Memorials › Bruce Chitwood
Bruce Chitwood
18 Sep 1893 – 1 Sep 1963
| Birth | 18 Sep 1893 |
| Death | 1 Sep 1963 |
| Cemetery | Oakwood Cemetery Annex Austin , Travis County , Texas , USA |
| Added by | Ben Cynova on 12 Dec 2025 |
| FaG | https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/101787855 |
Bio
Bruce Chitwood (1893–1963) Early Life and Family Background Bruce Chitwood was born on 18 September 1893 in Ector, Fannin County, Texas, the son of Sparrell Hale Chitwood, a Civil War–era farmer, and Mary Cassandre "Cassie" Stephenson. He was part of a large, blended family that included both full siblings—Earl, Leonard "Lyn," Bluford, Floyd, Clyde—and several older half-siblings from his father's first marriage. The Chitwood household was typical of rural north Texas at the turn of the century, relying on cooperative labor from all family members to sustain the family farm. Bruce experienced hardship early when his father died in 1911, leaving the younger boys to shoulder increased responsibility at a time when farming communities faced rising costs, unstable markets, and the first waves of agricultural mechanization. Adulthood in Rural Texas Bruce remained in Fannin County through the 1920s, part of a region shaped by small-scale farming, cotton production, and the early influence of railway towns like Bonham and Honey Grove. His movements align with patterns seen across rural Texas families—staying near kin networks while navigating a shifting agricultural economy. The 1930s brought additional strain across Texas due to the agricultural recession, Dust Bowl conditions to the north, and limited employment options. Many individuals with limited income or chronic illness struggled during this time, and it is in the following decade that Bruce's circumstances become clearer. Residence at Terrell State Hospital By 1940, Bruce was enumerated as an inmate at Terrell State Hospital in Kaufman County, Texas. The institution was one of the state's major psychiatric and long-term care facilities, serving patients with a wide range of medical, psychiatric, developmental, or neurological conditions. His presence there indicates that by mid-life he required long-term institutional care. Records of this type—common for the time—rarely specify the exact reason for admission in the census, and the census classification "inmate" was the standard term used for all patients. Later Years and Death Bruce remained connected to Texas throughout his life. He died on 1 September 1963 in Austin, Travis County, a city that by mid-century served as a hub for major state hospitals and larger medical facilities, suggesting he may have been transferred or treated there near the end of his life. He was part of a deeply rooted Fannin County family, whose members remained spread across the region into the 20th century. Though some of his life was spent in institutional care, Bruce's story reflects the broader social history of rural Texans navigating economic hardship, limited medical resources, and the evolving landscape of public health care in the early 1900s. Sources U.S. Federal Census (1900, 1910, 1920) – Family structure, residence in Fannin County. 1940 U.S. Census, Terrell State Hospital, Kaufman Co. – Listed as inmate; age 45; born Texas. Texas Death Records (Travis County, 1963) – Confirms death date and location. Fannin County family records & cemetery indexes – Verifies family ties, birth location, and sibling relationships. Chitwood family memorial and genealogical indexes – Corroborates birth and death details.
Photos
Family
Parents
Siblings
- Ausburn Brown Chitwood 1868–1941
- Hernest H. Chitwood 1870–1873
- Martin Luther Chitwood 1873–1921
- Pearl Gertrude Chitwood Jenkins 1880–1898
- Eula Lee Chitwood 1882–1883
- Clyde Timothy Chitwood 1883–1942
- Floyd Clinton "Bill" Chitwood 1886–1959
- Bernice Shedrick Chitwood 1889–1966
- Dona Gay Chitwood Montgomery 1891–1985
- Earl Chitwood 1896–1976
- Leonard Leondus "Lyn" Chitwood 1902–1971
- Bluford Blanton Chitwood 1907–1986
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