It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Maurice George Buening. Maurice had been struggling with dementia since 2017, and he succumbed to complications of the illness on August 6, 2024, at the Willows of Greensburg nursing home (Greensburg, Indiana), at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife, Mary Jane (Ortman) Buening; three of his children, Duane (Christine) Buening, Richard Buening, and Julie (Charles) Morris; five of his siblings, Carl (Marilyn) Buening, Paul (Anna) Buening, James (Sue) Buening, Joann (Edward) Burkhart, and Rita Meyer; 12 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ferd and Ida (Obermeyer) Buening; two of his sons, Mark Buening and Dennis Buening; one of his brothers, William Buening; his brother-in-law, James Meyer; and his sister-in-law, Wilma Buening.
Born near Westport, Indiana (Decatur County), Maurice was a quiet and hard-working young man. He went to Millhousen school through 8th grade and then to Napoleon High School, where he was a member of the basketball team for two years, graduating in 1959. After marrying Mary Jane on May 2, 1961, Maurice worked at the Public Telephone Co. until 1966, when he purchased his first farm. A natural handy-man and mechanic, Maurice renovated all the structures of the farm himself and serviced his own machinery, working long hours each day. He proceeded to acquire three more farms, running a successful farming business for over 50 years. Since the 1980s, Maurice also built beautiful woodworks, including shelves, filing cabinets, tables and chairs, and rocking horses/play kitchens for his grandchildren, all from his at-home carpentry studio. He had a love for well-made and interesting objects, assembling a collection of antique engines, farming equipment, and handicrafts from trade shows around the U.S., as well as artifacts found on his property.
Maurice had a mischievous sense of humor. He loved to create 3D puzzles in his studio and invite guests to try to beat them, and he often shared particularly obscure items from his collection and challenged people to guess their functions. His curiosity and eclectic tastes led him to develop such hobbies as tomahawk throwing, wine-making, and casino gaming, with him and Mary Jane hosting the occasional casino night at their home (not to mention many games of euchre, Oh Hell!, and dominoes). Most notably, Maurice’s tenderness towards his friends and family—and especially his grandchildren—was unmistakable; he built and maintained a swing set and merry-go-round for them, made homemade cotton candy to gift them when they visited, and led them on quad expeditions to collect blackberries for Mary Jane’s pies. We will remember him eating vanilla wafers in his favorite armchair, a basketball game or The Price is Right playing in the background, with a twinkle in his eye indicating that he’s about to capture you in a big, warm hug.
A visitation for family and friends will be held on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, from 9:00am to 11:00am at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Greensburg, Indiana. A Funeral Mass will be held following the visitation at 11:00am, also at the church, with Father John Meyer officiating. Burial will take place at Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery in Millhousen, Indiana.
Memorial contributions can be made to St. Mary’s Church or Our Hospice of South Central Indiana. Online condolences can be made at www.popfuneralhome.com.