Speer, John Forbes, Dr. 1914-2003

SPEER, RUSSELL, WHEATLEY, ENGLAND, RUTTER, BLOOMFIELD, VILEN

Posted By: Debbie Nash (email)
Date: 11/18/2003 at 23:30:48

John Forbes Speer
November 17, 2003

Dr. John Forbes Speer, 89, of Rochester, Minn., died Saturday, Nov. 8, 2003, at Charter House in Rochester.

Memorial contributions may be made to Ames Public Library or Higgins Library of Charter House.

Mr. Speer was born Oct. 14, 1914, in Oakland, Calif. He married Loena Russell. She preceded him in death. He married Dorcas Wheatley in 1970 in Ames.

Mr. Speer spent much of his early life in Eugene, Ore. He received his bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Oregon and his doctorate in English language and literature from the University of Chicago. In 1951, he joined the English department of Iowa State University in Ames, where he remained professor emeritus until his death. In 1998, he moved to Charter House in Rochester, where he was active as a member of the library committee and served as president of the residents council.

Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Christine England and husband Russell of Fairfield and Anne Rutter and husband Larry of Marion; two stepdaughters, Kate Bloomfield and husband Todd of St. Paul, Minn., and Christine Wheatley and husband Jeff Vilen of Zumbro Falls, Minn.; one stepson, David Wheatley and wife Evelyn of Minneapolis, Minn.; four grandchildren; four stepgrandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Courtesy of the Fairfield Daily Ledger Inc. 2003