This is a picture of Andrew and his 2nd wife Charity DeWitt.  It is probably an engagement or wedding photo. Charity (1875-1938) was Andrew's (1850-1930) second wife. They had ten children, seven surviving to adulthood.

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• Andrew Bruce's personal Journal

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• Other Written Histories

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Another portrait of Abigail & Andrew Bruce. This was taken from a tin-type.

From Andrew Bruce's Personal Journal:

I was born of Scottish parentage, July 11, 1850, in the city of New York. My father's name was William Bruce and my mother's name was Helen Scott.  They came from Galashiels, Scotland the latter part of the year 1849.  They stopped in New York City a while then moved to Rishing, New York. There my father was a foreman in there ossy Dekita (???) in a woolen mill for about two years. From there they moved to Elgin, Illinois where my father had the same position in a woolen mill belonging to Dester 'til the spring of 1856 when they moved to Delaware, Iowa and took a homestead of 320 acres of prairie land their post office was Nugent Grove, Linn county, Iowa.

In 1858 father moved about 4 miles to a creek named the Buffalo Creek where he built a flouring mill and dam which he operated in connection with a store 'til spring of 1862 when he sold it and bought a farm near what was called the Stone School House where we farmed a year then he bought a saw mill and water over on the American River at a place afterwards called Troy Mills.  During this time there was born to them 3 daughters and 3 sons, our son Robert died when a small boy at the Buffalo Mill 1862.  Maggie was born on homestead 1857. William Scott was born at Troy Mills, Iowa.  George Bruce was also born at Troy Mills, Iowa.  Eliza the oldest was born in Scotland in 1848.

I worked in the Sun and grist mills in 1867 father sold out.  Father had the asthma so I had all the business to move to Troy Mills and he bought 200 acres of land near Troy Mills, Iowa.  There I worked on farm working late and early; working and improving the farm 1870.  Till father traded if for 160 acres in Buchanan County 4 miles north of Troy Mills afterwards father bought for me 160 acres near Richard Peyton 120 acres from Henry McKee 40 acres in 1877 when I was married to Abigail Wickham, March 31, 1877. I had labored on farm at home 'til this time when we commenced housekeeping on our farm.  We lived on farm 'til spring of 1881.

We moved to Franklin, Nebraska and went into partnership with J. H. Fairchild in a shop improved a water power on a small creek near town. We had at that time 2 small boys, C. J. Bruce and W. S. Bruce.  The partnership broke up in one season as Mr. Fairchild's wife and little boy was killed by lightening that struck the shop one Sunday when they were visiting.  He became discouraged and went back to Iowa.  So I continued the shop business over the first winter 'til spring of 1882 when I went into the woolen mill business and continued that 'til March 1884, as the business did no pay.  My father settled the business up and we went on a trip to Arkansas.  We found the country so very unhealthy we could not stay there.  So we went from there to Butler County, Kansas where my cousins James Mosman lived on a farm.  About the last of March we had one little girl about 5 months old born at Frontland, Nebraska. My health had been poor and I was discouraged so we stopped at cousins about a month when we moved in to a house we rented at Towanda, Kansas. I worked at carpenter work there 'til fall 1884 about September.  When we moved to our farm 7 miles south from Leon in the Brodie neighborhood.  About a week after my wife, Abigail, died with malaria fever then I left the farm and went to my parents in Iowa with my 3 children. I stopped and worked on the farm at home first winter.  I worked one winter in a wagon shop at Troy Mills. Then father traded for the Troy Mills again.  So I fixed it up and ran it 'til February 12, 1880 when I went to Kansas to improve 320 acres of land in Butler County, 7 miles south of Leon, Kansas.  Labored on farm improving till June of the same spring.

When I went to run the Troy Mills again was there till March 1, 1887 when I went to Norden, Nebraska where I bought half interest from A. M. Baker in a sawmill on the Niobrara River 7 miles from Norden. I and Baker ran the sawmill and built a 2 run burr-flouring mill.  During the summer of 1887 I got it running in the fall the next spring.  I bought out Mr. Bakers 2 interest on April 6, 1888.  I ran the grist mill till February 13, 1891 when I got married to Charity Isabell DeWitt, up to that time I had kept both my 2 boys with me and daughter Mable May Bruce lived with her grandma Bruce, so I continued the mill business sold 2 interest the burr in company with J. W. Furry 1890 after this 'til I bought his interest about 1900 and took a homestead June 28, 1904 in Cherry county, 5 miles west of Niobrara Mills.

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More Photos:
Click on each one to see larger image

Andrew & Abigail Bruce

Mabel M. Bruce as a child with her grandmother Helen (Scott) and her mother Abigail (Wickham) superimposed above
(as a teen)

Mabel Bruce as
a young girl

William. J. Bruce - Andrew's youngest brother. Note the photo was taken in Center Point, Linn co., IA.

Elizabeth "Eliza" Bruce (1848-1929) was the eldest child of William & Helen (Scott) Bruce. She married John M. Phillips (1843-1930) in Iowa. Eliza died in Troy Mills, Iowa nine months before her husband.

Margaret Bruce, William's younger sister b. 13 Aug 1812, bap. 13 Sep 1812, Selkirk, Selkirkshire, Scot.

From a post card. That's the William Bruce grist mill ("Hoosier Mills") at the right end of the bridge.

Clarence (1878-1935) was the eldest child of Andrew & Abigail (Wickham) Bruce. Pictured are his wife, Mamie (Allen), Robert B., Clarence M., Abbie A., & Clarence J. Bruce. A fourth child, Harold J., died at birth.

Mabel (1883-1975) was the only daughter of Andrew and Abigail (Wickham) Bruce. Pictured with her are: Lester A., husband Cyrus A. Burley, and A. Lee.

Mary C. Phillips, (1876-1916) & husband G. Cyrus Gardner. They married in Linn co., IA. Mary was the daughter of Elizabeth Bruce, grand-daughter of William Bruce & Helen Scott.

Mary Ellen Price, daughter of Margaret Bruce, grand-daughter of William Bruce & Helen Scott. She was born in Troy Mills, IA in 1892. This was taken from postcard she sent to a relative. On the back she wrote: "Need anything to scare the rats away? This means sure death to them if they get a glimpse of it."

William S. Bruce with his wife, Barbara A. Seaman (1979-1946), only daughter Myrtle G., (1901-69) and on his lap, one of Myrtle's younger daughters. I'd guess it's either Doris or Marjorie. The clothing styles look like 30's vintage.

Mabel Burley (1883-1975) & her brother William S. Bruce, (1880-1957) standing in her front yard - at the old Burley place near Molalla, OR

William Bruce Family:

WILLIAM BRUCE was born 19 August 1821 in Selkirk, Selkirkshire, Scotland, to JOHN BRUCE and AGNES PHILIP, and died 27 November 1890 in Troy Mills, Linn, IA. He married HELEN SCOTT 10 June 1845 in Melrose, Roxburgh, Scotland, daughter of ROBERT SCOTT and ELIZABETH BURNS. She was born 12 September 1823 in Ancrum, Roxburghshire, Scotland, and died 23 September 1899 in Troy Mills, Linn, IA.

Agnes Philip, spouse of the deceased John Bruce, Mason, in Selkirk had a child baptized named William. Born 19 August 1821. In presence of Willm. Philip, stocking maker in Selkirk and Jas. Inglis, Mason, there.

Naturalization Record taken from the 1856-1878 book at the Linn County Court House, Iowa: Bruce, William - Declaration Oath before Clerk of Dist. Court of Dubuque County, Iowa, May 25, 1855. Bruce, William - Sworn in open court and admitted to be a citizen of the United States, October 26, 1860.

Children of WILLIAM BRUCE and HELEN SCOTT are:

1. ELIZA J. BRUCE, b. 24 August 1848, Aberdeen, Scotland; d. 15 August 1922, Coggon, Buchanan, IA. Eliza married John Morris PHILLIPS 16 January 1872 at Quasqueton, Buchanan, IA (Baptist Church)

2. ANDREW BRUCE, b. 11 July 1850, New York City, Borough, NY; d. 05 November 1930, Mollala, Clackamas, OR. Andrews first marriage: Abigail WICKHAM 21 January 1857 at Newtonville, Delaware Co., IA.  Second marriage: Charity Isabel DEWITT, 13 February 1891 at Latton, Keya Paha, NE - by Charity's father.

3. JANNET BRUCE, b. 07 April 1855, Elgin, Kane Co., IL, d. 13 March 1863, IA.

4. MARGARET BRUCE, b. 07 July 1858, Hazel Green Twp., Delaware Co., IA; d. 10 August 1893, Henryville, Lawrence, TN. Married Hudson Curtis PRICE, 20 October 1890 at Henryville, Lawrence, TN.

5. ROBERT BRUCE, b. 17 March 1860, Manhalani Mills, Linn, IA; d. 17 May 1860, Post Office Valley Farm, Linn, IA.

6. WILLIAM JAMES BRUCE, b. 09 November 1861, Troy Mills, Linn, IA; d. 28 January 1924, Walla Walla, Walla Wala, WA. Married Viola Jane (Jennie) PRICE, 15 November 1888 at Washington Co., IA.

7. GEORGE SCOTT BRUCE, b. 18 August 1864, Troy Mills, Linn Co., IA; d. 24 December 1887, Newton Twp., Buchanan Co., IA.

Other Written Histories:

1881  History of Buchanan County, Iowa - Page 435

William Robert BRUCE was born August 26, 1819 in Galashield, Scotland, and emigrated to America in 1849, landing in New York.  He went to Oriskany, Oneida County, New York, where he lived three years, engaged in a factory.  He then moved to Elgin, Illinois, and continued to work in a woolen factory for three years; then emigrated to Iowa, settling in Delaware County, where he bought three hundred and twenty acres of raw prairie.  Mr. Bruce built a house and made many other improvements, residing there three years.  After several removals and changes of occupation, in all of which he seems to have been fairly successful, he came to Newton township about the year 1870, and purchased the farm on which he now resides, which contains one hundred and eighty acres of excellent land.  He is engaged in general farming, has a pleasant home, and is evidently doing well.  Mr. Bruce was married in 1846 to Miss Ellen (Helen) SCOTT, of Scotland.  They have had seven children---Eliza, born August 24, 1848; Andrew, July 11, 1850; Jenette, March 7, 1855; Margaret, July 7 1858; Robert, March 17, 1860; William November 9, 1861; George, August 18, 1864.  Jenette and Robert are deceased.  Politically, Mr. Bruce is a Republican, and is highly esteemed.

Bruce Family Obituaries: