Simeon Robert Bruce.

Mineola, TX Paper
May 1900

Last Thursday night the sould of S. R. Bruce bade the world good-night and went to sleep with that "great majority" who have gone before.

Mr. Bruce was born in Orange county, Vermont, on the 3rd day of December, 1839, was the son of David Bruce and Malinda Sturdevant. His paternal grandfather came from Scotland to America during the colonial period and served as a Colonel in the Revolutionary army. He resided there until 1854, when he moved to Illinois and from thence to Gonzeles county, Texas, in the fall of 1859. He was residing there when the call to arms came from his adopted country, and though he was but a youth and a stranger, the sunny southland had won his heart, and joining his destiny to hers, he volunteereed as a member of the famous regiment known as Terry's Texas Rangers, and fought in the van of that band of heroes through the four years of bloody strife. While acting as adjutant to the gallant General John A.Wharton at the battle of Perryville, he was shot through the leg with a grape shot and severely wounded. Recovering from this wound he continued with his command until the fortunes of war forced even the intrepid Terry Rangers to lay down their arms.

No higher eulogy can be uttered upon his worth as a soldier than the simple recital of the above facts. He loved the cause for whiich he bled, and his posterity may well be proud of the record he made in itsdefense. But "Peace hath her victories no less renowned than war," and S. R. Bruce was distinctly a man of peace. At the close of the war, he was married in Oglethorpe, Georgia, on the 14th day of November, 1865, to Miss Catherine Reeves, and in 1866 moved to Hunt county, Texas, and settled near where Lone Oak now stands, and remained there until 1873, when he moved to Mineola where he resided continuously until his death, which occurred on the 9th day of May, 1900.

He left surviving him the following children, to-wit: Robert H., Carrie, (now Mrs. R. L. Robertson) Ernest L., Claude and Helen, all of whom were present in his last hours and formed a pathic group around his dying couch.

While paralysis had made him dumb, he recognized his weeping family and friends with a smile as he passed peacefully and triumphantly across the dark river. His brother Geo. H. Bruce and wife, of Ardmore, I.T., had come in obedience to a summons from the family to be with his brother in his battle with the last enemy. Side by side these brothers had left their mountain home in Vermont, side by side they had faced death on many a battle field, and side by side they went to where the elder brother embarked for that "bourn from which no traveller e'er returns."

We feel that any tribute of words that we might offer to the worth and character of S. R. Bruce would be useless. "By their fruits ye shall know them," and by the fruits of S. R. Bruce's life a hose of friends are willing to have him judged. During the time he has lived in Mineola he has been a leader in every movement that had for its object the upbuilding and betterment of his town, his community and his counry at large. He joined the Missionary Baptist church in 1891, and throughout the remainder of his life was a christian in the broadest sense. A christian man who made the world better by his presence in it. A christian in whose creed there was no intolerance, and whose love was broad enough to embrace the human family. He stood high in the ranks of Masonry, having attained the Royal Arch degree in that order.

When it became known that Sim Bruce was nearing the end, a pall of sorrow settled over the entire community. We might say without exaggeration that the entire city kept vigil by his bedside. His was a beautiful character, and beautiful and touching were the tributes that were paid him when he had passed to his reward. He was laid to rest under the auspices of the Masonic fraternity, members of which assembled from all parts of teh country and formed a long procession which follow[ ] with solemn step to the quiet s[ ] the cemetery and laid him a[ ] the beautiful and tender ceremo[ ] he knew and loved so well. T[ ] floral designs that love's hand co[ ] were placed 'round his casket an[ ] tomb, and even in death, the s[ ] of cheerfulness and hope that he [ ] with him through life seemed [ ] have left him. Thoughful and [ ] friends had beautified his last [ ] place with snowy draperies and f[ ] of trailing vines and flowers. His [ ] rested on a bed of roses, while sp[ ] from the vault were sprigs of eve[ ] pointing, like the fingers of fait[ ] hope, to the Home of his soul. [ ] was nothing in his funeral to s[ ] any horrors of death, and save f[ ] deep grief of his bereaved famil[ ] the mute sorrow of the vast [ ] of friends that followed him to [ ] it would have seemed as th[ ] entire population of his town a[ ] [ ]munity had assembled only [ ] purpose of making him comforta[ ] wishing him God-speed on a voy[ ] search of the rest he so much nee[ ].

S. R. Bruce will be sadly missed [ ] family, in his town and in his co[ ] and while we extend our sincere co[ ]lence and sympathy to his berea[ ] family, we want to say that no [ ] whom we have ever known has lef[ ] richer heritage to his family than [ ]. A heritage rich in love, rich in sw[ ] memories, and rich in a long life fil[ ] with noble deeds, and ended in [ ] midst of those whose lives had be[ ] adorned by the beauty of his friendsh[ ].