Fanny May Bruce, 102, of Abernathy, Texas, died August 17, 2011, at home surrounded by the love of her family and friends following a brief illness.
Fan was born Fanny May Turner on May 31, 1909, in Fisher County, Texas, to J.C. and Sarah Ida Turner. She earned her teaching certificate at Wayland Baptist Junior College in 1928, and served as a grade school teacher in Texas, and later in Arkansas, where she met her husband, J.A. “Jimmy” Bruce. They married in 1931 in Polk County, Arkansas. There she spent her days teaching school and her evenings planning and building their first home.
In 1938 they moved back to Texas, and Fan and Jimmy worked alongside her parents at Turner’s Grocery Store. For 25 years they operated Bruce’s Furniture Store in Abernathy. During that time, the couple built and sold more than a dozen homes throughout town. They also raised two children, son James A. and daughter Sara.
In 2009, Fan celebrated her 100th birthday at First Baptist Church with more than 300 friends, family and neighbors in attendance. She had worshipped and taught at the church for more than 70 years. Abernathy Mayor Darrell Stephens proclaimed May 31, 2009 Fanny May Bruce Day in her honor. Later that year, the City of Abernathy honored Fan, who shared a centennial birthday with the town, by inviting her to serve as Grand Marshal of its Centennial Parade.
Throughout her life Fan enjoyed working with her hands. She practiced artisan woodworking and furniture making, painted in oil and watercolors and quilted. She enjoyed reading, and spent much of the last decade deeply researching her family’s genealogy.
Fan is preceded in death by her husband Jimmy and her son James A who both passed in 1978, as well as her grandson Jim, her parents, a sister, five brothers and their spouses.
She is survived by her daughter, Sara & Ron Lowe; daughter-in-law Mary Bruce Slaughter; grandson Jerry and Mary Bruce; granddaughter Jeannie Bruce; granddaughter Lauren and Michael Castellon; as well as great grandchildren, great great grandchildren, and great great great grandchildren.
The family has requested that Fan be remembered by donations to Hospice of Lubbock, an organization whose caretakers she and her family have come to greatly admire and appreciate.
Services were officiated by Mike O’Donnell on August 19, 2011 at First Baptist Church in Abernathy.
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