Match! Burness, Bruce 90 dob 5/26/1909 found 12/11/1999 # 369

https://claimus.org/cases/369#

Spokane WA.

This file is (unfortunately) mixed up. The deceased is named "Burness Bruce," not "Bruce Burness" and is a female. The listing is wrong on NamUs and the Spokane County Medical Examiner's Unclaimed Remains page (link here), and then reported incorrectly by The Spokesman-Review (link here).

"United States Social Security Death Index," Burness O Bruce, 1999
first name: Burness
middle name: O
last name: Bruce
name suffix:
birth date: 26 May 1909
social security number: 534-46-5119
place of issuance: Washington
last residence: Spokane, Washington
zip code of last residence: 99223
death date: 11 December 1999
estimated age at death: 90

Ms. Bruce is listed as an "inmate" in the 1940 census. I have found mentions of a State Custodial School in Espanola Township - Spokane in the 1930s and an Eastern State Hospital in Espanola Township - Spokane as well as references to an asylum. It sounds like she was institutionalized at the time of the census.

"United States Census, 1940," Burness Bruce, Espanola Township, Spokane, Washington, United States
name: Burness Bruce
titles & terms:
event: Census
event year: 1940
event place: Espanola Township, Spokane, Washington, United States
gender: Female
age: 31
marital status: Single
race (original):
race (standardized): White
relationship to head of household (original):
relationship to head of household (standardized): Inmate
birthplace: Washington
estimated birth year: 1909
residence in 1935: Chelan, Washington
enumeration district number: 32-20
family number:
sheet number and letter: 9B
line number: 72
nara publication number: T627
nara roll number: 4362
digital folder number: 005460354
image number: 00335

A family tree list Burness Bruce (but with just birth date so her family may not know she is deceased and unclaimed) so I am going to look into her family members next: Link here.

She seems to have had seven siblings, also noted at link here, of whom four have children listed. One of her siblings appears to be her twin as they share the same birth date.

It looks like Burness Bruce had a twin named Beaurl. The family tree listed four children for Beaurl. I found an obituary for his wife who passed in 2011 listing the same four children and spouses (link here). I think I have found the contact information for the daughter of one of these children - who would be Burness Bruce's grand-niece. PM'ing the information to Raine and Nemo'sMom!

Good work!

I have emailed to the Spokane investigator. Looks like really good info!

NM