Grandpa Robert Rector Speas

Robert Rector Speas - 1918
World War I

This picture is of a man I wish I knew better, a romantic and brave soldier of World War I. He suffered the residual pains from his war injuries throughout his life and carried the shrapnel from his wounds in his pocket always. He was affectionately known to me as Grandpa Speas. Our young family visited his quaint Woodville home weekly until he suffered a massive stroke in 1968, after which he spent the remainder of his life in a rest home in Idaho Falls.

Grandpa was born October 13, 1895, in Cana, Carroll County, Virginia, a twin to his brother Herbert Parr, and the son of Wiley Edwin and Sarah Elizabeth (Betty) Rigney. Betty passed away when her young twins were only two and one half years old. Wiley met and married a new bride, Rosa Belle Bishop, the following year.

The twins can be seen in the photo below along with their step mother, Rosa Belle, and their sister, Mary Belle.

Mary Bell, Robert Rector,
Rosa Belle, and Herbert Parr Speas

 
In 1901, Grandpa's father and step mother were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The family moved several times, seeking opportunities to prosper. After moving to the Weiser Valley in Idaho, the twin brothers were baptized in 1907 in a hot sulphur spring near their farm on April 13, 1909. Several moves occurred back and forth across the United States until the family is listed in the 1920 census as living in Woodville, Idaho, which became their permanent home.

The Selective Service Act (Selective Draft Act) of 1917 compelled Grandpa and his brother to register for military service.on June 5, 1917, about three weeks after the law was enacted. 

Grandpa was inducted June 26th of the following year. I have been unable to locate details of his military assignments, other than to know that his leg was severely wounded by flying shrapnel and his mobility was affected for the remainder of his life. Treatment in a military hospital extended for about a year until he was allowed to return home, several months after the armistice had been signed and the war had come to an end. 

His adoring wife Ethel anxiously awaited his return with their infant son, Kenneth. The family lore holds that when she received word of his arrival in Shelley, she rode with a neighbor to town to pick him up. Robert Rector did could wait for them; he started the painful hike home, still on crutches. Ethel spotted him far ahead, limping down the road, and jumped from the moving vehicle to run to his arms. I don't know if this story is romanticized, but I do know that there was continual devotion between the couple. 

Seven more children were eventually born to family, including my mother, Coila Ethel, who was named after her mother.

Woodville Home 1930

The family purchased this home in 1930 for $850 with payments of $8.50  per month. Interest was unheard of in their economic circle, and when the mortgage was paid in full, the family celebrated by purchasing a hand-cranked ice-cream freezer.

Grandpa provided for the family through farming, employment at the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company, employment with the Woodville Irrigation District, and with farming supply firms. He was also a member of the American Legion and served on the School Board and the Woodville Improvement Board.


A few random thoughts and memories: 

• His neighbors enjoyed the bounties of his garden and orchard; generously sharing his produce brought him great joy and satisfaction. 
• He knew all of the best places to find asparagus growing on the ditch banks and would gather and share it as well; too bad I didn't learn love that treat until much later. 
• It was nearly impossible to leave his home during the harvest months without a bag full of fruits and vegetables.
• One of the best family Christmas gifts each year was the box of grapefruit that Grandpa dropped by the house on Christmas Eve. Maybe that is why it is still my favorite fruit. 
• Another dear memory is seeing his approach to our driveway in his very recognizable long pink and grey winged car that started by just pushing a button. 
• One of his favorite foods was oyster stew, a disgusting looking and smelling concoction that could make me gag with only a glance.
• Grandpa didn't participate actively in Church, but he lived a Christian life every day.

The Grandpa I knew

A massive stroke changed his and our lives in 1968. He became paralyzed on his left side, was unable to speak clearly, and his emotions were severely distorted. It was a tender and painful experience to visit him and witness his frustration with his debility. 

After spending several years in a care center in Idaho Falls, he passed away in November, 1975.