She enjoyed a rich intellectual and cultural upbringing, receiving an excellent early education and participating in the local musical community.
After her mother's death in 1827, Bruns continued her studies in Münster, receiving training in household skills as well as formal instruction in subjects like history, geography, and music.
[1][2] Over the next 15 years, Bruns letters to her relatives in Germany document the struggles and successes of the German immigrants in the "Westphalia Settlement.
[1] In her later years, Bruns tried her hand at farming with her youngest son, but failing eyesight made many of her previous activities difficult.
[1] Over 270 letters, mostly written to relatives in Germany, as well as an unfinished autobiography, document Bruns' life as a German immigrant woman on the American frontier.