Obit: Spors, Wesley I. (1923 – 2009)

Contact: Dolores

Surnames: Spors, Shettler, Heineck, Buchanan, Bader

----Source: Banner Journal (Black River Falls, Jackson Co., WI.) October 14, 2009

Spors, Wesley I. (8 July 1923 – 19 October 2009) With Flag

Wesley I. Spors, 86, of Onalaska died Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, at the VA Medical Center, Tomah.

Wesley was born on the Spors home farm in Red School Valley, rural Melrose, July 8, 1923, to Paul and Iva (Shettler) Spors.  He attended Red School, a rural school located between Melrose and North Bend, and graduated from Melrose High School in 1940.

During World War II, he worked for Michigan Steel in Detroit.  He later enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving as a Browning automatic rifleman with the 2^nd Marine Division in the invasion of Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa.  He was wounded and flown to the U. S. Naval Hospital in Hawaii, then to Farragut, ID, to heal from his injuries.  Wesley then enrolled at the State Teachers College at River Falls, graduating in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science Degree.

He married Florence Heineck at the Heineck family farm in North Bend.  He taught vocational agriculture and sciences at Mindoro High School for 13 years.  In 1962, he and Florence moved to the Heineck farm at North Bend, where they resided until 1974, when they moved to Onalaska.  Wesley was then employed as the assistant county supervisor for the Farmers Home Administration, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Monroe County, Sparta, for 13 years.

Wesley was an avid card player.  He always looked forward to hunting and fishing.  Wesley enjoyed spending time with his friends, family and especially his grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Florence; a daughter, Marianne (Dean) Buchanan of West Salem; a son, Jonathan (Debra) Spors of Englewood, CO; two grandsons, Andrew and Simon Buchanan; two granddaughters Rebekah and Mallory Spors; a brother, Allen (Irene) Spors of Melrose, six nephews, Russell Spors of Dawsonville, GA, Paul Spors of Onalaska, Tadd Spors of Cable, OH, Mark and Alan Roy Spors of Melrose and Michael Spors of Mindoro.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Russell, killed in 1945 at the Battle of the Bulge; and a brother, Darwin, who drowned in Melrose in 1948.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009, at 1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1201 Main St. Onalaska. Pastor William Bader will officiate.  Burial with Military honors will be in the Evergreen Cemetery, North Bend at 4 p.m.

Friends may call at the Schumacher-Kish Funeral Home of Onalaska, 907 Sand Lake Road on Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and at the church Thursday from noon until the time of services.  Memorials may be given to St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Onalaska, the North Bend Cemetery Association or the Melrose American Legion.

The family of Wesley Spors would like to thank all the staff at the VA Medical Center in Tomah for the excellent care Wesley received during the past 2 ½ years.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11: 28-30.

Condolences may be sent to www.schumacher-kish.com.