Family, John Edgar Brian Speer Hot Springs Village VOICE John E. Speer Posted Aug 13, 2015 at 2:35 AM JOHN E. SPEAR, 75, of Hot Springs Village, Ark., died Aug. 10, 2015 at St Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock, Ark, He was a charter member of the Arkansas Society of the General Society War of 1812; president of DeSoto Trace Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and vice president of the State SAR; a member of Sons of the Confederate Veterans, the El Mina Shrine, Galveston, Texas and South Park Masonic Lodge, Beaumont, Texas. He was very active in these groups' programs to bring American history alive for high school students, as well as programs to help the wounded veterans of Arkansas. He was a graduate of South Park High School, Beaumont, Texas (Class of 1957) and attended University of The Ozarks before joining the U.S. Marines. He was preceded in death by his parents, MARGUERITE GREEN SPEER and LOICE BRIAN of Beaumont, Texas; his wife,jean A. Speer of Hot Springs Village and one grandson, BRIAN MARSHAL COLBY of Hot Springs Village. He is survived by one son, AARON SPEER (Lee Lee) of Silsbee, Texas; two daughters, KIMBERLY ARCH (Mike) of Boerne, Texas, and DANA KISEL (Jeff) of Rockport, Texas; a stepdaughter LINDA ANN COCKRELL (Fletcher) of Hot Springs Village; nine grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews. Mr. Speer will be cremated and interred in a private family cemetery in South Carolina. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice Page 1 of 11 ** PAGE BREAK ** Family, John Edgar Brian Speer Find A Grave JOHN EDGAR SPEER BIRTH 25 Aug 1939 Jefferson County, Texas, USA DEATH 10 Aug 2015 (aged 75) Little Rock, Pulaski County,Arkansas, USA BURIAL Unknown MEMORIAL ID 152351936 - View Source RITA MCGEE OKERVALL BIRTH 3 Apr 1940 Huntsville, Walker County, Texas, USA DEATH 28 Dec 2001 (aged 61) Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas, USA BURIAL Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas, USA MEMORIAL ID 95713707 View Source Rita married JOHN EDGAR SPEER about 1959 and divorced sometime before 1961. She then married HARLEY VALENTINE BOWEN (date unknown) until his death in 1962, Finally she married JOHN EDWARD OKERVALL in 1964 Page 2 of 11 ** PAGE BREAK ** Family, John Edgar Brian Speer JEAN ATKINSON SPEER BIRTH 4 Oct 1929 Louisiana, USA DEATH 9 Nov 2014 (aged 85) Hot Springs Village, Garland County, Arkansas, USA BURIAL Unknown MEMORIAL ID 138736948 Mrs. JEAN ATKINSON SPEER, 85, died at her home in Hot Springs Village, AR on Sunday November 9, 2014. She was born in Melder, LA on October 4, 1929. She was a graduate of Northwestern Louisiana State University and taught home economics in Jefferson and Orange Counties, Texas for 41 years. She was a certified home economist. She was a member of the Arkansas Chapter of NSDAR; U5, Daughters of the War of 1812; and Docencia and Garland County Extension Homemakers. She is survived by her husband, JOHN SPEER of Hot Springs Village, AR; one daughter, LINDA MARSHALL COCKRELL and husband FLETCHER of Hot Springs Village; one granddaughter, LANE DICKEY and husband MAJOR CHRISTOPHER DICKEY of Columbia, South Carolina and three great grandchildren, JOEL and HANNAH DICKEY of Columbia, South Carolina and BLAKE COLBY of Vass, North Carolina; and a number of nieces and nephews, one great niece and two great-great nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, JANIE SANDERS and WILLIE GULF ATKINSON of Forest Hill, LA; one sister, ES ATKINSON TILLEY and husband CLYDE “Buddy” of Alexandria, LA; two brothers, H. LOYD ATKINSON and wife WILLIE MAE and CECIL F. ATKINSON and wife GLADYS all of Forest Hill, LA: one grandson, BRIAN COLBY of Hot Springs Village, AR; and one nephew. MARGUERITE MARTHA GREEN SPEER BIRTH 26 Jan 1920 Texas, USA DEATH 19 Feb 1995 (aged 75) Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas, USA BURIAL Wilkinson Cemetery Orange, Orange County, Texas, USA MEMORIAL ID 70268281 - View Source Marguerite was first married to LOICE ELMER "Bill" BRIAN in March 11,1938. They divorced in the early 40's and she remarried to ALTON SPEER. MARGUERITE and BILL had 2 children, JOHN EDGAR [BRIAN] SPEER born in 1939 was later adopted by her second husband, ALTON. The second was a baby girl who was either stillborn or died shortly after birth and was never named. Page 3 of 11 ** PAGE BREAK ** Family, John Edgar Brian Speer HERBERT ALLEN BRIAN BIRTH 16 May 1951 Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, USA DEATH 31 Aug 1981 (aged 30) Collin County, Texas, USA BURIAL Blue Ridge Cemetery, Blue Ridge, Collin County, Texas, USA PLOT Section 60 MEMORIAL ID 93727228 - View Source Page 4 of 11 ** PAGE BREAK ** Family, John Edgar Brian Speer LOICE ELMER “BILL” BRIAN BIRTH 12 Mar1921 Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, USA DEATH 19 May 1956 (aged 35) Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA BURIAL Williamson Cemetery Vidor, Orange County, Texas, USA PLOT South side plot S0983 with a marker MEMORIAL ID 33381403 - View Source LOICE ELMER BRIAN was born in Dallas, Texas and was the lst child of JOHN TALMAGE BRIAN and ACHSAH (Axie) ELIZABETH MAXEY, The timing of the family's movements after his birth are unclear but they first moved to Port Arthur, Texas, then Phoenix, Arizona, Beamont, Texas and finally Vidor, Texas. LOICE had red, curly hair and would often wear a skull cap in an effort to straighten his hair. He disliked his name and decided to become known as BILL. Bill was 7 years older than his only surviving sibling and enjoyed teasing his little sister. BILL married MARGUERITE MARTHA GREEN on March 11, 1938, 1 day before his 17th birthday Their first child, JOHN EDGAR BRIAN, was born 17 1/2 years later in August, 1939. In November, 1942 MARGUERITE delivered their second child; a daughter. It is unknown if the daughter was stillborn or if she died shortly after birth but she was never named and neither a birth or death certificate can be located. Information concerning her birth and death were provided by Bill's younger sister, CHRISTENE [BRIAN TINSLEY], who was 13 at the time. Following in the family tradition he became a carpenter but May 21, 1943 in the midst of WWII he enlisted in the US Army and was in officers school but ultimately was discharged somewhere between 1944 - 1945, It is also during this time that he and MARGUERITE divorced. In 1947 he married DORIS LEA PEVETO. Little is known about their marriage or divorce other than they were living in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1948 and Bill was working as a cleaner for a dry cleaning company. In June, 1950 he married MARTHA JEAN MCJUNKIN in Little Rock,AR, Martha had 2 daughters from her previous marriage and together Bill and Martha had a son, HERBERT ALLEN BRIAN. Bills father, John Brian, moved in with Bill and Martha at some point during their marriage and lived with them until his death in 1954. After his fathers death, Bill and Martha moved to Houston, Texas and lived in the Greens Bayou area. Shortly after their move to Houston, Bill suffered his 1st heart attack. After recovery the family moved to the Montrose area and Bill became the manager of a cleaning plant in Rice Village. In 1956 Bill suffered a massive heart attack and died at the age of 35 and was brought back to Vidor to be buried next to his infant daughter and his beloved mother. Page 5 of 11 ** PAGE BREAK ** Family, John Edgar Brian Speer Former Vidor Man Dies In Houston The Orange Leader Tuesday, May 22, 1956 VIDOR (spl) — Funeral service were held yesterday in Houston for LOICE E. BRIAN, 35 formerly of Vidor and the step son of Mrs. GOLDIE BRIAN of Vidor, friends learned today. BRIAN was a native of Vidor but had lived in Houston for the part of two years. He died of a heart attack In Houston Saturday night. Services were conducted in the Carswell Funeral Home in Houston and burial was in the Williamson Cemetery at Vidor with Methodist pastor officiating. Other survivors include a sister, Mrs. CHRISTINE [BRIAN] TINSLEY, formerly of Orange and now of Houston; the widow, two sons and two daughters. Page 6 of 11 ** PAGE BREAK ** Family, John Edgar Brian Speer PUBLICATIONS SAR MAGAZINE WINTER 2010 Arkansas (6) Warren Keith Bogy, 181782, joseph Bogy Timothy David Cruise, 180857, john Crumpler Oscar Eve Jones III, 180856, Richard Taylor Alexander Avery Ross, 181411, William Hudson JOHN EDGAR SPEAR, 181500, JAMES BRIAN Marion Clark Tener, 180987, John Tener Confederate Veteran Mar - Apr 2016 The Last Roll David O. Dodd 619 Benton, AR David D. Sparks JOHN EDGAR SPEER Page 7 of 11 ** PAGE BREAK ** Family, John Edgar Brian Speer Palmetto Patriot 2013 Winter Col. William Bratton Chapter marks grave of Patriot James Brian Sr. By Greg Greenawalt CLOVER - The Col. William Bratton Chapter honored Revolutionary War Patriot James Brian Sr. with an SAR grave-marking ceremony Nov. 9 at the Mill Creek Cemetery (431 Harper Davis Rd., Clover SC 29710, GPS: n35 08.100, w81 05.233). JAMES BRIAN SR. was an Irish immigrant who migrated to York County, South Carolina, and served in the Revolutionary War under Col. William Hill. The ceremony was a joint effort between the Col. William Bratton Chapter and the Desoto Trace Chapter SAR in Hot Springs, Arkansas. JOHN SPEER, a Desoto Trace member, is a direct descendant of Patriot BRIAN. The grave-marking was attended by SAR state officers Mark Anthony, Dan Woodruff and Greg Greenawalt, as well as members of area chapters of the DAR, CAR and the Fort Mill VFW Chapter. Military Honors were rendered by Post 43, The American Legion, Fort Mill, with a 21 gun salute and a cannon volley. Benny Paterson was in charge. The event was coordinated by Col. William Bratton Chapter President Murray White. Invocation for Private James Brian Sr. Marker Dedication with the Col. William Bratton Chapter at Mill Creek Cemetery. Lord on this Divinely inspired day, you have led us each here, to this time and place by different roads, from distance places and we have all come together by the Holy Spirit, to stand together in Patriotism, in honor of those who served this great country from its founding, and birth, to the men and women who this day are fighting terrorism, standing against oppression, and keeping our right alive (to not only worship you Lord) but to be your light of Hope, Faith and Love that your Son Jesus Christ, and all the generations that have followed his example have died for. Lord, this day we have gathered to stand in solidarity, to stand proud but also underneath your protection and we pray for you continued blessings on those gathered, the families they represent and the country that we all love. May we as one people do your will Lord, nothing more and nothing less, in Christ’s name we pray. AMEN. Page 8 of 11 ** PAGE BREAK ** Family, John Edgar Brian Speer Prayer of Dedication “I will begin the Prayer of Dedication with the very words that might have been said over the grave of Pvt. JAMES BRIAN SR. so many years ago when he was laid to rest" A Reading of the 23rd Psalm: 1. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Lord on this Veterans weekend, we remember the reason why we came to this great land. We remember that we came to escape the class wars and religious oppression of Europe, that we came to the New World for opportunity. What you blessed us with, Heavenly and Divine Father, was the opportunity to grow, to prosper and the freedom to worship and to know you great God. Today Lord, this weekend, we remember that freedom, opportunity and faith sometimes have great costs, sometimes must be defended, and that loyalty, patriotism toward country and the God that it resides under is worth defending. Lord we are gathered here in remembrance of one Veteran of the American Revolution, Pvt. JAMES BRIAN SR., who when the time demanded answered the call to service in a time of uncertainty. In a season of chaos, Pvt. BRIAN stepped forward to support the great cause of Liberty for a land oppressed, to bring freedom where bondage had ruled and to allow America to grow, develop into the strongest nation this world as ever seen. Lord, this day we ask for your blessings on this marker commemorating our respect for Pvt. JAMES BRIAN SR.’s example of service during the Revolutionary War that granted us the ability to prosper in wealth, justice and in greater service of your Son, the divine servant that we all must follow. Lord, when this marker is viewed let us remember that where God is present, service is required and so it is in Christ’s name that we pray. AMEN. The Rev. Neill McKay Beth Shiloh Presbyterian Church Page 9 of 11 ** PAGE BREAK ** Family, John Edgar Brian Speer Page 10 of 11 ** PAGE BREAK ** Family, John Edgar Brian Speer ###### # # ##### ####### # # ##### ####### # # # # ## ## # # # ## # # # # # ## ## # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ###### # # # # #### ##### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ## ### # # # # # # ###### # # ##### ####### # # ### ##### ####### # # Transcribed from original documents by Brent R. Brian & Martha M. Brian. This document and others can be found on our website: BMGEN We claim COPYLEFT on the documents that we publish that are our original work. COPYLEFT “rules” can be reviewed on the web site: GNU Free Documentation License In short, use what you like. But if you use our stuff, mention us as the source. Brent R. Brian Martha M. Brian BrianMitchellGenealogy@gmail.com Page 11 of 11 ** PAGE BREAK **