About Us

Mr. Francis Hart became a funeral director in 1931 graduating from Syracuse School of Embalming. Following his graduation he was employed by John J. Maloy Funeral Home in Syracuse. He later moved to Greensboro, N.C. where he was associated with the Hanes Funeral Home, and in 1934, he became an assistant at the S.J. Payne & Son Funeral Home.

Mr. Hart became affiliated with John J. Scherer in 1938. They opertated a funeral home on Benedict St. in Watertown, later moving it the present location on North Massey Street. In 1950, it became the Hart Funeral Home. Mr Hart later was associated with Wesley R. Johnston, and the business became known as the Hart & Johnston Funeral Home. Following the death of Mr. Johnston the funeral home was purchased by John P. "Jack" Bruce in 1979. In 1994, his daughter Jill Bruce Wiley graduated from Canton College of Technology and became a lisenced funeral director at the funeral homes.

The Clark Funeral Home in Black River was purchased by John P. "Jack" Bruce in January of 1972 from it's former owner Christopher Clark. The name of the funeral home became known as the Clark & Bruce Funeral Home and is currently the Bruce Funeral Home.

On December 19, 2013, Jill Bruce Wiley purchased the two funeral homes from her father, John P. "Jack" Bruce. It will be my goal to continue the family busniess for many years to come.