Life History

Other facts

Notes

• Dessie's middle name is sometimes spelled Lee in family sources.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Garvin County, Oklahoma, 5 February, Lindsay Township, District 28, page 7B, Hse #129, Fam #128
  Gregory, Andy Head Rents M W  28 TN TN TN Farming
  Gregory, Retta A Wife F W 24 OK TX GA
  Gregory, Dessie L  Dau F W  4yrs10mos  OK US US
  Gregory, Alpha J  Dau F W  2 OK US US
  Gregory, Alford A  Son M W  6mos OK US US
  Gregory, John  Brother M W 30 OK US US
  
  1930 Federal Census, Garvin County, Oklahoma, 12 April, Lindsay, District 10, page 7B, Hse #92, Fam #109
  Gregory, Andy Head M W 37 TN TN AL General Farming
  Gregory, Retta  Wife  F W 34 OK TX GA General Farming Labor
  Gregory, Dessie  Dau  F W 15 OK TN GA
  
  1940 Federal Census, Garvin County, Oklahoma, 8 April, Lindsay, District 25-12, page: 5B, House 50, Rented
  Gregory, Andy Head M W 47 born Tenn Rural Garvin Co in 1935 Farming
  Gregory, Reta [Retta] Wife M W 44 born Okla Rural Garvin Co in 1935
  Gregory, Desy [Dessie] Dau F W SIngle 25 born Okla Rural Garvin Co in 1935
  
  For several years, Dessie wrote the column "The Rocky Point News" for the Lindsay News.
  
  Social Security Death Index
  Dessie Spann
  Born 12 Mar 1915
  Died 1 Feb 2003
  SSN 448-52-6568 issued Oklahoma (1966-1967)
  
  U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
  Dessie Lee Spann [Dessie Spann] [Dessie Lee Gregory]
  White Female
  Birth 12 Mar 1915 Marlow, Stephens County, Oklahoma
  Death Date 1 Feb 2003
  Father Andy Gregory
  Mother Alpharetta Green
  SSN 448526568
  Apr 1967 Name listed as DESSIE LEE SPANN; 26 Feb 2003: Name listed as DESSIE SPANN
  
  Dessie died at the Paul's Valley General Hospital, Paul's Valley, Oklahoma.
  At the time of her death, she was a member of the Faith Baptist Church, Paul's Valley.
  The funeral was conducted at Faith Baptist Church, Paul's Valley.  Burial was in Green Hill Cemetery at Lindsay, Oklahoma
  
  Obituary Daily Times Index, 1995-2012
  Dessie (Gregory) Spann
  Age 87 (born Abt 1916)
  Death abt February 2003 Pauls Valley OK
  Obituary published 4 February 2003 (newspaper and city not reported in this index record, probably the Oklahoman)
  
  Two obituaries were published for Dessie in the Lindsay News.  The first was a shorter item published the day of the funeral.  The second was a much fuller obituary listing more survivors, published on 27 February 2003.
  
  -------------------------------
  Dessie Lea Gregory Spann Obituary
  
  Dessie Spann, Age 87, passed away Saturday, February 1, 2003, at Pauls Valley General Hospital in Pauls Valley, OK.  She was born March 12, 1915, in Marlow, OK to Andy and Alpharetta (Green) Gregory.  Garvin County had been her home most of her life.
  
  Dessie is survived by two sons, William A Spann of Pauls Valley and James R Spann of Quinlan, Texas; four sisters, Josephine Hayes, Lou Ila Jenkins, and Loretta Gay all of Lindsay and Wanda Trout of Carthage, TX; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
  
  Dessie is preceded in death by her husband Reverend James Ernest Spann July 26, 1995.  They were married May 16, 1951, in Lindsay, OK.  In 1966, they moved to Pauls Valley and were member of Faith Baptist Church.  She is also preceded in death by both parents.
  
  Funeral services will be held today, Thursday, February 6 at 2 pm at the Faith Baptist Church in Pauls Valley with Reverend Troy Baker officiating.  Interment will be in the Green Hill Cemetery at Lindsay.
  
  Funeral services are under the direction of Stufflebean-Coffey Funeral Home of Pauls Valley.
  
  --  The Lindsay News, 6 February 2003; clipping courtesy of Lou Ila Gregory Jenkins, found among her papers in Lindsay in June 2019, after she moved to Arlington Texas
  -------------------------------
  
  ---------------------
  Dessie Lea Gregory Spann Obituary
  
  Dessie Lea Spann was born March 12, 1915, near Marlow, Oklahoma and passed from this life February 1, 2003, at the Pauls Valley General Hospital in Pauls Valley, OK.
  
  Dessie moved with her parents to the Lindsay area at an early age, living in several communities; Cox City, Purdy, See Chapel, Pikes Peak, and Rocky Point.
  
  She wrote the "Rocky Point News" column for the Lindsay News for a long while.
  
  She and James Ernest Spann were united in marriage May 16, 1951, in Lindsay.  To this union two sons were born.  They lived in the Maysville, Paoli and Pauls Valley areas all their married life.
  
  Ernest preceded her in death July 26, 1995, after a lengthy illness.  Dessie was also preceded in death by her parents, Andy and Alpharetta (Green) Gregory; a one year old brother, Alfred Andrew Gregory; and a nephew, Gary Lynn Jenkins.
  
  Dessie accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Savior and was baptized many years ago.  She was a member of The Faith Baptist Church [sic], Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, at the time of her death.
  
  Dessie is survived by two sons and a daughter-n-law, William A Spann of Pauls Valley and James Royce and Sharon Spann of Quinlan, Texas; an ex-daughter-in-law, Jeanne Spann of Ozark, Alabama;  three granddaughters, Laura Jean Loyal and her daughters Rhiannon and Caitlin of Temple, Texas, Susan Spann of Troy, Alabama, and Sondra Lea Pollard and her children, Ariana and Alexander of Illinois; four grandsons, William Eugene Spann with the United States Navy in Hawaii, Christopher Wayne and Justin Dean Spann of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Joshua Spann.
  
  Also her siblings, Josephine Hayes, Lou Ila Jenkins, Everett and Marie Gregory of Lindsay, and Wanda June Trout and husband Roy of Carthage, Texas, and Loretta Gay and husband Joseph of Lindsay; two nieces and nephews; one uncle, Don Green and wife Mary Lois of Marlow; and many other relatives and friends.
  
  She is also survived by Ernest's brother, Byron Spann and wife Katherine of Noble; sisters-in-law Aurelia Spann of Lindsay and Dorothy Spann of Oklahoma City; and Ernest's nieces and nephews.
  
  Services were held Thus day, February 6 at 2 pm at the Faith Baptist Church in Pauls Valley.  Brother Troy Baker, former pastor of the church, conducted the service.  Burial was in Green Hill Cemetery at Lindsay under the direction of Stufflebean-Coffey Funeral Home of Pauls Valley.
  
  Pallbearers were Charles Horning, Joe and David Green, Jackie Jones, Walter Wilkerson, and Lorenzo Barnett.  Honorary pallbearer was Roger Williams.
  
  --  The Lindsay News, 27 February 2003; Clipping courtesy of Lou Ila Gregory Jenkins, sister of Dessie
  ---------------------
  
  Gravestone of Dessie and James E Spann
  Spann
  Dessie L
  Mar 12, 1915  Feb 1, 2003
  Married May 16 1951
  James E
  Aug 21, 1905  July 26, 1995
  --  Lindsay Green Hill Cemetery, McClain County, Oklahoma
  
  Details on Dessie were submitted to her memorial on Find a Grave.  Here is the updated memorial, added here 12 February 2015.
  
  ---------------
  Dessie Lea Gregory Spann
  Birth Mar 12, 1915 Marlow, Stephens County, Oklahoma
  Death Feb 1, 2003 Pauls Valley, Garvin County, Oklahoma
  w/o James Ernest SPANN. (bio by: Sandy)
  Parents:
  Andy Gregory (1892 - 1975)https://www.christiancentury.org/article/features/gilead-church-chicago-storytelling-central-worship
  Alpharetta Mae Green Gregory (1895 - 1963)
  Spouse James Ernest Spann (1905 - 1995)
  Siblings:
  Alpha Josephine Gregory Hayes (1917 - 2005)
  Alfred Andrew Gregory (1919 - 1920)
  Everett Wayne Gregory (1923 - 2009)
  Wanda June Gregory Trout (1927 - 2013)
  Burial Green Hill Cemetery McClain County, Oklahoma
  Created by Angie Apr 25, 2003
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #7386085, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7386085
  ---------------
  
  I discovered there are two memorials for Dessie on Find a Grave.  I also submitted family links and Dessie's dates to the duplicate memorial, #27394194.  After I informed Sandy, the creator of the duplicate memorial, she removed that memorial.  Sandy is a relative on the Spann side of the family.
  
  The other memorial had a different location of birth, a small place in the same county, as shown on this index copy of the memorial.
  
  U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
  Dessie Lea Gregory
  Birth 12 Mar 1915 Nellie, Stephens County, Oklahoma, USA
  Death 1 Feb 2003 Wynnewood, Garvin County, Oklahoma, USA
  Burial Green Hill Cemetery, Lindsay, McClain County, Oklahoma
  (This is the cemetery of Lindsay, Oklahoma.  Lindsay is in Garvin County, but the cemetery is on the McClain County side of the county line.)

Sources

• 1. Family Bibles
• 2. 1940 Federal Census, Garvin County, Oklahoma
  • 8 April, Lindsay, District 25-12, page: 5B, House 50, Rented
• 3. Loretta Gregory Gay, family photos
• 4. 1930 Federal Census, Garvin County, Oklahoma
  • 12 April, Lindsay, District 10, page 7B, Hse #92, Fam #109
• 5. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 6. Gravestones of Green Hill Cemetery, Lindsay, Oklahoma
• 7. 1920 Federal Census, Garvin County, Oklahoma
  • 5 February, Lindsay Township, District 28, page 7B, Hse #129, Fam #128
• 8. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• 9. Obituary Daily Times Index, 1995-Current
• 10. Lindsay News, Lindsay, Oklahoma
• 11. Social Security Death Index
• 12. Pauls Valley (Oklahoma) Democrat newspaper
• 13. Loretta Gregory Gay Genealogical Research
• 14. U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1
• 15. RootsWeb -- Descendants of William Spann Sr
  • Name: Name: http://john.rootsweb.com/Spann/1200-l.pdf;;
• 16. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1990
• 17. Birth Announcements
• 18. RootsWeb Discussion Lists
• 19. Obituaries from Oklahoma