Harold Bruce Light

November 14, 1928 - July 11, 2021

Harold Bruce Light, 92 of Paige, Texas died on July the 11th, 2021. His funeral services will be held on Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at 2:00 pm at Phillips and Luckey Funeral Home in Giddings, Texas. Burial will follow at the Giddings City Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm and on Wednesday, July 14, 2021 from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm. Bruce Light was born at home and delivered by a midwife in the Mesquite Community area near Paige on November 14, 1928 to Alvina Weiss Light and Hugh Roy Light. He was their third son. Bruce was baptized in the Mesquite Methodist Church. He went to Mesquite School where all 7 grades were taught in the same room by one teacher. The school was later moved into Paige. He rode a horse 3 miles to school each day and pastured his horse in a friend’s pasture. When it came time for high school, Bruce moved into a boarding house in Giddings and attended classes until he graduated. During his high school years, he worked at a local grocery after school and on Saturdays to help pay for his room and board. He walked between school and work as there was not a bus system. After graduating high school, Bruce met Bettye Lynn Blackwell. They were married on July 28, 1948. He was 19 and she was 16. Together they had 3 children: Jerry, Gerry, and Karen. Bruce tried farming after graduation, but after 2 years, he saw it wasn’t working out. He then went to work for Geophysical Services Incorporated. He started at bottom and worked his way up to driller. He moved with his family all over Texas and the south doing the groundwork for oil exploration surveys. His last move was to Australia for two years after which he came back to Bastrop, Texas and settled down to raise his family. Bruce worked numerous local jobs ultimately getting a good paying solid job with the LCRA at the Sim Gideon Power Plant. He retired from LCRA in 1987. Years before he retired, he bought a house in Giddings and had it moved to his land south of Paige. The following years were spent remodeling the house working after work and on weekends. If this wasn’t enough to stay busy, he also raised hogs, cattle and feed. But before he retired, he was able to move into the new house in the country. He leaves behind a legacy of wonderful memories. Bruce was an active member of the Paige Methodist Church. He held offices and kept the church grounds mowed. He was also a member of the Paige Community Center and assisted in BBQ and stew fundraisers. Bruce is predeceased by his parents, Hugh Roy Light and Alvina Weiss Light; brothers, Jerome Light and Nolan Light, and son-in-law, Sam M. Day. Bruce is survived by his wife, Bettye Lynn Light; sons, Jerry and wife Joan Light of Thrall and Gerry Light of Paige; daughter, Karen Day of Seguin; four grandchildren, James Light and wife Misty of Normangee, Jeffrey Light and wife Laura of Pflugerville, Sam Day of Seguin, and Jennifer Day of New York, and eight great grandchildren, Madison Kaye Light of College Station, Savannah Raye Light of Normangee, James Austin Light of Normangee, Nolan Louis Light of Pflugerville, Reece Louise Light of Pflugerville, Tyler Remington Light of Seguin, Jonathan Connally of New York, and Tabitha Sue-Lynn Connally of New York. As a tribute to those with a rural upbringing, Bruce wanted to include the words to Alan Jackson’s Small Town Southern Man. Harold Bruce Light loved the words to this song. Small Town Southern Man by Alan Jackson Born the middle son of a farmer And a small town Southern man Like his daddy's daddy before him Brought up workin' on the land Fell in love with a small town woman And they married up and settled down Natural way of life if you're lucky For a small town Southern man First there came four pretty daughters For this small town Southern man Then a few years later came another A boy, he wasn't planned Seven people livin' all together In a house built with his own hands Little words with love and understandin' From a small town Southern man And he bowed his head to Jesus And he stood for Uncle Sam And he only loved one woman Was always proud of what he had He said his greatest contribution Is the ones you leave behind Raised on the ways and gentle kindness Of a small town Southern man Callous hands told the story For this small town Southern man He gave it all to keep it all together And keep his family on his land Like his daddy, years wore out his body Made it hard just to walk and stand You can break the back But you can't break the spirit Of a small town Southern man And he bowed his head to Jesus And he stood for Uncle Sam And he only loved one woman Was always proud of what he had He said his greatest contribution Is the ones you leave behind Raised on the ways and gentle kindness Of a small town Southern man Finally death came callin' For this small town Southern man He said it's alright 'cause I see angels And they got me by the hand Don't you cry, and don't you worry I'm blessed, and I know I am Cause God has a place in Heaven For a small town Southern man And he bowed his head to Jesus And he stood for Uncle Sam And he only loved one woman Was always proud of what he had He said his greatest contribution Is the ones you leave behind Raised on the ways and gentle kindness Of a small town Southern man Memorials may be made to Paige United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 52, Paige, Texas 78659 or to the charity of one's choice.