Beverly Bruce

BEVERLY BRUCE

Cedar Rapids

Beverly Jean Bruce, 82, of Cedar Rapids, formerly of the Center Point and Urbana areas, passed away Jan. 23, 2015, after a long, hard-fought battle with heart disease. Funeral services: 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, at Urbana Christian Church, Urbana, with the Rev. Melanie VanWeelden officiating. Family will greet friends from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Center Point.

Beverly (Howe) Rutherford was born April 19, 1932, in Chicago, to Helen A. Howe. She moved with her mother to Iowa at age 5 and was raised in Cedar Rapids and later Urbana. She graduated from Urbana High School in 1950. She married her high school sweetheart, Clarence "Dale" Bruce, on Dec. 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 Associate 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, Ariz., 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, Okla., and Cindy (Troy) Henle, Sheri Bruce and Jim (Terri) Bruce, all of Cedar Rapids; her daughter-in-law, Sally Bruce of Rowley; 11 grandchildren, Kayla Christy of Claremore, Okla., Jason (Rebecca) Bruce of Des Moines, Stacey (Adam) Johnson of Independence, Erin (Tim) Stancel of Vinton, Kyle (Susan) Core of Helendale, Calif., Travis (Tiffany) Core of Tucson, Ariz., and Joey (Cassie) Bruce, Ryan (Cara) Core, Tranay (Brad) Benson, Nikki (Tony) Bennett and Boone Bruce, all of Cedar Rapids; 19 great-grandchildren, Sam, Eleanor, Natalie, Kendall, Cory, Christopher, Dawson, Mychele, Ericka, Mason, Alyssa, Braden, Maiya, Avery, Makinlee, Addison, Zoey, Kaylee and Maggie; and five stepgrandchildren, Zack Harford of Kansas City, Mo., Bryttanie Huff, James, Donnie and Jacob Henle, all of Cedar Rapids.

Beverly was met in heaven by those who preceded her in death: her son, Steven Bruce; grandson, Trent Core; and 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 Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404.

Please share a memory of Beverly at www.murdochfuneral home.com under obituaries.