Bruce Dillman
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Services for Bruce D. Dillman, 71, were held at 10 a.m. Monday August 21st, 2006 at First Baptist Church, Gene Autry, Oklahoma with the Rev. David Colaw officiating.

Interment followed at the Gene Autry, Oklahoma Cemetery. Arrangements were under the direction of Craddock Funeral Home.

Born Dec. 3, 1934, at Kansas City, Kan. to Lucius M. and Lucile Dobbs Dillman, he died Aug. 18, 2006, at his residence. He was preceded in death by his father.

Born in a cow town, Bruce acquired a cowboy outfit at an early age and has been a cowboy-at-heart ever since. He figured out lots of ways to play cowboy. Some of them involved real cows, real horses, real guns and guitars. After two seasons wrangling and singing cowboy songs on a Colorado dude ranch, he put in five seasons in gun fights and other entertainment at Dodge City's Replica. Through the years he also accumulated a long list of job titles in broadcasting, college teaching, sales, communication training and publishing.

Bruce wrote two books. The more popular of the two is "The Cowboy Handbook," endorsed by a number of prominent people from Gene Autry to Johnny Western and is referenced by prominent authors such as Holly George-Warren and Douglas Green. Recently he had done Web page design and other computer artistry and was involved with the Gene Autry Museum. He has lived in cow country communities in Kansas, Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska and California. He had a great regard for all aspects of cowboy life, lore, literature, lyric and legend and he felt like they were much too important to be taken seriously.

Survivors include his mother, Lucile Dillman, Independence, Kan.; son, Brian Dillman and his wife, Gwen, Glen Ellyn, Illinois; sister, Sue Dillman, New York/Kansas; brother, Bob Dillman, California; three grandchildren, Kate, David and Anne Dillman; and nephews, Robert and Jason Dillman.

Bearers were Paul King, Billy Barksdale, Greg Sweeten, Don Morgan, Jimmy Brock and Rob Carter.

 

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