Bruce Al Muggenburg

On the spring day of Sunday, May 2, 1937, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Bruce Al Muggenburg was born to Elmer Carl Muggenburg and Othelia Gladys Bakke. On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, after a summer rainstorm in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the age of 88 he was given his wings and was set free from the pain and suffering of dealing with Lewy Body Dementia which he endured for many years.

Dr. Muggenburg grew up in both St. Paul, Minnesota and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He attended the University of Minnesota where he received a Bachelor of Science with distinction in 1959 and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1961, and later in 1964 a Master of Science at the University of Wisconsin and then a Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Veterinary Science and a Minor in Pathology also from the University of Wisconsin in 1966.

He married Marianne Nordgren, and they had three children, Katherine Ann (deceased), Carl Thor, and Virginia Hope. After graduation, Dr. Muggenburg and family moved to Porto Allegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil where he taught modern animal farming techniques at the Universidade do Rio Grande Do Sul Medicina. Upon returning to the US, Dr. Muggenburg was an Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Science at the University of Wisconsin. In the fall of 1969, the family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he took a position at the Lovelace Inhalation Respiratory Research Institute where he became head Veterinarian and Senior Scientist.

After the death of his wife Marianne in 1976, he later married Carolyn Seale of Albuquerque. He was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, the Scandinavian Club of Albuquerque and Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. Dr. Muggenburg was very proud of his Norwegian and Swedish heritage and took great pride in researching and sharing the Scandinavian customs and music of mid-west immigrant families. He loved gathering scores of music from the farms around Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas and Iowa. Around 1980 he started, "Muggie's Uff Da Band" in Albuquerque and loved playing and sharing the polkas, waltz and Schottische barn dance type music of the Scandinavian immigrants. The band was known and played all over the Southwest. He also enjoyed woodworking and loved remodeling his homes and making professional quality furniture as well as making two Norwegian Hardanger Violins.

He is survived by his loving wife, Carolyn Seale Muggenburg of 48 years; his son, Carl Muggenburg of Alpine, AZ; his daughter, Virginia (Joel) Lacey of Albuquerque; and son-in-law, Chris Smith of Nineveh, IN; six grandchildren, Ashley (Jeff) Dikis of Des Moines, IA, Chelsea (Brian) Root of Greenfield, IN, Lindsey (Matt) Boelter of Austin, TX, Alex Douglas Smith of Virginia Beach, VA, Samantha Muggenburg of Delano, TN, and Emily Lacey of Albuquerque; seven great-grandchildren, Leo and Hayden Dikis, Stephen and Katherine June Root, Charley and Leo Boelter, and Orion Smith.

In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Animal Humane New Mexico, 615 Virginia St. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 or the charity of your choice.

A private graveside service will take place.