Travis Owen Spencer

- Abt 1866

• Name	Travis Owen Spencer
  Gender	Male
  Died	Abt 1866	Missouri, USA
  Obituary	9 Mar 1914	St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida, USA   [1]
  	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."
  Person ID	I3343	Full
  Last Modified	29 Dec 2015

  
  

  Family 1	Martha A. McHenry
  Married	17 Sep 1851	White County, Illinois, USA   [2, 3, 4]
  Last Modified	8 Feb 2009
  Family ID	F1133	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Levina Lydia Deboard,   b. Abt 1826, Illinois, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	22 Jun 1853	White County, Illinois, USA   [5, 6]
  	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.
  Children	1. Melville "Mel" Wright Spencer,   b. Abt 1854, Illinois, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Leander W. Spencer,   b. Abt 1858, Illinois, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Maybell Spencer,   b. Abt 1862, Illinois, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown   4. Allen M. Spencer,   b. Abt 1866, Illinois, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	8 Feb 2009
  Family ID	F404	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Sources

  [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. Spencer to Martha A. McHenry by R. S. Graham on 17 Sept 1851 (Reliability: 3). [S131] Illinois, White - History of White Co Illinois, («i» History of White County, Illinois, Together with Sketches of its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens«/i» (Carmi, IL: White County Historical Society, 1997; originally published by Inter-state Publishing Company, Chicago, 1883)), biographical entry for Samuel B.F. Miller, p. 727-728 (Reliability: 3). Biography of Samuel B. F. Miller Samuel Miller, born in this township Jan 30, 1826, is a son of Robert Miller (deceased), a native of Georgia, who came to this county when a boy, in 1813, before Illinois was admitted into the Union. He was raised on a farm, and his educational advantages were limited. He was married Nov. 2, 1848 to Sarah I. Groves. To them were born eight children, seven now living - James A., Franic II, Alice A., Tolitha, Luther K., Douglas, and George. March 17, 1866, Mrs. Miller died. he was married to Rebecca J., daughter of S.P. Story, Sept. 10, 1868. They have had four children, three now living - Perkins, Paul and Malachi. Mr. Miller is an Elder in the Presbyterian church. His mother lived to be seventy-five years old, and had about 300 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her maiden name was Mary Mays. She came to this county with her uncle, Thomas Mays, when a girl, prior to 1815, when Illinois was still a Territory. [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 Martha A. McHenry, White County, Illinois, vol. 3 (17 Sept 1851) (Reliability: 3), 8 Jan 2008. [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