“I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.”— George Washington

 

Bruce Edward Matthews went to his eternal reward on June 16th, 2024, in Watseka, Illinois, after a long illness.  Bruce was born on November 19, 1951 to Lawrence and Ardith Matthews.  He grew up on a farm in Rossville where he would eventually raise his own children.  His farmstead was a source of joy and pride for him, second only to his children.  

 

As an enthusiast of heritage and tradition, Bruce valued his deep roots in the Rossville farming community.  He was the fifth generation in his family to farm in Illinois.  Farming was simultaneously Bruce’s career and favorite hobby.  He farmed alongside his father until 1976, when he began farming on his own.  

 

In 1998, Bruce became a Certified Crop Advisor, a certification he proudly maintained for over twenty years.  He was an unabashed “dirt nerd” who had a passion for soil and water quality.  He spent many hours on the phone with his farmer friends discussing soil testing, tile, and fertility programs.  He also delighted in being a white corn producer, and he loved to tell Chicagoans that if they had ever had El Ranchero chips, that they had probably eaten some of his corn.

 

A chance encounter at an agricultural company led to his marriage to Kari (née Farrell) in 1999, and together, they had three children: Samuel Blaise, Daniel MacCrea, and Mary-Audrey Lucia.  Bruce was a proverbial “kid person.”  Never has there been a man so readily manipulated by a toddler; a cherished family story involves his taking his four-year-old daughter on a thirty-mile round trip to Royal Donut past her bedtime because she said, “Daddy, I NEED a donut.” 

 

From a young age, Bruce’s boys were trained in the gentle art of farming.  They worked alongside their dad, slowly learning skills and taking on responsibility.  He enjoyed spending time performing equipment maintenance, scooping bins, and working the fields with his sons.  He was a persistent teacher who inculcated his kids with an excellent work ethic and love for agriculture. That training paid off; upon the onset of his illness, he was able to pass the farming baton to his sons, to great effect.

 

A convert to Catholicism, Bruce had a deep-seated faith and love for his church family.  He particularly looked forward to summer trips to the Apostolate for Family Consecration, watching his boys serve Mass at Holy Family Church in Danville (especially when incense was involved), and chatting with his friends in the Faith. 

 

Bruce was preceded in death by his parents Lawrence and Ardith, his grandparents (especially his beloved Grandma Audrey), his infant sister Jan, and numerous aunts and uncles.  His wife, three children, Aunt Eileen (Charles) Barfknecht, ten nieces and nephews, and two great-nephews survive him.

The wake will be on Thursday, June 20th, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Danville, Illinois, at 10:00 a.m., followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00.  Burial rites and interment will be held privately.

The family is especially grateful to Iroquois Memorial Hospice in Watseka, whose care of Bruce was extraordinary. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations in Bruce’s memory to either Iroquois Memorial Hospice in Watseka or Family Service in Champaign, which offers services to dementia patients and their families in East-Central Illinois.

 

Please visit www.anderson-funeral-home.com to view Bruce’s eternal tribute page and to send condolences to the family.

 

Anderson Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.