Changes

[[University of Kansas]]

[[University of Kansas]]

|branch=[[United States Army]]<br>

|branch=[[United States Army]]<br>

|serviceyears=1957-1959}}

|serviceyears=1957-1959}}

'''Bobby Theo Bruce''', known as '''Bob Bruce''' (May 19, 1934 &ndash; March 13, 2009), was a prominent [[Texas]] journalist affiliated with the ''Abilene Reporter-News'' in [[Abilene]] from 1959 until his retirement in 1998. He began as a general assignments reporter and ended his tenure there as travel editor for the last quarter century. In between, Bruce reported on crime, the courts, the military, business, regional issues, and politics, having once joked that he had "covered everything but society news."<ref>Brian Bethel, "Longtime ARN Reporter dies," ''Abilene Reporter-News,'' March 14, 2009.</ref>

'''Bobby Theo Bruce''', known as '''Bob Bruce''' (May 19, 1934 &ndash; March 13, 2009), was a prominent [[Texas]] journalist affiliated with the ''Abilene Reporter-News'' in [[Abilene]] from 1959 until his retirement in 1998. He began as a general assignments reporter and ended his tenure there as travel editor for the last quarter century. In between, Bruce reported on crime, the courts, the military, business, regional issues, and politics, having once joked that he had "covered everything but society news."<ref name=obit>Brian Bethel, "Longtime ARN Reporter dies," ''Abilene Reporter-News,'' March 14, 2009.</ref>

==Background==

==Background==

Bruce was born on his grandmother's farm near Point in rural Rains County near Tyler in East Texas.<ref>Bob Bruce obituary, ''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal,'' March 14, 2009.</ref> His father Theo Bruce died in 1940 and his mother Mary Elizabeth Bruce died in 1945 when Bob was eleven. He was then reared by an uncle, Ira Mumm (1912–1979), and aunt, the late Irene Mumm. He attended public schools in Point, [[Wichita Falls]], and Garland, Texas, Hobbs, [[New Mexico]], and El Dorado, [[Kansas]]. He graduated in 1957 from the [[University of Kansas]] at Lawrence with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism.

Bruce was born on his grandmother's farm near Point in rural Rains County near Tyler in East Texas.<ref>Bob Bruce obituary, ''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal,'' March 14, 2009.</ref> His father Theo Bruce died in 1940 and his mother Mary Elizabeth Bruce died in 1945 when Bob was eleven. He was then reared by an uncle, Ira Mumm (1912–1979), and aunt, the late Irene Mumm. He attended public schools in Point, [[Wichita Falls]], and Garland, Texas, Hobbs, [[New Mexico]], and El Dorado, [[Kansas]]. He graduated in 1957 from the [[University of Kansas]] at Lawrence with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism.<ref name=obit/>

==Military service==

==Military service==

Known for his ferocious keystrokes in writing his stories, Bruce was depicted upon his death at the age of seventy-four as "a man with a gentlemanly manner and a giving heart, deeply devoted to family, who saw a good portion of the world and enjoyed giving readers what they needed to know each and every day." Greg Bruce added that his father had a "lifelong career goal to wake up every morning to be a newspaperman."

Known for his ferocious keystrokes in writing his stories, Bruce was depicted upon his death at the age of seventy-four as "a man with a gentlemanly manner and a giving heart, deeply devoted to family, who saw a good portion of the world and enjoyed giving readers what they needed to know each and every day." Greg Bruce added that his father had a "lifelong career goal to wake up every morning to be a newspaperman."

Governor [[Rick Perry]] said that West Texas lost "a clear, insightful voice with the passing of Bob Bruce. For as long as it's worth remembering, Bob covered Abilene and beyond, getting people the facts with nary a wasted word..." Former Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock, who sometimes quarreled with media personalities, sent Bruce a letter of commendation at the time of Bruce's retirement, less than a year before Bullock's own death of cancer. Bruce also interviewed such political figures as President [[George W. Bush]] and 1996 presidential candidate and former U.S. Senator [[Bob Dole]] of Kansas.

Governor [[Rick Perry]] said that West Texas lost "a clear, insightful voice with the passing of Bob Bruce. For as long as it's worth remembering, Bob covered Abilene and beyond, getting people the facts with nary a wasted word..." Former Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock, who sometimes quarreled with media personalities, sent Bruce a letter of commendation at the time of Bruce's retirement, less than a year before Bullock's own death of cancer. Bruce also interviewed such political figures as President [[George W. Bush]] and 1996 presidential candidate and former U.S. Senator [[Bob Dole]] of Kansas.<ref name=obit/>

Former ''Reporter-News'' columnist Bill T. Whitaker, in 2009 the senior editor at the ''Waco Tribune-Herald'', recalled Bruce as a versatile journalist and "a superb raconteur ... He was kind of the grand old man for so many of us because he had been there so long and ... had that institutional memory that we would tap into all of the time."

Former ''Reporter-News'' columnist Bill T. Whitaker, in 2009 the senior editor at the ''Waco Tribune-Herald'', recalled Bruce as a versatile journalist and "a superb raconteur ... He was kind of the grand old man for so many of us because he had been there so long and ... had that institutional memory that we would tap into all of the time."<ref name=obit/>

Greg Bruce added that his father was from "that golden age of newspapermen. He believed it was a very honorable and high profession.

Greg Bruce added that his father was from "that golden age of newspapermen. He believed it was a very honorable and high profession.