William Cecil Spence, age 76, of Miles City passed away on Thursday, February 17, 2011 at Holy Rosary Extended Care in Miles City.
Bill was born in Willows, California on January 25, 1935 to Naomi Sykes and Henry Cecil Spence.Bill went 2 years to college at Davis UCLA in 1954 and 1955.Following his schooling in 1955, he joined the Army and was discharged in 1957 but stayed in the reserves for two years. He married Ruth Doreen Harrison in 1958. He returned to Willows where Bill farmed on the family ranch and also owned his own land leveling company from 1967 until 1970. He moved to Hamilton, Montana in 1970 and owned Ravalli Seed and Grain and also sold real estate until 1980. In 1980, Bill came to Miles City.He married Iris Hanson in 1984.Bill and Iris farmed in Cohagen, Montana until they retired in 1995.
Bill loved ranching, farming and watching the crops grow.Bill also loved operating big equipment and did some flying but never got his license.Bill was always proud of the fact his father, H.C. Spence, took flying lessons, soloed and received his pilots license in the same day. He did all of this at the same airport that General Jimmy Doolittle did his training at during World War II.
Bill is survived by his loving wife Iris of Miles City, son Ron Spence of Billings, MT, daughter Carrie Shaughnessy and her husband Tom of Hamilton, MT, and his other family including Karen and Gus Glasscock, Rebecca and Ron Stanton; his grandchildren AJ Spence, Erin Lea Spence, Ashley James, Kaitlyn Venema, Tyler Shaughnessy, Scott Glasscock, Vonnie VanCleave, Wayne Berry; five great grandchildren; siblings:Nancy Cordis, Kathy Baptiste; and several nieces and nephews.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents H.C. Spence and Naomi and a sister, Norma Lohse.
Service Schedule
Service Schedule
Share
Add your thoughts and memories. Upon approval they will be added.