Bruce Funeral Home

Friday, May 17,  at the Baxter chapel of Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Chestnut Mound Missionary Baptist Cemetery in Smith County, Tennessee. The family will receive friends at the funeral home today, Thursday, May 16, from 4-8 p.m., and Friday, May 17, from 9 a.m. until service time at 10 a.m. Mrs. Bruce died Tuesday morning, May 14, 2019, at her home in Baxter, surrounded by her loving family.She was born July 6, 1947, in Smith County, Tennessee, to the late Houston and Violet Mai Smith Austin.In addition to her parents, she was preceded by her first husband David Mathis; sister, Anna Frances Austin; grandparents, Ernest Tilmon and Elma Florence Bush Austin, and Jesse C. and Hester Cardwell Smith.She was a member of New Zion Missionary Baptist Church at Bloomington Springs, Tennessee. She enjoyed traveling, fishing and being with family and friends. She was a retired shipping supervisor with Identity Group of Cookeville.Survivors include her husband, James “Jim” Calbert Bruce of Baxter; daughters and sons-in-law, Dr. Sylvia and Matthew Moore of Pulaski, Tennessee, and Diane and Lonnie Vaughn of Baxter; step-daughter, Jodi Bruce of Baxter; brothers and sisters-in-law, Garry and Cricket Austin of Baxter, Rickey and Gail Austin of Silver Point, Tennessee, and Jerry and Linda Austin of Baxter; and grandchildren, Lacey, Christopher and Holly Vaughn.Bro. Larry Gregory and Bro. Houston Austin will officiate.Active pallbearers will be Matthew Moore, Mike Austin, Houston Austin, John Jones, JR Farley, and Nelson Bruce. Honorary pallbearers will be Ray Bruce and Robert Fields. Baxter chapel of Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, 858-2134. You may share your thoughts and memories at www.hhhfunerals.com. ...

Walck, 98, Black River Newzjunky -- BLACK RIVER, NY — William Junior “Bill” Walck, 98, of 150 Maple St., Black River, passed away May 14, 2019, at the Nottingham Residential Health Care Facility in Jamesville, NY, where he had been a resident since May 29, 2018.He was born on January 14, 1921, in Lehighton, PA, son of William John and Sallie (Gnitsinger) Walck.  He graduated from Lehighton High School in 1938.After graduating, he went to RCA Inst. in NYC, NY, where he studied radio engineering. Upon receiving his certificate in radio engineering, he worked as a transmitter engineer installing radio stations and operating the stations after completion. This brought him to WWNY-790, Watertown, of which he was the last surviving original employee. Before his military service he taught radio and electronic theory at Clarkson Univ.He entered the US Army and served with Signal Corps where he trained soldiers in radio theory and operation. He served in the European Theater following D-Day and finished his military career in the service working in the telephone branch on Camp Drum.  While working there he met his future wife, Anna Kilburn who was a telephone operator. The couple married on Dec. 6, 1946, at Concordia Lutheran Church and resided in Watertown before moving to Black River in 1948.Upon his honorable discharge from the military he returned to work for WWNY Radio. In 1954 he was transferred to WCNY-TV, now known as WWNY-TV, until he retired in 1986. He was known by all as “Master Control”.He served as secretary and treasurer for NABET Union Local 24, treasurer for the North Country Library System and Black River Library.  He was an avid investor and enjoyed following the stock market up until he passed.  He was a member of the VFW, received the American Legi...