GS, the fund is still open for payments.

A check made out to the Otto Gruner Foundation doesn't have an 8% fee.

Where do we send it to save the 8%?

Bump

I am out of town for the next week. Don't give up on me. I will donate when I get back. Thanks for doing this.

Here is the other way to donate.

Otto Braun Gruner Trust
C/O Citizens State Bank
9109 Highway 90 South
PO Box 908
Navasota TX 77868

Amazing. In the time following my graduation - I have been on Texags only a handful of times. I can assure you - I will visit more frequently from this point forward.

My name is Sam Gruner. Brother to Gus, BIL to Kourtney, and uncle to Cooper and Otto.

There aren't words to accurately describe how grateful my family and I are to each and every one of you. Whether your support has been financial, spiritual, or simply by spreading the word - thank you.

The past 2 weeks have been a testament to the power of prayer, God, the Aggie Family, and to the fact that people are good.

I want to share 2 stories with you.

The first is personal to me. On Wednesday afternoon, I was sitting in a deer blind. It was 4:00 and my phone started ringing. It was Gus; and they'd just received the worst news imaginable. After one of the toughest phone calls I've ever experienced - I was literally on my knees in prayer. Prayer for Otto, Gus, Kourtney, and Cooper. Prayer for peace, comfort, and strength. Prayer for the financial peace that would allow Gus and K to spend as much time with their family as possible. And prayer for God to reveal himself in all of this.

I got up, grabbed my stuff, loaded the truck and headed home. I had an immediate need to be home with my family as fast as possible. Thursday late morning, while my wife was loading the car for our trip to Navasota, I ran up to my office to clean up a few things before we left Dallas.

While I was there, my phone rang. A friend called and said he and his wife had been following the story of Otto online, but he hadn't made the connection until Gus and Kourtney's names were used. We talked and he asked what he could do. I asked him to pray. I talked to him about my concern for Gus and K and their ability to meet their financial obligations without working.

That's when Michael asked me if I had seen the donation site that had gone up. When I told him I hadn't - he said, "You have to get on Texags and check it out. It's at almost 20k and it just went live."

Little did I know - you would all do what you have done. Each of you are an answer to my prayer. God has revealed Himself over and over through you and I am eternally grateful. You will never fully understand how much your actions mean to our family.

The second story is about Thomas Campbell - Guitarsoup.

When I got on Texags to catch up on everything online - I saw the auction that Thomas put together. I emailed him to thank him, and I asked him to send me his contact info. While I was driving the family to Navasota, still overwhelmed by what was going on, I called Thomas to try to express my gratitude.

Here was a guy I'd never met, that took an amazing picture, got a release from the university, and put his work online to benefit my family. Thomas was incredibly humble and refused my offers to cover his expenses. He said he didn't know why he felt compelled to climb to the top of the jumbotron and take that picture, but he did. He said as soon as he read the story about Otto - he knew.

As we were finishing up our conversation, Thomas asked if we had any family pictures. It suddenly hit me that my family, Gus's family and our parents had never taken a picture together since Otto was born.

Thomas then said he was in New Braunfels for a wedding on Saturday night, but that he was going to get up and drive to Navasota on Sunday morning to take pictures. I accepted; and Sunday morning around 11:30 - Thomas drove up.

He spent the next several hours taking pictures of our family, Kourtney's family, kids, grand kids, and the whole lot. It was chaos, but Thomas kept shooting.

When it was all said and done - after Thomas had given up his day off with his family (and his 11 month old daughter who ironically shares her name with my 4 yr old daughter) after being on the road for most of the week - he had taken what will most likely be some of the most treasured pictures our family will ever have. And he again refused to let me pay him for anything.

Thomas - you are a great man. You have a special place in my family's heart. I am forever in your debt.

I'll never be able to thank you all enough; and I've never been more proud to be an Aggie.

God bless and Gig 'Em.

Sam Gruner

quote:

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As we were finishing up our conversation, Thomas asked if we had any family pictures. It suddenly hit me that my family, Gus's family and our parents had never taken a picture together since Otto was born.

Thomas then said he was in New Braunfels for a wedding on Saturday night, but that he was going to get up and drive to Navasota on Sunday morning to take pictures. I accepted; and Sunday morning around 11:30 - Thomas drove up.

He spent the next several hours taking pictures of our family, Kourtney's family, kids, grand kids, and the whole lot. It was chaos, but Thomas kept shooting.

When it was all said and done - after Thomas had given up his day off with his family (and his 11 month old daughter who ironically shares her name with my 4 yr old daughter) after being on the road for most of the week - he had taken what will most likely be some of the most treasured pictures our family will ever have. And he again refused to let me pay him for anything.

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Oh man...crying in the airport here.

Good work Thomas. All around.

quote:

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Good work Thomas. All around.

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Glad to say I can call you a friend, Thomas.

Blessings on your family and especially Otto and his.

Constantly amazed by the Aggie family I'm so blessed to be a part of.

Continued prayers for healing!

Good Bull Tom!
Aggie network makes me proud!
Thank You for helping me restore my faith in people!
There is so much me me me in today's world it is wonderful to find those who are not that way!!!

This is just absolutely phenomenal, all around. This needs to get bumped so more people can see Sam's story. Let's keep this at the top.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

I am thankful for Aggies, and for being an Aggie

Wow! Sam Gruner. Rookie. One post. And my eyes are so full of tears that the screen went out of focus. Welcome to the TexAgs family!

Thank you for sharing your stories. Please let Kourtney, Gus and Otto know that they are still in our prayers.

Thomas Campbell, you sir are a Good Ag!

Guitarsoup!

Anonymous has a sheet ton of cabbage!!!

Gig'em Aggies~~WHOOP!

where did all this dust come from? Good bull!