William & Alice Speke

SPEKE WILLIAMS CORFIELD

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/18/2010 at 20:19:59

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

William and Alice Speke
By Mrs. Darrell Wilson

William James Speke, son of Tomas and Sarah Williams Speke, was born June 9, 1986, at Church Stretton, Shropshire, England. After completing his schooling and seven years as an apprentice, he became a butcher by trade.

In the early 1880s his Uncle John Williams had come to the United States and purchased a farm southeast of Moville. Some years later when John Williams visited relatives in England, young William Speke became interested in migrating to the United States. In 1912, he arrived in Woodbury County and lived for a time with his uncle’s family. In 1913 he rented the Wade farm, later known as the Waugh farm, nine miles southeast of Moville. It had been a postal center at one time, called Wolfdale.

In keeping with plans made in England before William’s departure, Alice Corfield, came to America to become his bride. Alice, the daughter of Edward and Mary Ann Corfield, was born April 10, 1887, at Lydbury North, Shropshire, England. William’s brother, Cecil, accompanied Alice on the two-week boat trip to the United States. She and William were marred May 27, 1913, by Rev Fred G Elwick in the Diamond School which also served as a worship center in Wolf Creek Township.

While the couple resided on the Wade farm, Robert Wilfred was born, November 17, 1915. From there the young family moved to six miles north of Moville to the Dr Dewey farm where Lillian Frances was born, November 1, 1917, and Doris was born, January 14, 1919. In 1919 they purchased a farm four and one-half miles southeast of Moville. Beryl Winifred was born there, January 30, 1922.

As had been the custom on his father’s farm in England, William raised sheep in this country. He also fed lambs shipped in from the western states. Local residents enjoyed an unusual sight every fall when he drove 400 to 500 feeder lambs from the stockyards north of the depot, up Main Street, through town, and all the way to the farm, assisted only by his two well-trained sheep dogs.

William met an untimely death November 7, 1924. He was killed at a railroad crossing while taking a load of sheep to the Sioux City Stockyards. Alice and her four children, all under ten years of age, remained on the farm, facing such hardships as the 1928 tornado which damaged or destroyed all the buildings except the house, the closing of a Moville bank in 1929, and two severe hailstorms in 1930 and 1931.

Cecil Speke had been renting a farm in the Lawton area. After William’s death, Cecil lived with his brother’s family, operating their farm while the children were growing up and during the time Robert served in World War II.

Alice attained her goals to see that her children received Christian training and graduated from high school, but her dream of returning to England to visit relatives was never realized because of her death, September 29, 1939, at the age of 62.

Robert, who now owns and lives on the family farm, was married to Miriam Bond Hay, July 1, 1944. They have three daughters: Judith Hay Speke, born November 28, 1940; Mary Alice, born July 15, 1947; and Margaret Leone, born March 16, 1950. Judith married Raymond V Timan in 1969. Their children are Sara Elizabeth, born in 1970 and Robert Jon, born in 1974. Mary married Ronald W Ferdig in 1963. Their children are: Michael Timothy, born 1964; Susan Marie, born in 1966; Dawn Elizabeth, born in 1970; and Mark Robert, born in 1971. Margaret married Jerald A Davidson in 1976. Their children are Rachel Miriam, born in 1978, and James Isaac, born in 1983.

Lillian Speke married Darrell Loyd Wilson, May 31, 1941. Three sons were born to them: Roger Darrell on August 2, 1944; Evan Loyd on July 25, 1948; and Mark Eldon on March 3, 1953. Evan died Spetember 5, 1976, age 28.

Doris Speke married Dale Hamilton Weaver, May 27, 1945. They have four children: JoEllen, born July 9, 1947; John Kevin, born April 3, 1948; Barbara Sue, born May 1, 1950; and Brian Dale, born May 29, 1954. Jo married Larry L Etler in 1967. Their children are Beth Cristine, born in 1973, and Luke Hamilton, born in 1976. John married Diane L Rogers in 1983. Their children are John’s daughter by a previous marriage, Ann Elizabeth, born in 1972, and Cassie Ann, born in 1983. Barbara married Robert C Neustrom in 1970. Brian married Debra J Halgerson in 1976.

Beryl Speke married William Martinez, June 24, 1944.

In recent years several children and grandchildren of William and Alice Speke have made the trip to Shropshire, England, searching out ancestral landmarks and becoming acquainted with the few aunts and uncles still living and many cousins.