Gertrude Naoma (Willard) Spann (1891 - 1936)

Born 9 Dec 1891 in Rover, Oregon, Missouri, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Sylvester Earl Spann Sr. — married 22 May 1916 in Custer, Oklahoma, United States

Died 28 Mar 1936 at age 44 in Oklahoma, United States

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Biography

Gertrude was born in 1891. She was the daughter of Joseph Willard and Rhoda Spurlock.

1900 Oregon Co, Mo, Highland twp, HH-132^[1]
Willard, Joseph - 35 b Jul 1865 Mo, par b Mo
. . . . . Susan R - 32 b Dec 1867 Ar, par b Ky/Tn
. . . . . Naomi G - 8 b Dec 1891 Mo
. . . . . Albert A - 6 b Mar 1894 Mo
. . . . . Arthur J - 3 b Dec 1896 Mo

West Plains Journal,
—Oct 28, 1909, p8 - College Notes – Misses Gertrude Willard and Lena Ward, of Lanton, have enrolled for Teachers Courses (at West Plains College. Gertrude was almost 18)
—Aug 18, 1910, p2 - Colony - The directors of Walnut Sink school district have accepted the application of Miss Gertrude Willard and school will commence the first Monday in September.
—Sept 15, 1910, p2 - Colony – School commenced in both Walnut Sink and Ferguson districts the first Monday in September, Miss Gertrude Willard in the former and Mr. Starkey in the latter. Both are teaching their first term and we venture to say the will strive earnestly to make good reputations for themselves,
—Oct 12, 1911, p8 - Progressive Teachers – present at the Howell County Teachers’ Association at West Plains, Thur, Fri, Sat last week. (list includes): Gertrude Willard

South Missourian-Democrat (Alton)
—July 4, 1912 - p 1, col 4 Summer Normal Closes – (teachers in attendance at Alton Normal school) received credits from the county superintendent of school on their work. 60 teachers include: Gertrude Willard

West Plains Journal,
—Oct 1, 1914, p8 - The Lanton Teachers’ Reading Circle will be held at Lanton, Sat, —Oct 2 at 2 o’clock. Program (includes) “Penmanship” Homer Raymond and Gertrude Willard.
—Feb 24, 1916 - Brandsville – Joseph Willard and daughter, Miss Gertrude, of Rover were transacting business here Saturday.
—June 8, 1916, p7 - Brandsville – Relatives here recently were informed of the marriage of Miss Gertrude Willard, the daughter of Joseph Willard, to Sylvester Spann. The ceremony took place in Oklahoma, where Mr. Spann has been teacher and where Mrs. Spann recently graduated from high school. They expect to remain there, and will probably both teach next year. Mrs. Spann is widely known in this county, and has taught several schools here.

Gertrude married Sylvester Spann, 1916 in Custer, Oklahoma. ^[2]
J.D. Watkins performed the marriage ceremony for them on May 22, 1916. He was the pastor of Weatherford Baptist Church in Weatherford, OK. Gus and Anna Spann were the witnesses.

Silvester was from Myron, Ark. when he married Gertrude.
His grandson (Joseph Logan Spann) said that Sylvester had a family farm near Franklin, Ark. It now is Horseshoe Bend retirement community on the Strawberry River. And that there is a small cemetery outside of Franklin with a tombstone for Charles L. Spann. He believes that was his great-grandfather, who fought in the Civil War for the Confederacy.

County Times Leader, Koshkonong, Mo
—Sept 14, 1917: Prof. Spann and wife who have been visiting and canning fruit at the home of Rev. Joseph M. Willard have gone to Myron, Ark. where they will stay till about the middle of Oct. when they will go to Greer, Ok. to teach in a 2-room school. They canned 500 cans of peaches, beans and tomatoes to take along with them. [This is when Gertrude was pregnant with her first baby.]
—Nov 2, 1917 - Highland - Prof. Spann and wife are visiting a few days at the home of Mrs. spann’s parents, Rev. and Mrs. Jos. Willard. They are on their way to take up their school at Willow, Okla.

Sylvester was a school teacher, a principal and later became a superintendent of school in a district in Oklahoma.

Sharp County Record (newspaper in Ash Flat, Ark),
—Oct 5, 1917 - Corinth - Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester Spann of Oklahoma were visiting the family of J.T. Spurlock a few days last week. Mrs. Spann is a relative [niece] of Spurlock.

In 1920 Sylvester and Gertrude are boarding with Charles W. Prickett and his family in Tilly, Greer Co, OK, Tilly, p. 148
Spann, Sylvester, boarder, - 26 Ar
Gertrude Spann, boarder, 27, MO
Willard Spann, boarder, 1 OK
^[3]

In 1931 he wrote a thesis for his master’s degree at the University of Oklahoma called “An intensive study of the financial status of the public schools of Jackson County, Oklahoma.”

She passed away in March 28, 1936, age 44
Buried in the Blair Cemetery in Blair, Jackson County, OK.
Find A Grave: Memorial #62151288
Her brother Cecil Ben said she died of pneumonia from the dust storms in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl era.

Sylvester and Gertrude had 2 sons:
Sylvester Earl Willard Spann, born 1918
Joseph Lewis Spann, born 1927

After Gertrude died in 1936 Sylvester married Beulah Juanita Haws in 1937. They had 2 Children: Link & Linda.

Sources

1. ↑ 1900 - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M389-QYP
2. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXLF-K9Z
3. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJ9Z-TJN

• FAG - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62151288
• West Plains (MO) Journal
• South-Missourian Democrat (Alton, MO)
• County Times-Leader (Koshkonong, MO)
• Sharp County Record (Ash Flat, Ark)