Paul Coleman Sprague 1912-2001

SPRAGUE, CLARK, DRESSER, RETH, MILLER

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 3/29/2013 at 22:55:41

Paul Sprague
Estherville – Funeral services for Paul C. [Coleman] Sprague, 89, of Davenport, formerly of Estherville, will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at the First Presbyterian Church in Estherville with the Reverend Mark Gabbard officiating. Interment will be held at the East Side Cemetery in Estherville. He died on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Davenport Lutheran Home in Davenport.

Visitation was held from 4-7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 12 at Henry-Olson-Fuhrman Funeral Home in Estherville with Masonic Services at 7 p.m.

Paul was born on Jan. 10, 1912 in Postville, the son of Charles Coleman and Ama Irene (Dresser) Sprague. He moved as a child with his family to Langdon where he attended school.

He moved to Los Angeles, Calif. before World War II and was employed by North American and Douglas Aircraft. Following the war, he moved to Maple Hill in the late 1940’s and was employed by Nevell Brothers Implement.

Paul then moved to Jackson, Minn. and began farming. In 1951, he moved to Estherville and continued to farm.

On March 31, 1952, he was united in marriage to Muriel Lee Clark at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. After their marriage the couple made their home northwest of Estherville where Paul farmed until he retired in 1980.

After their retirement, the couple continued to make their home on the farm until 1994 when they moved to Danville, Ill. to be close to their son. Muriel died Jan. 29, 1996.

In January of 1997, Paul moved to Davenport to be close to his daughter. He enjoyed coin collecting, hunting and family vacations.

Paul was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and the Masonic Lodge in Estherville.

He is survived by one son, Clark Coleman Sprague and his wife, Pamela of Danville; one daughter, Sara Jean Reth and her husband, Lynn of Eldridge; six grandchildren: Patrick, Brooke and Samuel Reth; Heather and Nick Sprague and Jason Bradley and one sister, Faye Miller of Spencer.

Paul was preceded in death by his wife, parents and one brother, Ross. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, February 13, 2001)