Eugene S. Speicher
Eugene S. Speicher, 101 of Richwood passed away peacefully Friday morning, January 29, 2016 at the Arbors at Delaware.
He was born on April 19, 1914 in a log cabin on Route 4 just south of Pharisburg, the third of 8 children born to David Franklin Speicher and his wife,Catherine (Katie) formerly Kendall. Three other boys, Kendall, Leo and Frank and three girls, Mabel (Hobart), Dorothy (Fryman) and Mary (Bolenbaugh) and one infant are all deceased.
His was a farming family and Gene attended school only until his older brother’s accident brought him into farming full time in Ostrander and later Raymond.
At 19 Gene joined Franklin Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps (3C’s) and worked in Vernal Utah, using horse wagons to clear land for a dam. 90% of the pay was sent home to the family during the depression and helped them buy seed corn and a tractor to increase the harvest.
He was conscripted in to the military in August 1941 at the age of 27. He served in the 17th battalion Arctic division of the U.S. Army, training Ski troops in Nome, Alaska and then onto the Aleutian Island campaign.
When he returned home he worked in Marysville and met Ivadelle Wright, who was to become his wife of 45 years before her death in 1990. They made a home in Magnetic Springs and an apartment in Gahanna when they both went to work for North American Aviation (Rockwell Corp. now Boeing). Gene was a sheet metal mechanic working on aircraft wings and later on the Shuttle Columbia. He was very proud when he met then test pilot, John Glenn.
Gene and Ivadelle had no children and when they retired moved to Florida. Gene loved growing vegetables, his golf and fishing on his boat (named Ivadelle).
A life member of both the V.F.W. and the American Legion, Gene also joined the Richwood Civic Center and was a longtime resident of Richwood Greene. More recently he was to be seen riding around Richwood in his motorized wheelchair, gathering walnuts or berries or just looking for four leaf clovers. Independent to the last, Gene lived a full and very long life. He kept his health for 101 years and is now at peace with Ivadelle.
Graveside services will be held Saturday April 2, 2016 at 11:00 am at the Bokes Creek Cemetery, near Ostrander, Pastor Joseph Rhea will officiate, with military honors conducted by the Richwood Area Veterans. Stofcheck-Ballinger Funeral Home, Richwood is in charge of arrangements.
Memorial gifts may be made to The Richwood Civic Center, 235 Grove Street, Richwood, OH 43344.
Condolences and remembrances may be expressed at www.stofcheck-ballinger.com
Stofcheck-Ballinger Funeral Home