Betty Jane Bruce

Betty Jane Bruce (Rauh) was born in Gage, OK October 26, 1931. Betty grew up in Shattuck, OK, where she met Billy Bruce. They married May 31,1950 and moved to Lincoln, NE so Betty could attend Union College and she graduated with a teaching certificate. Betty and Bill had 4 children together: Norman, Sandi, Donald, and Billie. After completing college, Betty and Bill moved out to California in 1956 to be closer to some of Bill’s family. It was there that Betty started teaching school and became very active in church.

Betty and Bill moved back to Oklahoma briefly in 1970 and then back to Lincoln in 1975 where they, together, built a house and worked a farm. Bill would tease Betty that they needed a separate truck just to move her shoes throughout these many moving adventures. They met their lifelong friends Pat and Bill Trout in Lincoln. Pat remained one of Betty’s closest friends (of 70 years) throughout the years of moving, kids and grandkids. It is always a treasure to hear stories about Pat, Bill, Betty and Billy’s adventures together.

Over the years the farm was worked in various ways, with various farm animals. But the one thing that held constant was always having many grandchildren out there with them! Many of the grandchildren reminisce about all that Bill taught them and the fun trips that Betty would plan. Along with the many grandchildren Betty had already, she started to mentor young kids of the community. On the weekends she would take them to church and they would stay out on the farm to experience farm life. She sent her grandchildren and a lot of the youth she mentored to Bible Camp in the summers.

When Bill and Betty moved back to Lincoln to start a life on the farm, Betty got a job at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Betty stayed with the University for the remainder of her working career. She worked for various departments as a book keeper/secretary. She retired from UNL 2 different times. She was 85 when she retired for the final time. Betty had worked with the University for 41 years.

Betty had always been an active member of her church. She attended 2 different Adventist churches in Lincoln, Piedmont and Capitol View. She was very active with FoodNet. She helped organize food and get people checked in and later in life until she passed, she helped deliver food for FoodNet. Sundays were for FoodNet for Betty!

Betty had many hobbies aside from taking care of grand kids. She crocheted and sewed, played the piano, gardened, and tended to her horse and donkey. She had many, many cactus and aloe vera plants and was always planting more. She had a few horses through the years, 2 donkeys, and a mule.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband Billy Bruce, her daughter; Billie Bruce, 2 sons; Donald Bruce and Norman Bruce, and great-grandson, Rodney.

Betty is survived by her daughter Sandi Bruce of Miles City, MT, 11 grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren. A private service for Betty will be held on Sunday, October 24, 2021 at 2:30, on the family farm.