Everette Jasper Bruce died peacefully 2:00am Wednesday morning, January 27, 2010 at Hospice Ministries in Ridgeland. Funeral service will be 11am Friday January, 29, 2010 in the chapel at First Baptist Church, Jackson. Visitation with the family will follow the funeral service at 12:00noon-12:30, graveside service will be 3pm Friday at Shiloh Methodist Church cemetery in the Carmack Community, north of Kosciusko, MS.

E.J. was a member of First Baptist Church , an Usher and a member of Reflections Choir. He has been featured in several newspapers and local news magazines for his service in World War II. He is also featured on a PBS Documentary about WWII, which is still aired occasionally.

E.J. fought in five Major battles in WWII and was awarded nine or more medals, including the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. The day after he graduated from Vaiden High School in 1943, he was called into Service. He volunteered to be a paratrooper and landed with 508 Co. B, 82nd Airborne Division with the U.S. Army. He jumped on D-Day at Normandy and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

After 4 years in service, he joined the Jackson Police Department and retired after 26 years. He was on the Moror [Motor?] Squad. He then went to work at St. Dominic's Hospital as Chief of Security and retired from there after 16 years.

Afterwards, he did not want to stop working so he spent the next several years as a well-loved groceryman, where he enjoyed seeing people and being helpful to all of his customers and making more friends. He retired from Piggly Wiggly Grocery in Brandon in May 2009, at the age of 85.

E.J. was born August 23, 1924. He loved to travel with tour groups and always showed a loving and cheerful spirit with fellow travelers. His tour travels took him to all of the United States. E. J. was recognized everywhere he went as a friendly and kind man. He was a loyal worker and loved his family very much.

E.J. leaves his wife, Bonnie Webb Bruce, a son, Mark Bruce of Saginaw, Texas; a grandson Matthew of Saginaw,TX; one brother, Donald Bruce(Carlolyn), Brandon; two sisters, Sybil Crook (James) of Middleton, Tennessee, and Carolyn Faye Bruce of Jackson, Mississippi.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister Louise Mann. He also leaves several nieces and nephews who were very fond of "Uncle E.J."

He will be buried in Attala County, Carmack Community, Shiloh Methodist Church, beside his mother and father, Carrie Ida and Everette Franklin Bruce. A military graveside service will take place there.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to reflections Choir, Eva Hart, Director, First Baptist Church, Jackson.

He was not only a soldier in the U.S. Army, but he was a soldier of the cross—so, another soldier has gone home!