Floyd A Speer's Obituary
Floyd Alfred Speer, 86 years and 7 months old was a long time resident of Miami, Oklahoma He made his transition on May 13, 2014 at Noon at Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Missouri after suffering from a brief and sudden illness. He was surrounded by his wife, Thelma Speer and his daughter, Linda Speer in a Palliative Care Room.
Floyd was born and grew up on a farm northwest of Afton. His parents were Ira Alfred Speer and Claire Schultz Speer. Floyd was the oldest of five children and he was born on October 13, 1927…Floyd was preceded in death by his Mother, when she was 31 years old. She knew she was going to die, so she taught Floyd how to sew, darn socks and cook before she passed away. Floyd was twelve years of age, when his mother died. All of her children had a difficult life growing up without their Mother; however, back then family was family and others in the family would go and help raise the children from time to time…It is hard to imagine, a child losing his Mother at the age of twelve and the thoughts going through one’s mind about all the extra responsibilities of being the oldest child in the family and having to help take care of his three brothers and one sister, while his father worked as a carpenter…Floyd left his home at the age of 14 after a falling out with his Dad and he went to live with his maternal grandparents, Stephen and Lena Schultz. He helped to take care of the Schultz Farm and continued going to School in Afton. Floyd was a 1946 Graduate of Afton High School. Floyd continued to work on the Schultz Farm after graduation for a short time; however, he wanted to be out on his own, so he went on the road and did road construction work and built bridges either after he graduated from High School or later, it is not quite clear about the order of when he did that kind of work? Then Floyd went to work at Patterson’s in Miami, and Floyd moved from the farm and lived with his Aunt Maxine Schultz Billups and Uncle Delbert Billups. He would go and eat dinner with his Aunt Bertha and Merle Gamble and their children Wanda and Merlene. Bertha did his laundry for him while he worked and then he would iron his clothes at Aunt Maxine’s. Floyd knew Thelma Collins their entire life and they started dating when they attended school in Afton, as young children. They dated for ten years before getting married on December 22, 1952. They first lived in a small apartment across from Cooper Funeral Home in Miami. Thelma sold her cow to pay the first month’s rent. Floyd started working at BF Goodrich and they bought a house on G NW and they had two children. Floyd and Thelma still lived in that little house up to the present time. Floyd built Radial Tires and then TA Radial tires for 38 years and three months until the plant shut down in Miami. Floyd was a “Mr. Fix It” and a workaholic type of person and he would do carpentry work for family, friends and several elderly people in Miami after getting off work at BF Goodrich. Floyd and Anthony Williams also did some car body work repair for a short time in Afton. Floyd was an avid quail hunter and fisherman most all of his life. His children’s pets were his short haired pointer bird dogs that he raised and hunted with...He was a Member of the NEO Sportsman’s Club, where he won several crappie and bass tournaments over the years. He was also a fishing guide on Grand Lake for short time, too. Floyd accepted the Lord as his Savior much later in life in November of 2001. He was Baptized at Southern Hills Baptist Church on November 25, 2001.
Floyd was also preceded in death by his Maternal Grandparents Lena and Stephen Schultz, his father, Ira Alfred Speer, his step mother, Clytia McCoin Speer, his baby brother, Glen Dale Speer, his brother, Harold “Dutch” Speer, his son, Danny Ray Speer, who died from Lung Cancer in 2005, then his brother, E. Dewitt Speer passed away after a long illness.
Floyd is survived by his wife, Bessie “Thelma” Speer of the home in Miami and his daughter, Linda Speer that lives near Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Afton, Oklahoma. One sister, Doris Speer Marsh of Afton, Oklahoma, three sister in laws, Joyce Speer of Afton, Oklahoma, Sue Speer of Claremore, Oklahoma, and Elnora Collins Thompson at the Miami Nursing Home. One aunt, Maxine Schultz Billups of Miami, several cousins, nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, May 31 at 11:00 am with Brother Dale Neal Officiating at Southern Hills Baptist Church in Miami, Oklahoma. A dinner reception will be held after the Memorial provided by his Church Family.
Services have been placed in the care of Brown-Winters Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Miami.
Friends and family may send the family notes of encouragement by viewing Mr. Speer's Tribute Page at www.brown-winters.com.
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