Clarinda Herald-Journal (Iowa) 26Nov2015 and The Bedford Times-Press (Iowa) 18Nov2015
Bruce Judson Mason, 81, passed away October 6, 2015 at his home in Seattle Washington.  He was born in New Market on September 13, 1934 to parent's Bruce  C. and Correla (Nuzum) Mason.
After stellar grades and some tuba playing at high school Bruce attended Iowa State University before setting out to "see the world".  He traveled west on freight trains working as a farm laborer, ranch hand, survey crewman - any job he could find.  A favorite story was working on the Going-To-The-Sun road in Glacier National Park in winter.  As youngest man on the crew, his job was to keep the motors running on the road equipment at all times.
He ended up in Oregon working as a draftsman before being drafted into the army in 1957.  In Oregon he found the mother of his sons, and first wife, Jane Mason.  In the army he found his career.  Bruce retired as a Sergeant Major after 32 years of service.  Courtesy of the Army, he did indeed see the world.  He served 3 tours in Vietnam, many years in Europe and finished his service in Kuwait as a chemical weapons specialist in the First Gulf War.
He loved travel and was enthusiastic and interested in everything.  Germany was surely his favorite, spending nearly two decades there.  An avid Volksmarcher, he hiked 1000s of km's through forests and castle-topped hills with regular stops for beer and bratwurst with friends and his two sons.  He retired to Baltimore in '98 with his third wife Delores Mason and enjoyed many years of building elaborate ideas with his son Charles in the backyard.  He finally settled to his 30 acres in rural W Virginia where, if he wasn't "regaling the local denizens with tales of derring-do" at the small town VFW post, you could find him on his property, contentedly perched on a log down by the pond, planning the next big thing.
Bruce is survived by his sons, Bruce M. (and Suzanne) Mason of Seattle and Charles B. (and Jessica Fuller) of Lake Forest Park Washington, granddaughters Stella Rayne Mason and Penelope Rose Mason and sisters Rosalind Swart of Lansing Michigan and Beverlee Schletzbaum of Forsyth Missouri.  First wife Jane Mason and third wife Delores Mason.  Bruce was every bit the commanding, cigar chomping Sergeant Major but he will be remembered most for his adventurous and generous spirit.  He is greatly missed.
Burial and full military funeral honors ceremony will be at Arlington National Cemetery.

Bruce's gravesite is also noted on www.findagrave.com, Memorial #159595342