W. Stanley Speer

Funeral services for W. Stanley Speer, 90 of Aledo, will be Monday at 1:30 PM at Speer Funeral Home. Visitation is Sunday from 3 to 5 PM at the funeral home. Burial will be in Aledo Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Community Projects of Aledo for the Football field renovations and Apollo Diamond. Stanley died on Thursday March 29, 2012 at the Mercer County Nursing Home. Walter Stanley Speer was born on November 10, 1921 to Ernest D. & Vesta E. (Bloomer) Speer. Stanley attended Monmouth College and Western Illinois University prior to serving in the United States Army in the Phillipines from 1945 through 1946. He married Bettie J. Fuller on December 24, 1950 in New Boston, Illinois. Stanley dedicated his life to farming in the Sunbeam area of Ohio Grove Township. He was a lifelong member of the Sunbeam United Presbyterian Church, where he served as treasurer for over 33 years. In his earlier years he enjoyed bowling and traveling overseas on many farm tours. He was in the Aledo Graduating Class of 1939, and was one of the first Green Dragons. He continued to enjoy watching the local football teams. He was an avid Chicago Sports fan, especially the Bears and Cubs. In his retirement years his true enjoyment came from watching his granddaughters, Jenna and Tori, play softball. Stanley is survived by his wife of 61 years, Bettie; a daughter, Sarah Speer of Memphis TN; 2 sons, Jeffrey Speer of Aledo and Doyle Speer and his wife, Annette of Aledo. Also surviving are grandchildren: Abbie Brock and Jenna & Tori Speer and 2 great-grandchildren. Stanley was preceded in death by his parents and 3 sisters, June Chatterton, Ernestine Boyd and Madelyn Johnson.