Obituary for George Speed Jr.
George Franklin Speed, Jr., age 91, passed away on January 6, 2019.
Funeral services will be at 11 AM on Saturday, January 12, 2019 in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with President Christopher Tipa officiating. Burial will follow in Childress Cemetery under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home.
Visitation will be held from 7 to 9 PM on Friday, January 11, 2019 at Johnson Funeral Home.
George began his life at home in San Angelo, Texas, where he was born on June 24, 1927 to George Franklin Speed, Sr. and Opal Virgie (Rainey) Speed. His education began at age 5 in a two-room school house in San Angelo, Pulliam Grammar School.
He graduated from San Angelo High School at age 15, and was ready to join the service during World War II. His dad told him he could join after he worked for a year. On the following year to the day, his dad signed for him to join the Navy where he served with honor until the end of the war.
He met Evelyn Cope in San Angelo when he returned from the service. They attended Brigham Young University and married the following summer on August 29, 1947. They shared 67 years together in love and laughter until she passed away in December of 2014.
Before and after the war, George worked at the Pulliam-Nolke Ranch. He was a ranch hand before the war. After marriage, he was a straw boss, and Evelyn was the cook for the cowboys at the ranch. George earned his Associates Degree from San Angelo Junior College. He worked as a lab technician at Mobil Chemical in Beaumont, Texas.
When George retired, they moved to Childress, Texas, where he enjoyed raising cows on his farm, and life with Evelyn. He has always been an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he served in many leadership capacities. In his late 70’s, George served as an early morning seminary teacher to the youth at Childress, and served them for four years. They loved him and he loved them, as it was with all his friends and family. His greatest legacy to his family was his strong testimony of Jesus Christ.
George was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, daughter Joan Speed, and three siblings Mary Jo Ames, Grant Speed, and Rainey Speed.
Survivors include one daughter, Gail Cameron and husband, Jack; two sons, Mike Speed and wife, Cindy, and Paul Speed and wife, Anita; one sister, Virgie Ann Rogers; sister-in-law, Joan Wyatt and husband, Ray; sisters-in-law, Maureen Speed and Sue Speed; thirteen grandchildren; twenty-eight great-grandchildren; and numerous extended family and friends.
The family would like to express gratitude to Joan and Ray Wyatt, as well was to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Childress because they were his family too. Additionally, they expressed their sincerest gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Caldwell for his kind and loving care of their father.
Memorial donations may be directed to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Education Fund at http://www.give.lds.org/pef or call 801-422-4444.
Funeral services will be at 11 AM on Saturday, January 12, 2019 in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with President Christopher Tipa officiating. Burial will follow in Childress Cemetery under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home.
Visitation will be held from 7 to 9 PM on Friday, January 11, 2019 at Johnson Funeral Home.
George began his life at home in San Angelo, Texas, where he was born on June 24, 1927 to George Franklin Speed, Sr. and Opal Virgie (Rainey) Speed. His education began at age 5 in a two-room school house in San Angelo, Pulliam Grammar School.
He graduated from San Angelo High School at age 15, and was ready to join the service during World War II. His dad told him he could join after he worked for a year. On the following year to the day, his dad signed for him to join the Navy where he served with honor until the end of the war.
He met Evelyn Cope in San Angelo when he returned from the service. They attended Brigham Young University and married the following summer on August 29, 1947. They shared 67 years together in love and laughter until she passed away in December of 2014.
Before and after the war, George worked at the Pulliam-Nolke Ranch. He was a ranch hand before the war. After marriage, he was a straw boss, and Evelyn was the cook for the cowboys at the ranch. George earned his Associates Degree from San Angelo Junior College. He worked as a lab technician at Mobil Chemical in Beaumont, Texas.
When George retired, they moved to Childress, Texas, where he enjoyed raising cows on his farm, and life with Evelyn. He has always been an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he served in many leadership capacities. In his late 70’s, George served as an early morning seminary teacher to the youth at Childress, and served them for four years. They loved him and he loved them, as it was with all his friends and family. His greatest legacy to his family was his strong testimony of Jesus Christ.
George was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, daughter Joan Speed, and three siblings Mary Jo Ames, Grant Speed, and Rainey Speed.
Survivors include one daughter, Gail Cameron and husband, Jack; two sons, Mike Speed and wife, Cindy, and Paul Speed and wife, Anita; one sister, Virgie Ann Rogers; sister-in-law, Joan Wyatt and husband, Ray; sisters-in-law, Maureen Speed and Sue Speed; thirteen grandchildren; twenty-eight great-grandchildren; and numerous extended family and friends.
The family would like to express gratitude to Joan and Ray Wyatt, as well was to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Childress because they were his family too. Additionally, they expressed their sincerest gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Caldwell for his kind and loving care of their father.
Memorial donations may be directed to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Education Fund at http://www.give.lds.org/pef or call 801-422-4444.