Jimmy Spears

Jimmy Spears

1942 - 2022

Jimmy Lee Spears (80) of Hedrick, Iowa passed away December 27, 2022 at Good Samaritan Nursing

Home in Ottumwa, Iowa.

He was born March 30, 1942 in Ottumwa, Iowa to Kenneth and Frances (Campbell) Spears.

He would famously share that he was so smart he skipped Kindergarten and started 1 st grade at

Martinsburg Elementary until middle school when the school was closed. He finished his education at

Hedrick and graduated in the Hedrick High School Class of 1960. After graduating, he dated his fellow

class mate Mary Ann Doak until they married June 5, 1965 in Hedrick, Iowa. To which two daughters

were born, celebrating 57 years together.

He proudly served in the Iowa National Guard from 1963 to 1969 helping with the Mississippi river

floods of 1965 with his lifelong friend and classmate Ed Schultz.

Farming was his focus, learning from his grandfather Clay Campbell and father, finally purchasing the

family farm southeast of Martinsburg in 1974. He managed many farm properties in the later part of his

career and was known for his quality of his hay until his retirement in 2016. He had collected and

restored many tractors over those years and went on several tractor rides with them in the area. He

enjoyed collecting the toy versions as well. During that time, he was also known as an Archer Oil Dealer,

owned the Hedrick Depot for a few years and was a member of the Hedrick-Martinsburg Methodist

church.

He loved watching car racing of all types and started with being on the pit crew for Dean Sylvester in

High School, later sponsoring racers at Eldon, Oskaloosa and Bloomfield. He was also involved with his

community as a member of Ruritan for many years, the Hedrick Lions and the Arendt-Bowlin-Stubbs

American Legion Post #83 of Hedrick. His adventures continued after retirement with camping again at

the Iowa State Fair and Midwest Old Threshers in Mt. Pleasant.

He leaves behind his wife Mary, two daughters Janean (Curt) Dimmig of Madison, WI. and Annette

(Joseph) Roe of Hedrick, IA. Three grandson’s Triston Roe of Madison, WI, Talon Roe of Fremont, IA and Tylor (Kyla) Roe of Fremont, IA, and a sister Jone (Dennis) Molyneux of Rose Hill. He is preceded in death by his parents and another lifelong friend and classmate Lynn Swearingen.

Visitation was Friday December 30, with family present 5-7 pm with funeral on Saturday morning at

10am at the Fremont Funeral Home.

Burial followed in the McCormick cemetery by Highland Center with lunch after at the Hedrick-

Martinsburg United Methodist Church.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Good Sam Ottumwa or the Arendt-Bowlin-Stubbs American

Legion Post #83 of Hedrick.