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Special Collections, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College
Special Collections© 2011 By Wytheville Community College. All rights reserved.
Processed by: Cathy Carlson Reynolds
Collection is open to research.
There are no restrictions.
Walter Spence Papers, Mss. Collection 2005.5, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College, Wytheville, VA
Donated by Virginia Spence Jones in 2005.
Born on 5 July 1867 in the Black Lick community of Wythe County, Virginia, Walter Spence was the son of Hugh Spence and Nancy Staley Spence. He studied at Emory and Henry College, Vanderbilt University Theological School, and Yale Divinity School and later took classes from the Chicago Theological Seminary. Spence first began his ministry in the Methodist Church but in 1899 he joined the Congregational Church. He served churches in Council Bluff, Kansas; Peru, Illinois; and Boscobel, Wisconsin.
During World War I he enlisted as a chaplain with the Young Men's Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.), ministering to soldiers. He returned home in August 1919.
Spence married Chloe Umberger, daughter of Stephen A. Umberger and Margaret B. Repass Umberger, in 1900. Together they had four children including Enid Spence Brown (1902-1936), Leroy Spence (1903-1964), Arthur Hallam Spence (stillborn), and Elaine Spence McIntire (1908-2005).
He retired from the ministry in 1934 and returned home to Black Lick with his wife Chloe who died in 1939 after a long illness and hospitalization in Southwestern State Hospital in Marion, Virginia. He married his boyhood friend Minnie Baumgardner in 1940. Spence continued his lifelong writing career and became known as the "Poet Laureate of Southwest Virginia. " He died in January 1961 and is buried in Marvin Cemetery in Wythe County.
His daughter Elaine Spence worked for seven years as a teacher in the Wythe County School System, teaching at Sunnyside School, Cripple Creek, Kings Grove School, and others schools. Upon her graduation from Smith College with a masters degree in social work, she served as supervisor in the Charlottesville Department of Public Welfare and as a social worker at Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute. She married Lowell A. McIntire (1893-1976) in 1955 and died on 6 April 2005. Both her and her husband are buried in Marvin Cemetery in Wythe County.
Series I, Journals, consist of five journals kept by Walter Spence. Journal 1 (1867-1919) contains genealogical information on the Spence family, Umberger family, Sluss family, and Brown family as well as Spence's autobiography of his early years growing up in Black Lick in western Wythe County, Virginia, his college education at Emory and Henry College, Vanderbilt University, and Yale Divinity School, his pastoral career, and his service with the Y.M.C.A. in World War I.
Journal 2 (August 1919-1931) continues Spence's autobiography with his return from World War I and his pastorate in PEru, Illinois and Boscobel, Wisconsin. Journal 3 (1931-1936) covers the last years of his pastoral career in Boscobel, Wisconsin, his retirement, and relocation to Black Lick in 1934.
Journal 4 (1937-1945) covers the death of his first wife, Chloe Umberger Spence, in 1939l, his remarriage in 1940 to Minnie Baumgardner, World War II, and life in Wythe County. Journal 5 (1946-1961) covers life in Wythe County, family life, and his death in January 1961.
All journals contain newspaper clippings, photographs, church bulletins, obituaries, and other ephemera. The journals have been left in their original order but removed to acid-free binder boxes. A table of contents has been prepared by the archivist with page numbers in pencil added.
Series II, School Registers (1932-1937), contains four registers and loose pages kept by Elaine Spence McIntire and conatin lists of studetns and their grades for Lebanon School, Cripple Creek, School, Sunnyside School, Kings Grove High School, and Speedwell High School.
This journal contains materials on the Spence family, Umberger family, Brown family, Kegley family, Sluss family, and Staley family genealogy; poems written by Walter Spence; Sluss family massacre; Macedonia Church; Rural Retreat Male and Female Academy; Emory and Henry College; obituary of Lalla Maloy Brigham; flyer for book by Walter Spence, Idylls of the King ; clippings on Boy Scouts, World War I; passport of Walter Spence; World War I service of Walter Spence; and Y. M. C. A. service.
This journal contains materials on the pastoral career of Walter Spence at the Peru Congregational Church in Peru, Illinois and the Frist Congregational Church in Boscobel, Wisconsin; obituary of Stephen A. Umberger, Stephen Neel Umberger, and Alice Virginia Brown; poems by Walter Spence, Elaine Spence, and Enid Spence; clippings on Wisconsin capitol building, Charles Lindbergh, Richard E. Byrd; letters from Elaine Spence and Chloe Umberger Spence.
This journal contains materials on the pastoral career of Walter Spence at First Congregational Church in Boscobel, Wisconsin; clippings on Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, John Philip Sousa; assassination attempt on Franklin D. Roosevelt; poems by Walter Spence, Enid Spence, and Elaine Spence; obituary of Pauline Hildebrand Kronshage, Anna Catherine Umberger, and Enid Spence Brown; retirement of Walter Spence and relocation to Wythe County; dedication of Way-Side Gardens, house of Olive Repass Brown; tribute to Rev. W. R. Brown at Corinth Lutheran Church.
This journal contains materials regarding the retirement of Walter Spence to Rural Retreat, Virginia; obituary of Rev. C. W. Cassell,Sidney S. Cassell, Ella Repass Umberger, Hugh S. Baumgardner, and Charles G. Hounshell ; programs and bulletins from Peru Congregational Church, Illinois; clippings re: World War II, death of Rev. William R. Brown, death of Margaret Brown Repass, death of Robert A. Anderson wedding of Katherine Miller Repass and Millard Ray Newland, wedding of Dorothy Elizabeth Wallner and Dr. W. Frederic Delp, death of Kenneth C. Hawthorne, death of Lt. H. Powell Chapman Jr., death of Billie Bob Robinson; wedding of Alice Johnston Webb and Robert Clayton Callaway; poems by Walter Spence and Elaine Spence; death of Chloe Umberger Spence; marriage of Walter Spence and Minnie Baumgardner.
This journal contains materials regarding the retirement of Walter Spence and Minnie Baumgardner Spence in Rural Retreat, Virginia; obituary of Mrs. John L. Brown, Henry E. Hackman, Bertha Ward Webb, Virginia Alpha Umberger, Olive Repass Brown, Minor M. Spence, George Bowman, Hugh William Robinson, Nancy Spence Baumgardner, Rev. Benjamin Spence; post-World War II; Korean War; 80th birthday of Walter Spence; poem by Elaine Spence and Walter Spence; newspaper clippings on wedding of Margaret Bryan Cobb and Donald Kent Wampler, Elaine Spence and Lowell McIntire, wedding of Janet Ann Spence and Robert William Lowery; correspondence from Elaine Spence, Mary Repass, Olive Repass Brown, George Bowman, G. W. Buller re; stocking of Black Lick Pond; attendance of Anna Ray Newland at Girls' State; death of Walter Spence.
Includes Lebanon School with list of students and grades; Cripple Creek School (March 1932 - May 1932), register of students; Sunnyside School (January 1932 - March 1932), register of students and grades; loose pages and photographs; newspaper clippings on Lebanon School and Sunnyside School; photographs of students at Cedar Springs School and Sunnyside School.
Kings Grove high School, includes list of students, attendance records, and records of grades; in paperbound volume.
Speedwell high School, includes list of students and grade records; paperbound volume.
Speedwell High School, includes lists of students, records of grades; paperbound volume; loose pages include French exercise and notice to teachers.