SPECK, JOHN HENRY

by Ronda Godfrey

Entry F398 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Rebecca Speck wife of John Speck

John Henry Speck was born on February
3, 1861 in Henderson County, Illinois to
Francis P. and Elizabeth (Myers) Speck.
When John was age 3, his father died in the
Civil War. Times were very hard for John's
mother to raise 5 children by herself so she
moved her family to Nebraska in search of a
better life.

About 1882, John Henry Speck wed Rebec-
ca Duff. Rebecca was born on April 6, 1863
in Henderson County, Illinois to John and
Jemima (Stephenson) Duff.

John and Rebecca were the parents of 4
children - Cora Viola, Mary, Jesse and Clyde.

Cora was born on January 6, 1883 in Gosper
County, Nebraska. She married 1 - William
Gorsuch, 2 - Benjamin Wright and they lived
in Mullen.

Mary was born on July 30, 1884 in Gothen-
burg, Nebraska. She married 1 - Samuel
Stockham on June 5, 1901 in Mullen. They
had 3 children, Joseph born March 26, 1904
in Mullen, Ethel born January 20, 1906 in
Mullen and Maude born April 9, 1910 in Rock
Island, Texas. Mary then wed 2 - Jake
Gomeprt.

Jesse Speck was born on October 30, 1891
in Gothenburg, Nebraska. He married Ida
Maye Adams in Texas. They had 7 children
and resided in Texas all their lives.

Clyde Speck was born in September of
1892 in Gothenburg, Nebraska. He wed
Laura Riley in Texas. They moved back to
Nebraska and lived in the Scottsbluff, Neb-
raska area.

It is believed John and Rebecca lived in the
Gothenburg, Nebraska area until about 1895
when they moved to Mullen. About 1900 they
moved to Rock Island, Texas.

On April 15, 1916, John Henry Speck
passed away. He is buried in the Myrtle
Cemetery, Rock Island, Texas. Rebecca
continued to reside in Rock Island with her
daughter, Cora Gorsuch and family after
John's death. In the early 1920's they all
moved back to Mullen, Nebraska.

On November 30, 1924, Rebecca died in
Mullen, Nebraska. She is buried in the
Cedarview Cemetery at Mullen.