Denise Renae Brule

Denise Renae Brule, age 66, of Grand Fork, ND, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 9th, 2026, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, with her loving family at her side. She will be deeply missed.

Denise was born on October 20th, 1959, in Grand Forks, to Milton and Janice (Bahr) Nelson. She grew up in Grand Forks, the 3rd oldest among 6 siblings, and attended Red River High School. She was married to Randy Brule from 1985 to 1999, and they raised their children first in Crookston before moving to East Grand Forks. She was a devoted and proud mother to her children and grandchildren. Her family was her greatest joy, and she poured her heart into supporting and loving each of them.

She worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken, Hugos and Leevers supermarkets, and SEI before starting her employment at Alerus Bank where she worked for the past 11 years. She made many dear friends along the way.

Heaven just got a lot more filled with laughter, as one of Denise's greatest attributes was her ability to make people laugh. She did this often and could brighten a room in an instant. She enjoyed attending her grandchildren’s school events, binge watching Housewives, and was known to pull a few tabs now and then!

She is survived by her mother, Janice of Grand Forks, ND, son Michael (Angie) Brule of East Grand Forks, MN, daughter Katie (Manny) Krese of Grand Forks, ND, stepson Dennis Brule of Crookston, MN, stepdaughter Hollie (Steven) Cunningham of Brooklyn Park, MN, grandchildren Alyssa and D'Vonte, sisters Debi (Cliff) Carney of Grand Forks, ND, Diane (Serge) LeBlanc of Royal Palm Beach, FL, Darla (Harry) Feilen of Grand Forks, ND, brothers Alan (Oliver) Nelson of Orangevale, CA, Mike (Heidi) Nelson of Grand Forks, ND, several nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews, bonus kids Kayla and Mason, and special companion Jack Irvin.

She was preceded in death by her father, Milton, and brother-in-law Cliff Carney.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 13th at the VFW Post 3817, 312 Demers Ave, East Grand Forks, MN, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.