MINNIE was born in Connecticut, November 1855 and died November 6, 1932 in Palo Alto, California. Bill and Minnie had five children:

Frederick Charles Pluns, born February 20, 1877 and died September 8, 1937 in Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California. Frederick never married.

Fred's obituary in the Palo Alto Times, September 8, 1937.
FREDERICK PLUNS TAKEN BY DEATH
Frederick Charles Pluns, 60, died this morning at his residence on Newell road. The deceased was a native of San Francisco and came to Palo Alto in 1891. He followed the carpentering trade for many years, but for the past eight years had worked for the City of Palo Alto as a gardner. He had membership in the Native Sons of the Golden West and the carpenters' union.
Surviving relatives include three sisters, Miss Matilda Pluns, Mrs. Oliver J. Saunders and Mrs. W.F. Weisheimer, all of Palo Alto. Mr. Pluns was the uncle of Dorothy and Oliver J. Saunders, Jr., and William Weisheimer Jr.

William Edward Pluns, Jr., born September 1878, San Francisco, California and died April 19, 1903 in Palo Alto, California. William never married.

Will's obituary from the April 21, 1903 edition of the Palo Alto Times
OBITUARY -- WILLIAM PLUNS.
The residents of Palo Alto were shocked on Sunday morning to learn of the death of this young man, as it had not been generally known he was ill. He had contracted typhoid fever, but had not given up until the disease had gained too great headway to be controlled. This is the first death to occur from the fever, and the family reside outside of the town limits.
William Pluns was the son of Mrs. Minnie Pluns, and his home has been here since the founding of the town. Although outside the corporate town, the family belong in the school district, and Will attended school and had many friends amoung the young people. He was a most exemplary young man, and since the death of his father some eight years ago, has been the strength and comfort of his mother. He was quiet and unassuming, but a clean, moral man whose influence was good on all with whom he came in contact. Besides his grief-stricken mother, he leaves one brother, Fred Pluns, and three sisters, Florence, Tillie and Lulu, to mourn his loss. The body was taken to Cypress Lawn Cemetery today and funeral services were held in the mortuary chapel. The sympathy of the entire community is given the afflicted family.

Florence Minnie Pluns, born December 13, 1882 in San Francisco and died May 31, 1953 in Palo Alto, California. Florence married Oliver James Saunders on September 18, 1909. He was born February 4, 1876 in Cosumnes, Sacramento, California and died July 15, 1966 in Palo Alto, California. Together, they had two children, a boy and a girl.

Matilda "Tillie" E. Pluns, born February 1, 1885 in San Francisco and died January 24, 1942 in Palo Alto, California. She never married.

Matilda's obituary from the Palo Alto Times(date unknown).
Funeral is arranged for Matilda E. Pluns
Funeral services for Matilda E. Pluns, a resident of Palo Alto for nearly 45 years who died Saturday, will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock at her home, 701 Center street. Internment will be at Cypress Lawn Cemetery. Roller & Hapgood is handling the services. Miss Pluns, a native of San Francisco, came to Palo Alto in 1892 (actually 1891). Death followed a lingering illness. Surviving Miss Pluns are two sisters, Mrs. Oliver J. Saunders and Mrs. William F. Weisheimer of Palo Alto; a niece and two nephews: Dorothy and Oliver Saunders Jr. and william Weisheimer Jr.

Louisa "Lulu" Ema Pluns born September 24, 1893 and died May 10, 1988 in Mt. View, Santa Clara County, California. Lulu met and married William Frederick Weisheimer who was born on December 18, 1888 in San Francisco and died December 25, 1953 in Santa Clara County. At this time, I found they had one son.

There is a Queen Anne style home at 3020 Washington St. in the Pacific Heights District in San Francisco, called the William Pluns House. It is not confirmed whether he built the home, but he did live there.

William Pluns' obituary in the Palo Alto Times, April 10, 1896.
DEATH OF WILLIAM PLUNS He Succumbed to an Attack of Typhoid Fever. LEAVES A WIFE, TWO SONS AND THREE DAUGHTERS.
The sad news of the death of Mr. William Pluns was announced yesterday morning, and while not wholly unexpected, hope of his recovery had been entertained for the past two days. Some Time since Mr. Pluns drank water from an unused well, near where he was employed, and the impurities in the water brought on an attack of typhoid fever. For two weeks he had been under the care of Dr. Barrett of Redwood City, and Dr. Ross of the same place had been called several times in consultation, but although everything in the power of medical skill was done, a fatal termination of the disease could not be averted. The end came about 5:40 this morning, and he breathed his last in the presence of his family and physician.
Mr. Pluns was born in Hanover, Germany, and would have been 44 years of age had he lived until the 2nd of May next. He came to California when sixteen years old, and moved to Palo Alto on February 2, 1892. He followed the business of builder and contractor in San Francisco and erected many of the better buildings in Palo Alto. Among the more important contracts he secured was that for the woodwork of the Catholic Theological Seminary, one of the finest and most expensive structures in this section.
His family consists of a wife and five children, two sons William and Frederick, nearly grown to manhood, and three daughters, Tillie, Florence and a little one but two years of age. The many friends of the bereaved ones extend to them their tender sympathy in the irreparable loss of a noble husband and father.
Mr. Pluns was a man of great highly esteemed by all and in his death Palo Alto has lost one of her most worthy and progressive citizens.

From the Palo Alto Times, April 10, 1896. FUNERAL OF MR. PLUNS Services from His Home Sunday at 12:30 O'Clock.
The funeral services for the late William Pluns will be held from the family residence on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The services will be conducted by the Rev. W.D. Nicholas (Presbytarian pastor) and the pall bearers will be Major W.E. Norris, Prof. C.D. Marx and J.S. Butler of Palo Alto and three friends of the deceased from San Francisco. The interment will be at Cypress Lawn Cemetery and the funeral cortege will leave Palo Alto on the 2:05 p.m. train.

From the Palo Alto Times on April 13, 1896
The funeral of Wm. Pluns occurred yesterday at 12:30, the services being conducted by Rev. W.D. Nicholas. The attendance was largely attended and a long train of carriages accompanied the remains from the residence to the train. The pall bearers were J.F. Parkinson, W.E. Norris, C.D. Marx, L.M. Pitman and two gentlemen from San Francisco.

From the Palo Alto Times, April 24, 1896
Insurance Promptly Paid
Mr. Leo S. Robinson, special agent for the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company of California, arrived in Palo Alto last Thursday. He has already paid $10,000 to Mrs. Minnie Pluns, the same being the amount of two policies held by the late Wm. Pluns in that company.
These policies were issued to Mr. Pluns in December, 1895, and his death occurred on April 9th, 1896.
The claim was made on April 16th and Mr. Robinson delivered the company's check on the same day.

From the Palo Alto Times, May 12, 1896
The will of William Pluns was filed for probate at San Jose Saturday by C.C. Morehouse of San Francisco, and Minnie Pluns, of Palo Alto. H.C. Firebaugh is attorney for the petitioners. The hearing was set for May 1st.

From the Palo Alto Times, May 12, 1896
Inventory and Appraisement
An inventory and appraisement of the estate of J.F.W. Pluns, deceased, was filed yesterday in the Recorder's office at San Jose, showing personal property valued at $442.50; cash, $132.50, and a right of redemption to real property at Palo Alto, valued at $10; total, $585. H.C. Firebaugh is attorney for the...cuts off here

After Bill's death in 1896, Minnie never remarried and she raise her children on her own. She did have a brother that lived in San Francisco, so I'm sure her family helped as needed.

Minnie's obituary from the Palo Alto Times, November 7, 1932.
MRS. MINNIE PLUNS CLAIMED BY DEATH
Mrs. Minnie Pluns, 79, a resident of Palo Alto for 41 years, died yesterday at her home on Newell road. Surviving her are a son, Fred Pluns; three daughters, Mrs. O.J. Saunders, Mrs. William Weisheimer and Miss Tillie Pluns: and three grand-children, Dorothy and Oliver J. Saunders Jr. and William Weisheimer Jr. She was a native of Connecticut.

From article in the (San Jose) Mercury News regarding city council and renaming streets in Palo Alto:
"There is, in fact, already a Kings Lane in Palo Alto. It was originally called Pluns Court, after an early Palo Alto contractor. The name was changed to Kings Lane in 1951 because people who lived on the street complained the name was often spelled incorrectly. Kings Lane, according to the Palo Alto Historical Association's "Streets of Palo Alto," was chosen for its phonetic quality. And a certain regal touch - no pluns, er, puns intended."

From the Palo Alto Times, July 27, 1955
The home of the late Mr. and Mrs. J. William Pluns at 701 Center Dr., in Palo Alto, is being torn down to make room for the newest Crescent Park subdivision, Crescent Park Manor.
The house was built in 1891 and was one of the earliest residences in Palo Alto. It was of typical Victorian era design and featured three carved wooden mantelpieces of cherry, oak and walnut over Italian tile fireplaces.
Mr. Pluns was a building contractor in San Francisco and he built many of the first buildings in this area. Among them are some of the buildings on the Circle, the Ruckett Building on University Avenue, and St. Patrick's Seminary on Middlefield Road in Menlo Park.
One of Mr. Pluns' hobbies was the breaking of young horses and the Center Drive home had a barn with floored box stalls for Mr. Pluns' string of horses.
Among the Pluns' descendants is Mrs. William F. Weisheimer of Palo Alto. Her son, William, has been living in the Center Drive house since his marriage, seven years ago.

I wish to thank The Reference Staff of the Palo Alto Main Library on Newell Road for taking their time to locate the Palo Alto Times obituaries for the Pluns Family and for going "outside the box" by sending the additional information on the family home and directory.