Bruce Funeral Home

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Gardner, KS
Bruce Funeral Home

Family owned and operated There are not many businesses that get to claim their 132nd anniversary. The first undertaker in Spring Hill was W.H. His son, W.H. P.O.

Bruce Funeral Home has been serving Gardner, Edgerton, Spring Hill, DeSoto, and other surrounding areas for over 60 years. The Bruce Funeral Home has been recognized as the oldest continuously owned business established in Johnson County. Rutter, who in 1884 also had a furniture store. Rutter continued in the business until he sold the furniture and undertaking business to Eli Davis and his son, Ralph. They later sold to Paul O. C***s, who served as the secretary of the Kansas Funeral Directors Association for many years. C***s then sold the business to Lloyd H. Wilcox who in turn sold it to Roy Bruce. The chapel in Spring Hill was remodeled in the mid-90's, both the exterior and interior areas. Property for a new location at Webster & 217th was purchased in 2002. The downtown chapel was sold in 2003 and the new chapel was opened in 2005. In 1957, Roy Bruce bought a historic brick home. Built in 1895, the large house was home to the founder and president of the Farmers Bank, F.W. Sponable. In 1962, the Bruce Funeral Home was built by adding a large chapel, family room, music room and second chapel on the main floor, and an apartment upstairs. In 2002 the front porch was completely rebuilt. The year of 2008 also marked the 123rd anniversary of the first furniture store and undertaking business in Gardner. The first business in Gardner was started in 1885, by Peter J. Murphy. In 1914, President Wilson appointed Murphy postmaster. The business was sold to J.W. Stanley of Blue Springs, Missouri. Fire destroyed several downtown buildings that winter, and Stanley's daughter Grace and her husband Harry Patteson, took over the business and ran it until his death in 1949. That year Roy and Betty Bruce purchased the funeral home from Grace Patteson. The Bruce family continues to own and operate the business. Roy Bruce passed away in 1993. Betty, a licensed funeral director, continued an active role in the business until she passed away in 1999. Roy and Betty's daughter, Shirley, currently serves as president. Shirley had the privilege of being the first woman to serve as the president of the Kansas Funeral Directors Association during the 1994-1995 term.

12/02/2025

11/26/2025

"You will lose someone you can't live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn't seal back up. And you come through. It's like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly, that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp." - Anne Lamott

11/21/2025

When one man's obituary message went viral, Nebraska showed up.

Very touching story!

Several hundred people gathered at the Omaha National Cemetery to pay their respects to a man most of them did not know.

11/18/2025

Have the Talk of a Lifetime today! You can download a workbook here or simply start your conversation by asking a meaningful question - "What is your proudest achievement?"

Talk about how you want to be remembered. It can make the difference of a lifetime. There’s so much we experience in our lives. There are the big moments that shape us – graduation, a first job, getting married and starting a family, new home, and retirement. When we reflect on our lives, it’s...

11/15/2025

When deciding on memorialization, consider unique options, such as a memorial bench, located in the cemetery or even along a favorite walking path or park. A lasting place to remember a loved one as well as adding a beautiful outdoor seating space can make for a meaningful reminder.

11/13/2025

Read Ann's story and many others from people who have also had the talk here: http://www.talkofalifetime.org/your-story/

11/11/2025

Visit www.talkofalifetime.org for tips on getting your started today.

11/10/2025

When attending a funeral virtually, make sure to clean your surroundings and choose a good place to on your camera that may not distract other guest online. The best way to do this is prepare a respectful area ahead of time.

11/05/2025

Dear God,
We dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles, horns, clickers, beepers, scent IDs, electromagnetic energy fields, and Frisbee flight paths. What do humans understand?

Address

106 South Center Street
Gardner, KS
66030

Website

http://brucefuneralhome.com/

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