Laura BLANKENSHIP was the D/O Isham BLANKENSHIP and Polly SPILLER These articles appeared in the Southern Illinoisan on 18 and 19 January 2003. BRUCE: HERRIN BENEFACTOR RECALLED FOR CIVIC GENEROSITY BY JOHN D. HOMAN THE SOUTHERN [Sat Jan 18 2003] HERRIN -- A day after the passing of 100-year-old Julia Harrison-Bruce, Herrin residents Saturday weren't so much mourning her death as they were celebrating the life of a woman who gave so much to so many people. Bruce died at 7:15 p.m. Friday at her longtime home in Herrin. I've known Julia, her father, George Harrison, and brother, Fred Harrison, since I was a kid, and never have I met finer people," said Ed Goodwin, a Bank of Herrin trustee who manages the Harrison and Bruce charitable foundations. "Julia was a humanitarian; she was very compassionate," Goodwin said. "She loved her hands-on work with the Girl Scouts. She enjoyed playing the organ at the First Baptist Church for years, and she was very proud of the civic center. "And projects like the civic center will continue to receive funding from her foundation. Like her late husband, Carl Bruce, forecast, Julia's foundation will live on in perpetuity." City Clerk Marlene Simpson said Bruce was one of the most giving women Simpson ever met. "I think a lot of that had to do with how much she loved Herrin," Simpson said. "It always amazed me how willing she was to help out with projects without ever being asked." Simpson said she holds many fond memories of Bruce, including the time Bruce gave Simpson a crystal dish as a birthday present. "I bring it out each year around Christmas, and when I see it I think of Julia." Petra Massetto, public relations director for the Shagbark Council of Girl Scouts, said Bruce was a real friend of the Girl Scouts. "She and her husband, Carl, had everything to do with establishing Camp Cedar Point at Little Grassy Lake in 1951," Massetto said. "Carl did the design work himself and helped build it. Julia was right there in the middle of things, using her own hard labor to clear a path to the cabin." Massetto said Bruce, a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts, was bestowed the highest honor of any adult volunteer, the Thinks Badge, for her dedication to the organization. Former Herrin school Superintendent Dave Hindman presided over construction of the Harrison-Bruce Sports Complex east of town, the home for the Tigers' football and track teams. "Julia's passing is a very large loss for our community," Hindman said. "She was very generous with her money, having spent well over $100,000 on the sports complex alone. And she always made it a point to attend as many school functions as physically able." Hindman said students will benefit in the years to come from her contributions. Services for Bruce will be at 1:30 p.m. today at Van Natta Funeral Home in Herrin, with the Rev. Paul Tirey officiating. Burial will be in Stotlar-Herrin Cemetery in Herrin. Memorials may be made to the Herrin Civic Center, Shagbark Council of the Girl Scouts or Hospice of Southern Illinois. DETAILS Julia Harrison-Bruce, granddaughter of one of Herrin's pioneers, died Friday night at the age of 100. Bruce's father, George Harrison, was a successful farmer who had bought 170 acres in 1892, including the location of her home at 1300 S. 13th St. A 1925 graduate of the University of Colorado, she married businessman Carl Bruce in 1927. One of Bruce's passions was the Girl Scouts. She was a lifetime member, and was instrumental in the building of Camp Cedar Point at Little Grassy Lake in Makanda. Carl Bruce established the Harrison and Bruce charitable foundations at The Bank of Herrin in 1969 as a memorial to the Harrison family. Julia Harrison-Bruce Obituary HERRIN -- Renowned Southern Illinois philanthropist Julia Harrison-Bruce, 100, of 1300 S. 13th St., Herrin, died Friday at 7:15 p.m. at her home. Services are scheduled for today at 1:30 p.m. at Van Natta Funeral Home in Herrin with Rev. Paul Tirey officiating. Burial will be at Stotlar-Herrin Cemetery in Herrin. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Herrin Civic Center, Shagbark Council of the Girl Scouts, or Hospice of Southern Illinois. Mrs. Bruce was born Jan. 4, 1903, in Herrin. She resided at the same home on South 13th Street her entire life. She was the daughter of George and Laura BLANKENSHIP Harrison and granddaughter of D.R. Harrison, a Herrin pioneer. She married Carl Bruce on June 19, 1927. He preceded her in death on June 2, 1996. Also preceding her in death were her parents and three brothers, Carl, Lawrence and Fred Harrison. Mrs. Bruce attended Herrin schools, as well as the Illinois Women's College in Jacksonville (now known as MacMurray College), and graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1925. Bruce was a member of Herrin First Baptist Church, serving as organist there for 35 years. Along with Marie Baudino, she helped organize Girl Scouting in Herrin. She was camp chairman when Camp Cedar Point at Little Grassy Lake near Makanda was built. She was also a troop leader for many years, became a life member and was awarded the highest honor of any adult volunteer, the "Thinks Badge." As a lasting memorial to the family, Bruce helped to establish the Julia Harrison-Bruce Foundation in 1970, a charitable foundation which has dispersed upwards of $3 million in funds to area churches, schools, ball leagues, civic organizations and more. In 1989, Bruce was honored as "Lady of the Year" and selected to the Herrin Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame. She was made honorary member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority in 1997. An active member of the Herrin Senior Citizens Center since its establishment, Bruce was also a member of the Herrin Women's Club for 70 years and held many offices, including President in 1941. On March 17, 1988, the Herrin Civic Center, one of Julia's proudest achievements, was dedicated to both her and her husband, Carl.