When Bruce was four years old he got burned from a gas tank explosion. He received third degree burns over fifty percent of his body. It took a long time for the burns to heal but the tender mercies of the Lord blessed him to heal completely leaving minimal scars.
Bruce’s family was not active in the church but he was blessed with good friends who were active. In Junior High his friends coaxed him and begged him to attend church. His family was not poor by any means but Bruce did not have clothes to wear to church. One day his friends gifted him with a necktie and a “church shirt.” Bruce attended church with his friends and began his activity in the gospel.
During Bruce’s high school years the Hager family was plagued with a series of unexpected problems. The father died of cancer, the mother was in a car accident that left her unable to work, another brother died in a drowning accident and his younger brother was diagnosed with diabetes. During this time Bruce totally absorbed himself in school and church. These were great places of solace for him. He was a seminary officer, yearbook photographer, manager for the basketball team, was involved in speech and debate, elected as student body officer and was counselor to the priest quorum president. He was fun to be around and was well liked by his peers.
One fun and unusual thing from his high school years was his sister taught him how to knit. He entered a sweater in the Eastern Idaho State Fair and won the top prize with a purple rosette ribbon and a $500.00 scholarship from Idaho Wool Growers. That landed his picture on the front page of the Blackfoot News.
Bruce attended and loved Ricks College, and was called to serve a mission in the Japan Kobe Mission. This was a thrill for the small town Idaho boy. He loved every minute of his mission.
After his mission he came to Salt Lake City and worked at various jobs while attending the University of Utah. One job was working as a delivery person for a flower shop. His first duty every day was to go to 7-11 and get coffee for his co-workers. At the 7-11 was this really nice clerk. She helped him every day with the coffee. They had some small conversation and one day the clerk got uncharacteristically bold. She said to Bruce: “If you would ever like to go out with me, I would like to go out with you.” A week later Bruce asked her out. Six months later Bruce found himself walking out of the Salt Lake Temple in a downpour of rain with his bride on his arm and the bluebird of happiness on his shoulder. Charlotte tells everyone she met Bruce over coffee.
Eight years later after many years of prayer and blessings this couple was blessed with their Corbin who completes their lives. They claim their family is like a three-legged stool they truly need each other.
Bruce and Charlotte have lived in their home for 20 years. Bruce taught gospel doctrine for nine years. He served as Elder’s Quorum President and Ward Mission Leader. His current calling is a primary teacher and Webelos Leader. He works as a second grade teacher at Plymouth Elementary School. Bruce has a passion for public speaking and has received many awards for speeches he has given in Toastmasters.
