Rev. William James Spicer

   FamilySearch ID: 9KZJ-X49. Find a Grave ID: 93962931.

  General Notes:

"Father Bill", as he was affectionately known, earned a degree in Philosophy in June of 1926 from Carleton College and then a Theology Degree from the Episcopal Seabury Theological Seminary in Northfield, Minnesota. His first parish was St. James on the Parkway in Minneapolis where he served from 1929-1933.

He then spent 12 years at All Saints in Appleton, Wisconsin from 1933 to 1945 where all three of his children were born. The family left Appleton at the end of November, 1945 for Syracuse, New York where he was 5 years the pastor of All Saints Episcopal church before returning to Wisconsin finishing his ministry at Trinity Church, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, retiring in 1969.

He was a charter member of The Associated Parishes in 1946, Dean of the Winnebago Convocation in the Dioceses of Fond du Lac while pastor in Oshkosh, and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Divinity by Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois, in 1966.

From the Carleton College yearbook, 1926:
"Bill fairly wallows in philosophy. Ensconced in a chair, with his feet several rods ahead of him, and with a battered pipe lending a bit of the comical to an otherwise earnest countenance, he will animatedly run the whole gamut from Plato to Ghandi. Bill is warm in expressing his own opinions, but entirely sympathetic as a listener, too, with a ready appreciation for the other fellow's wit. A couple years ago Bill flashed on the forensic platform when he helped the sophs win the Stimson debate, and since that time he has had plenty of speaking practice in laying down the law from a Dundas pulpit." (Dundas is a small town a few miles south of Carleton College.) ¹²³

  Events

• residence: 113 Beach St, 1905, Mankato, Blue Earth Co., MN. ³

• Baptism, 8 Jan 1905, Mankato, Blue Earth Co., MN. St. John's Episcopal -details on file

• residence: 313 Carroll, 1910, Mankato, Blue Earth Co., MN. ⁴

• Graduation: High School, 2 Jun 1922, Mankato, Blue Earth Co., MN. ¹²⁴

• Graduation: College, 30 Jul 1926, Northfield, MN. ¹²⁴

• Education: Seminary, 22 May 1928. ¹²⁵

• Deaconite: Ordained to the Deaconite, 10 Jun 1928, Mankato, Blue Earth Co., MN. ¹²⁴

• Ordination: Priesthood, 16 Dec 1928, Minneapolis, Hennepin Co., MN. ¹²⁶ Ordained by Rt. Rev. F.A. McElwain, D.D.

• Occupation: Assistant rector: St. Paul's & St. James' Episcopal Church, 1929-1930, Minneapolis, Hennepin Co., MN. ¹²⁷ See notes on Cyril in the paper in November visiting his brother at the address - a typo in that paper "Mr. J.O. Spicer."
(Star Tribune, 2 Feb 1929, page 30 listing of services shows him as an assistant at St. Paul's and at St. James'

• Occupation: Rector of St. James - 39th Ave south and 49th, 1930-1934, Minneapolis, Hennepin Co., MN. Star Tribune 22 Nov 1930 in service listings.

• Resignation: From St. James', 1 Dec 1933, Minneapolis, Hennepin Co., MN. Star Tribune, 1 Dec 1933 page 4: "Pastor of St. James' Church Resigns Post" - Article says he will conduct final service on Sunday (the 3rd) and assume new duties in Appleton on December 10.

• residence: 116 N. Drew, 1934, Appleton, Outagamie Co., Wisconsin. ¹²⁸ Tel. 5871

• residence: 116 Drew Street, 10 May 1940, Appleton, Outagamie Co., Wisconsin. ¹²²

• residence: 422 Kirk Ave, 6 Apr 1950, Syracuse, Onondaga, NY. ¹²¹

• Ordination: Doctor of Divinity, 26 May 1966, Evanston, IL. ¹²⁴ An honorary DD degree confired by Seabury-Western Seminary which he always called "donated dignity."

• Retirement, Oct 1969, Oshkosh, Winnebago Co., WI. ¹²⁹

• Obituary: Oshkosh Northwestern, page 17, 16 Jan 1984, Oshkosh, Winnebago Co., WI.

William married Ruth Harriet Mott, daughter of Wesley Mayhew Mott and Emma Amalia Holmes, 17 Sep 1935 in St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, Menasha, WI. (Ruth Harriet Mott was born 9 Oct 1912 in Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI, died 7 Dec 1960 in Oshkosh, Winnebago Co., WI and was buried 10 Dec 1960 in Oak Hill Cemetery, Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI.)

  Marriage Notes:

The maid of honor was Miss Althea Coy, who would later marry Ruth's brother Robert. The best man was Henry Spicer, Jr.

William next married Bertha Cecelia Thorndike, daughter of Capt. Herbert Arthur Thorndike Jr. and Bertha Caroline Dawson, 22 Jun 1970 in Oshkosh, Winnebago Co., WI. (Bertha Cecelia Thorndike was born 4 Dec 1925 in Orlando, FL and died 22 Aug 2009 in Oshkosh, Winnebago Co., WI.)