Helen Bruce

HELEN BRUCE , Age 62 of Elburn, passed away peacefully, Friday afternoon, April 11, 2008 at Delnor Community Hospital, Geneva after months of battling an aggressive lung cancer. BORN / EARLY YEARSShe was born May 18, 1945 in St. Charles, IL, the daughter of Earl and Crystal (Littlejohn) Anderson.Helen grew up in the St. Charles area where attended St. Charles High School.MARRIAGE & FAMILYIn 1969, Everett "Tiny" Bruce first saw her as she stopped in with her parents at the Powis Pub near West Chicago. Tiny asked her parents that day if he could meet her and a year later, they were wed on Januauary 9, 1971. They made their home in West Chicago off Elm road where Helen lived with her two daughters,from her first marriage, Allice and Kathy. Tiny and Helen continued to work as bar tender and cocktail waitress and by 1973 they were a family of six with the birth of Angela and Everett III. In that year, tragedy struck when a fire destroyed their home. Blessed to be spared their lives, they started over in Elburn. OCCUPATIONAfter working for a time at the Wasco Inn and later at the Winner’s Circle, Helen began working at Monitor Manufacturing in Elburn. Through the next thirty years, she progressed from working the assembly line to becoming plant supervisor. MEMBERSHIPSThrough those years, Helen enjoyed living in Elburn and attended the Fox Valley Christian Church for a time, where she made many friends and enjoyed the fellowship. LIFE NOTES Helen was undeniably feisty and single-minded in her approach to life; characteristics that proved to be successful survival tools. On the other hand, if her opinions left few doubts about her feelings, her sense of humor left few dull moments in her everyday. Helen loved her family and grandchildren and enjoyed good times and memorable moments with each of them. She was a huge Elvis fan, and when it came to NASCAR, Tony Stewart was her man. She collected countless things from "Beanie Babies" to "odds and ends" that she picked up simply because she knew her loved ones had an interest in them. Helen loved a good game of pinochle or horseshoes and always played to win. She was a competitor and lived life to the fullest but when it came to the last turn of the race, Helen found joy and peace in giving to her loved one’s the things she knew they would enjoy when the checkered flag came down on her last day. SURVIVORS In addition to her husband of thirty-seven years, Everett "Tiny" Bruce Jr.;She is survived by:Four children:Allice (Ken) Goode of Elburn, Kathy (fiancee Bryan Barningham) Wroblewski of Madeline Island, WI,Angela (Gary ) Smith of Thomson, IL andEverett "Tray" Bruce III of Elburn;Five grandchildren:Allice’s: Nicholas, Mark and Jonathon;Angela’s: Danny Ray and Geniva;One brother:Elmer (Diane) Anderson of Sycamore, IL andOne sister: Joann (Butch) Sloat of Maple Park and One sister-in-law, Jacqueline Anderson of Elgin, IL;In addition to her family of relatives and friends, Helen leaves her menagerie of beloved pets:Three dogs,: "Ginger", "Duke" and "Sky"; Two cats: "Spooky" and "Precious" and one bug-eye goldfish, the loan survivor of an aquarium once full of companions. PRECEDED She is preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Earl S. Anderson.VISITATION / FUNERAL A memorial visitation and service to celebrate her life will be held Thursday, April 17, 2008 at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL. Friends may call from 5 pm to 7pm with a memorial service to begin at 7:30 pm. The Rev. Gary Augustine, pastor of the Evangelical Fellowship, Elburn, will officiate. Private cremation committal services will later be held. MEMORIAL A memorial has been established in Helen’s name to benefit her favorite charities. Memorials checks may be made to the Helen Bruce Memorial and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, IL 60119. Tributes and memories may also be forwarded to the family at the same address or through her obituary at www.conleycare.com. For information call 630-365-6414 (1-800-8-CONLEY).

A memorial visitation and service to celebrate her life will be held Thursday, April 17, 2008 at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL. Friends may call from 5 pm to 7pm with a memorial service to begin at 7:30 pm. The Rev. Gary Augustine, pastor of the Evangelical Fellowship, Elburn, will officiate. MEMORIAL A memorial has been established in Helen’s name to benefit her favorite charities. Memorials checks may be made to the Helen Bruce Memorial and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, IL 60119.

MEMORIAL A memorial has been established in Helen’s name to benefit her favorite charities. Memorials checks may be made to the Helen Bruce Memorial and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, IL 60119.