United States High School Yearbooks by County
SPEARIN
Lucille Spearin
Lucille Spearin of Esparto died in her home Thursday, Nov. 24, 2005 at age 84.
Mrs. Spearin was born Feb. 5, 1921 in Rumsey. She had been a Yolo County resident for her entire life. She attended business school in Sacramento, where she met her future husband. She also was the postmaster for Rumsey for 26 years. She also was the 1939 Capay Valley Almond Festival Queen and the accordionist and piano player for her family's band, "The Rumsey Five."
Mrs. Spearin was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Spearin. Survivors include her daughter Nancy Ryel and huband Tom; granddaughter Kate Armitage and huband Clinton of Chehalis, Wash.; grandsons Michael Ryan, stationed on the USS Abraham Lincoln, and Daniel Ryan, stationed in Afghanistan; and great-grandchildren Emily, Rachel, MacKenzie, Allison and Zach Armitage.
Services: A graveside service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30 at Capay Cemetery in Esparto. The family requests donations in Mrs. Spearin's name be made to the charity of the donor's choice. McNary's Chapel of Woodland is assisting the family with arrangements.
SPEEGLE
Eric Pasquale Speegle
Eric Pasquale Speegle passed away on Monday, March 26, 2001 in Winters. Born on Oct. 21, 1972 in Davis, he was 28 years old. A 1991 graduate of Modesto High School, Mr. Speegle also attended Modesto Junior College in 1992-93. He moved back home in 1993 and lived with his mother for awhile before moving in with his father. Mr. Speegle worked part time off and on in Davis and was employed by the Hayward House in Woodland.
Mr. Speegle is survived by a daughter, Kayla D. Foucheaux, of Davis; father, Claude D. Speegle of Winters; mother, Teresa A. Gloege and husband James of Dixon; grandparents, Pasquale and Betty J. Biasi of Dixon, and Hazel Speegle of Winters; uncles, Gene Speegle of Oakdale, Joe Speegle and wife Beth of Winters, James Speegle and his wife Denise of Winters, and Michael Biasi and wife Nancy of Woodland; aunts, Patricia L. Callahan and husband Scott of Dixon, and Kathryn Clark and husband Larry of Winters; and numerous cousins.
He was preceded in death by three uncles, Larry Speegle, John Speegle and Dominic Biasi.
Funeral services were held on Friday, March 30, at 1 p.m. at Smith's Colonial Chapel in Winters. Burial followed at the Winters Cemetery.
Eric P. Speegle
Eric Pasquale Speegle died March 26, 2001. Born in Davis on Oct. 21, 1972, he was 28.
He graduated from Modesto High School in 1991 and attended Modesto Junior College between 1992 and 1993. He moved back home in 1993 and resided with his mother for a time and then lived with his father in Winters. He worked part-time, off and on in Davis, and was employed by the Hayward House in Woodland.
He is survived by his father, Claude D. Speegle of Winters; his mother, Teresa A. Gloege and her husband, James of Dixon; his maternal grandparents, Pasquale and Betty J. Biasi of Dixon; his paternal grandmother, Hazel Speegle of Winters; his daughter, Kayla D. Foucheaux of Davis; his four uncles, Gene Speegle of Oakdale, Joe Speegle and his wife, Beth of Winters, James Speegle and his wife, Denise of Winters and Michael Biasi and his wife, Nancy of Woodland; his two aunts, Patricia L. Callahan and her husband, Scott of Dixon and Kathryn Clark and her husband, Larry of Winters. He is also survived by numerous cousins and other relatives.
His burial took place on March 30, at the Winters Cemetery. Remembrances may be made in his name to the Eric Speegle Memorial Fund, For Benefit of Kayla D. Foucheaux, Daughter, C/O First Northern Bank, 195 North First Street, Dixon, CA 95620.
SPERR
Albert C. Sperr
Albert C. Sperr died in Sacramento Saturday, Jan. 29, 2005 at age 77.
Mr. Sperr was born Jan. 11, 1928 in Donnelly, Minn. to the late John and Lena Sperr. He had been a Woodland resident for about two years. He had a 27-year military career which included serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War as a paratrooper and on supply missions of the 11th Airborne Division and later for the U.S. Air Force. He received the Bronze Star for flying missions during the Korean and Vietnam wars. His last career was with ARA in charge of coffee service and repair division before retiring.
Survivors include Mr. Sperr's wife of 18 years, Lynn Hannagan Sperr; his daughter, Sheila Massey of Elk Grove; his sons, Joel Sperr of Wheatland, Minn. and Gary Sperr and his wife Nancy of Granite Bay; his stepchildren, Clifton and his companion Raquel Rodriguez-Hug of Paso Robles; Holly Stelmach Howard of Mendocino; Burton and his wife Debbie Slaven-Hestand of Oregon House and Lance Stelmach of Folsom; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; 11 brothers and sisters; his brother-in-law, Burt Hannagan and his wife Lalo of Woodland and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.
The family requests memorials in Mr. Sperr's name be directed to Shriners Hospital for Children, 2025 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, 95817 or Twin Lakes Food Bank, P.O. Box 743, Folsom, 95630.
Services: A memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5 at Green Valley Mortuary, 610 Colma, Folsom. Burial with full military honors is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9 at Woodland Cemetery. Green Valley Mortuary of Folsom is assisting the family with arrangements.
SPEER
Ola Speer
Ola Speer passed away in the Cottonwood Healthcare Facility in Woodland on Aug. 29, 2000 at the age of 92. She was born in Dallas, Texas on Jan. 23, 1908 to Albert and Hettie Davis.
Mrs. Speer was a resident of Yolo County for 55 years. She was a homemaker all of her adult life and a member of the Woodland Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Mrs. Speer is survived by her children, Reba Piris of Woodland, Mildred Brown and husband James of Vallejo, Don Speer of Pittsburgh, Missouri, Mary Campo and husband Bert of Middletown, and Steven Speer and wife Sherry of Anderson. Also surviving Mrs. Speer are numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Speer was preceded in death by her husband William M. Speer and her son Albert L. Speer.
A private graveside service was held on Friday, Sept. 1, at the Woodland Cemetery.
McNary's Chapel assisted the family with the arrangements.
SPENCER
Wayne Alan Spencer
Wayne Alan Spencer died at Cottonwood Heathcare in Woodland Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005 at age 59.
Mr. Spencer was born July 27, 1945 in San Francisco to Corbett and Lola Lockman Spencer. He graduated from Mission High School in 1963. He was employed as a distribution manager for West Coast Beauty Supply and the Emporium for a combined 25 years.
Survivors include Mr. Spencer's sons, Jay Spencer of Woodland and Michael Spencer of San Francisco; his granddaughter, Rene Spencer of Petaluma and his grandsons, Jared, Riley and Wyland Spencer of Woodland, Michael, Jr., and Tyler Spencer of Petaluma.
The family requests memorials in Mr. Spencer's name be directed to the Sonoma County Task Force on Homeless. Services: Respecting the wishes of Mr. Spencer, services will be private. Evergreen Funeral Service of Woodland is assisting the family with arrangements.
SPENCER-BENTLEY
Gloria Spencer-Bentley
Gloria Spencer-Bentley of Winters passed away at home on June 1, 2004 after battling ovarian cancer for just over two years. Her husband, Bill Bentley, was at her side. Born in Woodland on June 6, 1941, and a former student in the Woodland school system, she was 63 years old.
Ms. Spencer-Bentley wove a life of art, gardening and friends. Whether it was weaving an intricate rug or fabric on her loom, re-creating Giverney in her garden, or shearing a sheep, Gloria Spencer-Bentley did it masterfully. Her friends describe her as "an artistic soul" and "the salt of the earth, " someone who could always be counted upon.
She was an accomplished fiber artist, exhibiting her award-winning work in many galleries throughout Northern California. Most recently, she worked in Russian punch-needle embroidery (Igolochkoy), creating intricate tapestries with silk and metallic threads. These whimsical, narrative pieces were inspired by her dreams, stories and many adventures.
Ms. Spencer-Bentley learned to weave in the late 1960s, and spent the rest of her life exploring many facets of fiber art. She was a master spinner and an expert in natural dyes. Living in Loomis in the 1970s, she raised black sheep, prized among weavers for their finely textured, naturally colored fleeces.
Friends and family recalled her unique gift for seeing beauty in everyday objects of nature. The entry table in her home exhibited a changing collection of "found objects, " which might include a hummingbird's nest from her garden, a shard of mahogany obsidian from the family ranch, or a natural wreath of thorns found in the Mojave Desert. Friends say she saw treasure in what others couldn't see, and put her hand to it so they could see it, too.
Ms. Spencer-Bentley was deeply interested in Native American art and culture, an affinity that began in childhood. In the 1970s, she worked for Pacific Western Traders in Folsom, where she met many prominent Native American artists and craftspeople. Their work informed her own.
An intrepid traveler, she gathered inspiration for her art and gardens from the people and places she visited. A photograph from the mid-1970s shows her astride a camel at the Great Pyramids of Egypt, a trip that also took her to Turkey and Afghanistan prior to the Soviet invasion. She traveled extensively throughout Mexico, the American Southwest, and Europe, where she and her husband traveled the back roads of Germany and Austria. Last year, she visited Paris and the south of France between chemotherapy treatments. Her husband describes her last trip to the American Southwest as an "art pilgrimage, " where she visited Native American weavers, basketmakers, jewelers and other artists.
A prolific gardener, Ms. Spencer-Bentley spent many hours tending her antique roses and vegetables. The gardens at her Winters home are a testimony to her eclectic style, combining antique climbing roses, grasses and unusual cultivars. Over her lifetime, Ms. Spencer-Bentley enjoyed a wide circle of friends, including artists and musicians.
Ms. Spencer-Bentley is survived by her husband, Bill Bentley of Winters; mother, Jane Spencer of Woodland; daughters Wendy Heaton of Sacramento and Amy Wilson of Cool; sisters Sandy Hafley of Woodland and Kathy Farster of Marysville.
A memorial celebration will be held later this summer. Remembrances can be made to any local hospice.
SPIES
Richard Davis Spies
Richard Davis Spies died Sept. 10, 2004, in Woodland at the age of 45. He was born in Phoenix, Ariz., on June 6, 1959.
A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, at Woodland United Fellowship Church, 240 N. West St., Woodland.
He was a graduate of Davis High School and attended American River College. He was an accomplished musician, poet and writer.
He is survived by his parents, Richard and Carol Spies; sisters Joan Athey, Claire Bond and Corinne Williams; nephews Cameron Bond and Peter Athey; and nieces Madeline Athey and Kyle Corinne Bond.
The family requests memorials be sent to the Yolo Community Care Continuum, P.O. Box 1101, Davis, Ca. 95616.
McNary's Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.
