Ora Mae Bruce Obituary
Ora Mae Bruce died peacefully in her sleep, Sunday, September 8, 2024, just short of her 90th birthday. She was born on October 19th, 1934, to Ethel Kidd and James Stephenson in Kayjay, KY, an unincorporated community located in Knox County, Kentucky. Its name comes from the initials of the Kentucky-Jellico Coal Company. She lived there from birth to 6 years old along with her 7 other siblings; Arlan, Arnie, Buster, Buddy, Geneva, Evelyn, and Jewel.
At the age of 7, her family moved to Middlesboro, KY where they owned and managed several hotels and restaurants. She worked at the family restaurants as a young child until she married the love of her life, Sidney Bruce Jr., on May 22, 1951.
Ora Mae became an army wife, moving to Atlanta, GA. After Sidney was discharged, they moved to Chicago, IL., and he began to work at General Motors. In 1963 she went to school for her cosmetology license and then worked from her home styling hair. She and Sidney had five children: Brenda Vitrano, Barbara Bruce, Jay Bruce, Bessie Yeider, and Sidney Bruce III. In 1967 they moved their family to Vicksburg, MI., where Sidney continued to work for General Motors, and she worked more than twenty-five years in both beauty parlors and eventually had her own home salon.
Ora Mae had many hobbies that she won ribbons for including crocheting, quilting, macrame, canning, baking, and knitting. She also enjoyed painting ceramics, doing puzzles, cooking, and many other crafts. However, her favorite hobby was spending time with her grandchildren. She had eleven grandkids: Yvette Harrison (Vitrano), Joseph Vitrano, Shevron Proskow (Capp), Michael Vitrano, Jeffrey Capp, Sidney Bruce IIII (John), Nathan Ammon, Dustin Bruce, Anna Carey (Bruce), Katherine Capp, and Jennifer Bruce. From these grandchildren she had seventeen great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Ora Mae loved loading her grandchildren into the car and going to Milham Park to feed the ducks or to Tasty -Freeze in Vicksburg to enjoy a big ice cream cone. Many hours were spent at their farmhouse snapping beans, cooking in the kitchen, baking pies, canning, working puzzles, or playing cards. She was always very intentional about spending time with her grandkids, which brought her the most joy.
Ora Mae and Sidney were surrounded by their large family while they lived many years in Vicksburg, MI. Every holiday was spent at their white farmhouse, sitting at the large dining room table sharing good times and laughter. After Sidney retired in 1987, they moved to Virginia to be closer to their roots and to Mamaw (her mother-in-law). While in Virginia, she took care of Mamaw, continued to style hair, went swimming at the YMCA, traveled, and enjoyed thrifting at every flea market and garage sale she could find. Most of all, she spent time with the love of her life in the most beautiful place on earth.
Even with such a beautiful life, tragedy struck not once, but three times, when she lost three of her children before their fiftieth birthday. As much as it pained her to lose her children, she always knew she would see them again. At Sidney's funeral, she went up to the casket, looked at him and said, "this is not good-bye, this is see you later.". She never doubted that she was going to Heaven, and she always knew that her children and husband would be there waiting for her.
Ora Mae wasn't scared to die because she knew where she was going. She was sad to leave us all behind, but she is now in Heaven with her Lord and Savior. She is with her husband of 70+ years; Sidney Bruce II, her three children; Brenda Vitrano, Barbara Ammon, and Jay Bruce, her two great grandchildren Chandler Vitrano and Carson Vitrano, her seven siblings and both parents. She is no longer struggling to breathe, but having her breath taken away at the splendor of her new world. She has won. How amazing it must have been to hear the Lord say, "Welcome home my good and faithful servant.".
The family visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 11 am at Joldersma & Klein Funeral Home located at 917 South Burdick Street, Kalamazoo, MI. The funeral services will immediately follow at noon. The funeral procession will take us to Fort Custer National Cemetery, Augusta, MI., where we will commit her body to the ground. Her body will remain here on earth, but her soul will be flying high. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Radiant Church, 8157 E. DE Avenue, Richland, MI 49083.
