Beverly Jean Bruce
April 19, 1932 — January 23, 2015
Beverly Jean Bruce, 82, of Cedar Rapids and formerly of the Center Point and Urbana areas, passed away on January 23, 2015, after a long, hard-fought battle with heart disease. Funeral Service: 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, January 27, 2015, at Urbana Christian Church, Urbana, Iowa, with Rev. Melanie VanWeelden officiating. Family will greet friends 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday, January 26, 2015, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Center Point, Iowa.
Beverly (Howe) Rutherford was born April 19, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois, to Helen A. Howe. She moved with her mother to Iowa at age five and was raised in Cedar Rapids and later Urbana, Iowa. She graduated from Urbana High School in 1950. She married her high school sweetheart, Clarence “Dale” Bruce, on December 2, 1951. They moved to a home in rural Center Point where they raised their five children.
Beverly worked for many years at Rockwell Collins. After leaving there, she obtained her Associates of Arts degree at Kirkwood Community College and later a certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling.
When Dale retired, they lived for a number of years in northeast Oklahoma. They later bought a small travel trailer and took to the road. They landed just outside of Tucson, Arizona, where they spent the next 18 years. They returned to Iowa four years ago to be near their family.
Beverly loved to travel and had a green thumb with plants, both in the house and outside. She was a collector of the things that made her happy, like hats and butterflies, many times mixing the two together.
Beverly is survived by her husband of 63 years, Clarence Dale Bruce; four children, Tiane (David) Christy of Claremore, Oklahoma, Cindy (Troy) Henle, Sheri Bruce and Jim (Terri) Bruce, all of Cedar Rapids; her daughter-in-law, Sally Bruce of Rowley; eleven grandchildren, Kayla Christy of Claremore, Oklahoma, Jason (Rebecca) Bruce of Des Moines, Stacey (Adam) Johnson of Independence, Erin (Tim) Stancel of Vinton, Kyle (Susan) Core of Helendale, California, Travis (Tiffany) Core of Tucson, Arizona, Joey (Cassie) Bruce, Ryan (Cara) Core, Tranay (Brad) Benson, Nikki (Tony) Bennett and Boone Bruce, all of Cedar Rapids; five step-grandchildren, Zack Harford of Kansas City, Missouri, Bryttanie Huff, James, Donnie and Jacob Henle all of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and 19 great-grandchildren, Sam, Eleanor, Natalie, Kendall, Cory, Christopher, Dawson, Mychele, Ericka, Mason, Alyssa, Braden, Maiya, Avery, Makinlee, Addison, Zoey, Kaylee and Maggie.
Beverly was met in Heaven by those who preceded her in death, her son, Steven Bruce, grandson, Trent Core, great-granddaughters, Arianna Core, Carmen Stephens and Charlotte Bruce.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund in Beverly’s name has been established and may be directed to Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home, 520 Wilson Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52404.
Beverly (Howe) Rutherford was born April 19, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois, to Helen A. Howe. She moved with her mother to Iowa at age five and was raised in Cedar Rapids and later Urbana, Iowa. She graduated from Urbana High School in 1950. She married her high school sweetheart, Clarence “Dale” Bruce, on December 2, 1951. They moved to a home in rural Center Point where they raised their five children.
Beverly worked for many years at Rockwell Collins. After leaving there, she obtained her Associates of Arts degree at Kirkwood Community College and later a certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling.
When Dale retired, they lived for a number of years in northeast Oklahoma. They later bought a small travel trailer and took to the road. They landed just outside of Tucson, Arizona, where they spent the next 18 years. They returned to Iowa four years ago to be near their family.
Beverly loved to travel and had a green thumb with plants, both in the house and outside. She was a collector of the things that made her happy, like hats and butterflies, many times mixing the two together.
Beverly is survived by her husband of 63 years, Clarence Dale Bruce; four children, Tiane (David) Christy of Claremore, Oklahoma, Cindy (Troy) Henle, Sheri Bruce and Jim (Terri) Bruce, all of Cedar Rapids; her daughter-in-law, Sally Bruce of Rowley; eleven grandchildren, Kayla Christy of Claremore, Oklahoma, Jason (Rebecca) Bruce of Des Moines, Stacey (Adam) Johnson of Independence, Erin (Tim) Stancel of Vinton, Kyle (Susan) Core of Helendale, California, Travis (Tiffany) Core of Tucson, Arizona, Joey (Cassie) Bruce, Ryan (Cara) Core, Tranay (Brad) Benson, Nikki (Tony) Bennett and Boone Bruce, all of Cedar Rapids; five step-grandchildren, Zack Harford of Kansas City, Missouri, Bryttanie Huff, James, Donnie and Jacob Henle all of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and 19 great-grandchildren, Sam, Eleanor, Natalie, Kendall, Cory, Christopher, Dawson, Mychele, Ericka, Mason, Alyssa, Braden, Maiya, Avery, Makinlee, Addison, Zoey, Kaylee and Maggie.
Beverly was met in Heaven by those who preceded her in death, her son, Steven Bruce, grandson, Trent Core, great-granddaughters, Arianna Core, Carmen Stephens and Charlotte Bruce.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund in Beverly’s name has been established and may be directed to Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home, 520 Wilson Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52404.
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