to talk, listen and encourage. He sometimes just popped in to talk at just the right time with a loaf of bread or jar of salsa. He’d join someone on a bike ride, or a community event, but it was his loyalty to his family that will endure through the generations.

Friends and family streamed through the Dry Fork Church on Wednesday to support his wife, Ruthie, his children, and close family members. The building was also filled with colleagues, alumni and students paying their last respects at Thursday’s funeral service. Charity Gilbert, Red Bird Mission Community Aid Coordinator and talented musician, penned a touching tribute to Grüner that she sang immortalizing his signature traits and the Christian hope of meeting again. Mark Smallwood, retired RBCS Music Director, led an impromptu singing of “He That Believeth” by  young alumni and students that traveled hundreds of miles to pay respect to their beloved “Coach.”

It may have been advice offered on this social media post that he shared, but it was another testimony to the life of Bernd Grüner –

“The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s what you’re made of. Not the circumstances.”

Listen to Thursday's "He That Believeth" tribute

Togetherness, Tradition, Celebrating

Every Fourth of July, the Red Bird community gathers together for a fireworks show unlike any other, blending Appalachian tradition and heartfelt celebration. Hosted by the Red Bird Volunteer Fire Department (RBVFD), this cherished event is the result of months of dedication—all year long, the department collects donations and raises funds through the proceeds of their ice cream sales every Tuesday and Thursday. It's the kind of grassroots effort that reminds everyone how much heart this community pours into its traditions.

This year’s show was truly unforgettable, as Community Aid Coordinator Charity Gilbert lent her vocal talents to the evening with a stunning tribute to the Star-Spangled Banner, setting a patriotic tone that gave everyone goosebumps. The festivities kicked off with the lighting of the iconic “Welcome” sign, a time-honored tradition that has been part of the event for generations. Families, friends, and neighbors of all ages came together, filling every parking lot and patch of lawn to enjoy the colorful displays and share in the joy of the holiday.

The thrills didn’t stop at the fireworks, though. The festive mood was set by the music speakers set up outside the Cardinal Café, filling the warm summer air with timeless patriotic tunes. Guests enjoyed ice cream cones, drinks, and snacks sold by the RBVFD and The Cardinal Café, which kept everyone in good spirits all evening.

As the night went on, the fireworks painted the sky in bright and sparkling bursts of color, each one met with awe and cheers from the crowd. The evening closed with another beloved tradition: the lighting of the glowing “Goodnight” sign, a sincere and heartfelt farewell that concluded this memorable event in the community of Red Bird Mission.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making this year’s show such a success. From the donations and ice cream sales to the volunteers and performers, the event truly captured the spirit of the Red Bird Mission community—one that thrives on togetherness, tradition, and the love of celebrating life’s brightest moments.

Support community needs at Red Bird

50 Elderly Care Superheroes

Twenty-three (23) supporters stepped up last month to fund the gap to continue elderly meal and in-home services from stopping the last 10 days of the fiscal funding year in June. Those 23 donors are Elderly Care (EC) Superheroes in the hearts and minds of our elderly needing those services to remain healthy in their homes. As we open up the new fiscal year this month, EC Superheroes have contributed an additional $5,430 in one-time gifts that will help bridge the July cash flow gap at Red Bird Mission inherent with the delays of the government’s reimbursement system.

There is another gap that has grown in recent years – the gap between the costs reimbursed by aging services and the cost of providing elderly meals and in-home services. We need 50 EC Superheroes that can make a commitment to step up with a monthly gift of $85 to cover the reimbursement shortfall of $25,708 for meals and in-home services through December 31, 2025.

Will you help? You can set up a recurring gift today by linking to our online form. If you’d prefer to mail a check monthly, let us know of your commitment by noting “EC Superhero” on your check mailed to Red Bird Mission, Inc., 70 Queendale Ctr, Beverly, KY 40913.

Give to help our elderly!