NELL SPENCE

Nell Spence, age 101, died Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 9:45 p.m. at Renaissance Village, Fort Wayne, IN.Born January 29, 1910 in Fredonia, KS, she was the youngest of ten children.

She married David Spence in 1932.Shortly after their first child was born in Fredonia, they moved to Columbia City, Indiana, where one of her sisters lived.Three years after their second child was born in Columbia City, they relocated to San Francisco, California where their third child was born four years later.After a number of years in San Francisco, they returned to Columbia City where they remained in their home on East Jefferson Street for the next fifty years.She sang in the choir of First Presbyterian Church, where she also provided the centerpieces for the annual May Breakfast and was an active member of Delta Theta Tau Sorority.Nell was always creative, first doing upholstery and drapery work, including making the drapes for the movie theater in Columbia City.She started a candle shop in her home where she created large candles embedded with autumn leaves, dried flowers, and custom candles for churches and for weddings.Later she specialized in silk flower arrangements for weddings.She moved to Covington Commons Senior Community in Fort Wayne, in 1999.

She is preceded in death by her youngest son, Richard, in 1961 and by her husband, Dave in 1991.

She is survived by her oldest son, Stephen David Spence (Shirley Gruver) of Horseshoe Bay, Texas and her daughter, Linda Spence Wootton (Mack Wootton) of Cary, North Carolina.She is survived by four grandchildren, Jeffrey David (Regina) Wootton of Evanston, Illinois, Julie Lynne Spence of Flower Mound, Texas, David Paul (Diedra) Spence of Justin, Texas and Kella Wootton (David) Hatcher of Cary, North Carolina. She leaves 9 great-grandchildren.

Funeral service is Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 3 p.m. with calling one hour prior to service at DeMoney-Grimes Countryside Park Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City, IN.Randy L. Grimes, certified funeral celebrant, officiating. Burial in Greenhill Cemetery.Memorials to the American Red Cross, Fort Wayne, IN to be directed to the Whitley County Bloodmobile Food Canteen or Whitley County United Way.Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.Please visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send family condolences or sign the guest register book.