Harold F. Spiry,
92, Java, SD, died Tuesday, January 1, 2008 at the Selby
Good Samaritan Center. His funeral service will be at St.
Paul Lutheran Church, Java, 10:30 AM Friday, January 4,
2008. Burial will follow at the Church Cemetery. Organist
will be Carol Fiedler and the congregation will sing “Battle
Hymn of the Republic” and “Lord, take my hand and lead me”.
soloist Lila Van Orman will sing “How great thou Art” and
“The Lord’s Prayer” . Ushers will be Carlyle Bieber and Earl
Frank
Visitation will be at Lien Funeral Chapel, Selby, SD,
beginning 5:00 PM Thursday with an 8:00 PM Prayer Service.
Harold Fredrick Spiry, the third generation of the Spiry
family to live in Java, was born in the town of Java on June
7, 1915, the son of Rosina (Zeller) and C.F. (Fred) Spiry.
He attended the Java Public School, graduating with the JHS
Class of 1933. He attended USD where he earned a BS Degree,
magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, in 1940. He then did
graduate work at Northern in Aberdeen, SD, the University of
Minnesota, and Columbia University in New York City. His
teaching career spanned some 50 years. He served as
Superintendent of the Java Public School for nine years and
an additional five years as a classroom teacher. He also
served as a classroom teacher in Roscoe, SD, Streeter, ND.,
Lennox, SD, Milbank, SD, Mobridge, SD (20 years), and
Aberdeen. He served as president of the South Dakota
Business Teachers Association and was a member of the SDEA
and the NEA. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and
Eastern Star in Mobridge, the Mobridge Rotary Club, the
Toastmasters Club and several other Mobridge clubs and
organizations. He was a lifetime member of St. Paul Lutheran
Church in Java where he directed the choir for 20 years. He
earned awards in the field of vocal and speech work, where
he was awarded many Division 1 ratings, including several
superiors in state competition. An avid writer, Harold has
had numerous articles published in national business
magazines. He was additionally honored to have yearbooks
both in Java and Mobridge dedicated to him. Upon retirement,
Harold returned to Java where he resided until moving to the
Beverly Healthcare Center in Mobridge and, in 2005, the
Selby Good Samaritan Center.
Harold was preceded in death by his parents.
Honorary bearers will be Harold’s first cousins, former
students, fellow teachers, Mobridge Eastern Star and Masonic
members, and the Java Senior Citizens.
Casketbearers will be Steve Biel, Dan Biel, Oscar Fiedler,
Jr., and Cliff Bieber of Java, Harold Schreter of Selby, and
Erwin Zeller of Aberdeen.
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