Melville "Mel" Wright Spencer

Abt 1854 - Yes, date unknown

• Name	Melville "Mel" Wright Spencer
  Born	Abt 1854	Illinois, USA   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Obituary	24 Feb 1914	St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida, USA   [2]
  	The Evening Independent, St. Petersburg "M. W. Spencer Passes Away Former City Engineer and was prominent in St. Petersburg affairs M. W. Spencer passed away at his home, on Nineteenth avenue and Fourth street north, at 8 0'clock this morning, death resulting from an attack of pneumonia, at the age of 59 years. Funeral arrangements are pending, but the body will be buried here at the special request of the deceased, Mr. Spencer always having said that St. Petersburg is good enough for him alive or dead. A widow, three sons and three daughters survive Mr. Spencer. Two of the sons, J. O. and Harry, reside here, being respectively city engineer and assistant. The other son lives in Salt Lake City, Idaho [sic]. The three daughters reside in Moline, Ill.; Boise City, Idaho, and Detroit, Mich., the latter one being here now. A single brother, residing in Missouri, survives Mr. Spencer and is the only living relative of his family. Mr. Spencer had been a man of affairs in every place he lived since starting out into the world. He was born in Sacramento, ill., March 31, 1854, received his early education and training there, and later started in life in the neighboring country. At the early age of 17 years he started out into the world as a school teacher, and continued in educational work till 24 years of age. He then studied civil engineering, which profession he followed the remainder of his life with the exception of four years and the past few months of his retirement. In 1894-5 Mr. Spencer served in the Illinois legislature. During the following two years he was private secretary to James R. Camel, one of the prominent men of Illinois. At the opening of the Spanish-American war Mr. Camel and Mr. Spencer organized a battalion of the Ninth illinois infantry, of which Mr. Spencer was elected major, and served in this position through the war. Following his return from the war, Mr. Spencer became engaged in a big drainage canal in Illinois. It was during his work on this project that his health gave way. He came to St. Petersburg for his health four years ago last September and was appointed city engineer the following March. Mr. Spencer had started for Cuba when he visited St. Petersburg, and decided that it was better than Cuba. He served as city engineer till the commission form of government was put into effect last July, when he declined reappointment and his son, J. O., was appointed to succeed him. As city engineer he discharged his duties with general satisfaction to the citizens and the city officials and credit to himself. He was one of the first commissioners of Pass-a-Grille. The commissioners of both cities have ordered resolutions of respect drafted in honor of the deceased. Mr. Spencer was a member in good standing of the Modern Woodmen of America and carried $3,000 insurance in the order. General regret was expressed by every one upon learning of the death of the former city engineer. Mr. Spencer was a man of high intellect and good education, whose life was actuated by noble purposes, and as such he made friends sincere and true to the man. He was musically inclined and had written [sic] a number of hymns words and music, which are published in some of the church hymnals. The body was prepared for funeral and burial in the Harris undertaking parlors."
  Obituary	9 Mar 1914	St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida, USA   [3]
  	The Evening Independent, picked up from and citing The Norris City Record (Norris City, White County, Illinois) "Tribute to Memory of M. W. Spencer The following beautiful tribute to a good man gone, who was widely known and well beloved in St. Petersburg, is reprinted from the newspaper of his home city, the Norris City (Ill.) Record: Major M. W. (Mel) Spencer, a former resident of White county and well known throughout the state, died at his home in St. Petersburg, Fla., Feb. 24, 1914. The funeral service was held and the body given burial at St. Petersburg on Friday. Deceased leaves a widow, six children?J. Oris, James, Harry, Effie?all living at St. Petersburg?and Celesta, at Moline, Ill., and Hallie, who lives not far from Twin Falls, Idaho. We understand that one brother?Allen?is still living. M. W. Spencer was the oldest son of Rev. T. O. Spencer, of the M. E. church. his father was a native of Pennsylvania. He came to White county in 1852. Soon after his arrival he lost his wife. In 1853 he was married to Miss Levina DeBoard, the mother of the subject of this sketch. T. O. Spencer joined the M. E. conference in 1855. Being a man of fine attainments and pleasing personality, he was almost idolized by his people. On the breaking out of the civil war, he enlisted as chaplain. On the breaking out of the civil war, he listed as chaplain. Soon after the close of the war he died, leaving his widow and four children, and was buried in Walnut Hill cemetery in Jefferson county. In 1870 the mother died, leaving the children to battle their own way through life. She sleeps in the Ebenezer cemetery. It was his father's purpose that Mel should be educated for the ministry, and an elder in the M. E. church (Hughey) offered to take him and educate him for the work; but from some cause the plan fell through, and he made his home with Hiram Floyd a couple of years, and soon afterward began teaching. About 1890 he was elected county surveyor of White County, and held the position several years. Later he was elected to the Illinois legislature, being a colleague of Ross Graham. We were never more ably nor more faithfully represented than by these two men. Both were men of ability and integrity, men who knew their duty and could not be swerved from it. When James R. Campbell was elected to congress, he made Mr. Spencer his private secretary; and, when the Spanish-American war broke out, he was made major in the regiment of which Mr. Campbell as colonel. In the fall of 1909 he took a trip to St. Petersburg, Fla. He was so well pleased with the place that he decided to make it his future home, and sent for his family. He was soon elected city engineer, a position that he held three years, and then resigned in favor of his son, Oris. In the meantime he made fortune investments and accumulated considerable wealth. We have given a brief sketch of the life history of our friend. Before dropping the veil in an eternal farewell, we feel impelled to say something more. M. W. Spencer was one of the brightest men we ever met. he could do more things, and do them successfully, than any one we ever knew. Struggling through a life of orphanage, he made for himself a place among the real men of the country. Without being a mathematician, he became an expert surveyor and a skillful engineer. Without being a lawyer, he could, and did, old his own with the most experienced legislators in the state. Without training, he became an excellent musician, and had he concentrated on it, could have won distinction. He was an extensive reader, a clever writer, and had a tact that always made him equal to the occasion. Touched with the fire that immortalized Poe and Burns, he seemed sometimes to have had the madness of the one and the recklessness of the other. It has been said that the human heart is the battleground of good and evil. This was emphasized in the life of our friend. His life as a battleground where fierce warfare was waged continually. His ideal of life was of the highest. Conflicting emotions alternately lifted him heavenward toward that ideal, and then dragged him toward the lower depths. This is the penalty of genius, and M. W. Spencer was a genius. He was a firm believer in a future life; and, though not a spiritualist, he did believe that the spirits of the dead commune with the living, direct their steps and comfort them in sorrow. This is a beautiful thought. Who knows but he may have sensed the spirit of the truth; and with a wonderful intuition, may have caught a glimpse of the star that forever shines above the desolate waste of human endeavor."
  Died	Yes, date unknown  [2]
  	Died at home, Nineteenth Ave. and Fourth St., St. Petersburg.
  Person ID	I2827	Full
  Last Modified	3 Jan 2016

  
  

  Father	Travis Owen Spencer,   d. Abt 1866, Missouri, USA
  Mother	Levina Lydia Deboard,   b. Abt 1826, Illinois, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	22 Jun 1853	White County, Illinois, USA   [4, 5]
  	Initial info on this husband and marriage came from Deb Spencer Juhlin, a descendant of Travis Owen SPENCER and Lidda DeBOARD. It seems likely that this is the right Lydia DeBOARD - I am following up to confirm. Deb's e-mail address: IBANGELS@aol.com Marriage record found, White Co: Travis O. SPENCE to Lavina L. DEBOARD on 22 June 1853, by Austin Hill.
  Family ID	F404	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Sources

  [S623] Illinois, Saline - census 1860, (1860 U.S. census, Saline County, Illinois, population schedule), township 9 range 7 East, p. 193 (penned), dwelling 1340, family 1340, T.O. Spencer household; (Reliability: 3), 18 Apr 2008. [S4946] "M. W. Spencer Passes Away," The Evening Independent (St. Petersburg, Fla.), 24 February 1914, p. 1, col. 1; digital image, Google News (https://news.google.com/newspapers : accessed 29 December 2015). https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3bIyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8lMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1565%2C3796712. [S4945] "Tribute to Memory of M. W. Spencer," The Evening Independent (St. Petersburg, Fla.), 9 March 1914, p. 8, col. 4; digital image, Google News (https://news.google.com/newspapers : accessed 29 December 2015). https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6LIyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8lMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4778%2C5156136. [S70] Illinois, White - Marriages (Vaught book), Harriet Vaught, (Carmi, Illinois: s.p., 1950), entry for Travis O. Spence [Spencer] and Lavina L. Deboard (22 June 1853) (Reliability: 3). Marriage record found, White Co: Travis O. Spence to Lavina L. Deboard on 22 June 1853, by Austin Hill. [S45] Illinois - Marriages, online, State Archives (1763 - 1900), ("Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900," (http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/marriage.html)), entry for Travis O. Spencer and Lavina L. Deboard, White County, Illinois, vol. 3 (22 June 1853) (Reliability: 3). Volume 003, White County, Illinois: Travis O. Spence to Lavina L. Deboard on 22 June 1853