116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Richard Spearman
RICHARD "DICK" SPEARMAN
Marion
Richard "Dick" Spearman, 87, of Marion, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016, at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids.
Dick was born Dec. 21, 1928, the son of Edward and Cecil (Blevins) Spearman. Dick was honored to have served in the U.S. Army's 724th Railroad Battalion during the Korean War, where he contributed to the effort to keep troops and supplies moving. Dick's service was publically recognized in the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight ceremony in Washington, D.C., in 2014. In appreciation for his service, he was presented with a medallion from the Republic of Korea commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War.
After discharge from the Army, Dick returned home and married Elizabeth "Betty" Bock on June 12, 1955, in Bradley, Ill. As the devoted husband, he loved his wife dearly through 61 years of marriage. Dick worked for the Illinois Central Railroad where he kept freight commerce moving smoothly across the railways of America. After retiring in 1986, he dedicated his time to woodworking, travel, friends and family. Dick stayed in touch with his Army buddies over the years and, with his dear wife, attended many of the reunions. Among his most cherished times were those he and Betty spent traveling with children, and later with grandchildren, introducing them to the wonders of America. His later years were filled surrounded by energetic great-grandchildren. Dick always shared words of encouragement and wisdom with family, friends and strangers alike, and was known as a nice man by all who had met him.
Dick is survived by his wife, Betty of Marion; children, William Spearman of Anchorage, Alaska, and Jean (Brian) Larson of Cedar Falls; grandchildren, Amy Spearman, Lindsay (Adam) Varney, Hillary (Brian) Osterday and Kelly (Shane) Cross; and great- grandchildren, Grant, Drake, Hudson, Jace and Ivy.
Dick was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Donald.
Visitation: 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Marion. Services: 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3, at the funeral home, which will be officiated by Pastor Keith Nester of First United Methodist Church, Marion. Burial will be at Oak Shade Cemetery following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family.
Please share a memory of Dick at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.
Daily Newsletters