- Date Of Birth: August 23, 1926
- Date Of Death: August 29, 2017
- State: Iowa
Florence Spear, age 91 of Burt, passed away Tuesday, August 29, 2017 at the Titonka Care Center in Titonka. Florence Arlene Willis, the daughter of Forrest Edward and Hazel Verna (Reibsamen) Willis, was born on August 23, 1926 on a farm near Titonka, where she attended Titonka Consolidated school graduating in 1944. She worked 3 years for Titonka Electric and 3 years for Bartlett Hatchery in Titonka. On December 28, 1952 she married Johnnie Spear and became a farmer’s wife. The couple lived on a farm near Burt and raised two sons, Duane and Darell Spear and they both attended school and attended church there. Florence held many offices in the Titonka and Burt Methodist Churches including Circle Chair for planning, preparing and serving many funeral meals. She was also involved with Burt and Titonka American Legion Auxiliary, Burt Women’s Club and Kossuth County Extension Council. Florence served as a Deacon for the Burt Presbyterian Church. She volunteered her time tearing and disinfecting bandages for the WW2 overseas effort, as a Den Mother while her sons were active in Boy Scouts, as a Sunday School teacher where she influenced many young lives and even taught Bible School in Alaska for a summer, and she made telephone calls for the Well Elderly Clinic. From 1972-1988 Florence was an instructor at Exceptional Opportunities. Florence has also been honored twice by Governor Branstad for volunteering in public education and public health. After the couple moved from the farm into Burt in 1991, Johnnie passed away. Florence loved farming, gardening, traveling, cooking and sewing. She was a great care giver to her elderly lady friends. Her greatest enjoyment was spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She played an important role in their lives. Florence is survived by her sons; Duane (Michele Bell) Spear of Burt and Darell (LeAnn Torney) Spear of Burt; grandchildren and great grandchildren: Aimee (Scott) Hollon and their children Harrison, Brigham and Anneliese and Jordan (Sharalee) Spear and their children Matt, Sadie and Natalie; a brother, Wilbur Willis of Arboga, California and two sisters, Pat (Keith) Hall of Grundy Center and Kathy (Ralph) Carlson of Parker, Colorado. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Johnnie in 1991; a daughter-in-law, Carol Spear in 1995; a brother, Clifford Willis in 1942 and a sister, Verna Dell St. Clair in 2013.
