Laddie E. Bruha was born on April 2nd, 1936 in Ord, Nebraska his parents were Otto and Helen Bruha. Laddie is married to Darlene Bruha and they have four children Jennie, Daniel, Linda, and Randall. Laddie and Darlene also have six grand children and nine great grandchildren.

Laddie attended grade school and graduated from 8th grade in 1949. At the age of 12 he got a button accordion and began playing as his grandpa, dad, and older brother also played, so it seemed natural that he learned to also. At the age of 16 he began playing with Eldon Trojan.

In 1959 Laddie married his grade school sweetheart Darlene who also has a love for polka music it was their main entertainment in the early years. They attended all of the polka dances in the in the Ord area. Over the years besides Eldon Trojan, Laddie also played for Syl Boro and the Polka Gems from Ord, playing drums for Kenny Shuda and his band from Grand Island for 13 years. He had his own band before joining his son on drums with the Dan Bruha Combo. He is proud that Dan is caring on with family traditions.

He has played in Kansas, Ohio, Michigan, as well as all over Nebraska. He had to gradually quit when old age caught up with him. Laddie received a trophy in the button accordion contest at the Pla Mor Ballroom in Lincoln and was inducted into the Milligan Polka Hall of Fame.

Laddie has been a farmer all his life, raising corn, soybeans, alfalfa, and cattle until he retired 13 years ago and turned the operation over to his two sons. Since retiring he has taken up the hobby of woodworking. One of his projects was hand-crafting a replica of an accordion that is a copy of his favorite accordion.

Laddie can’t even imagine what life would have been like without polka music.