William E. 'Bill' Spencer

He was born July 1, 1925, in Roodhouse, the son of Everett & Mildred (Jouett) Spencer. He married Helen Henry on Dec. 27, 1947, in Jacksonville.

Bill served in World War II with the 2nd Marine Corps Division on various Pacific Islands and later with the occupational forces in Nagasaki, Japan. He graduated in 1950 from Illinois College in Jacksonville and in 1952 joined the Illinois State Police No. 1 Sterling District and moved to Oregon.

Later he worked with the Ogle County Sheriff’s Department, serving as sheriff from 1963-1966. In 1970, he was employed by the Illinois Corrections Department for 20 years, retiring in 1990 as District Supervisor Adult Parole.

Bill served 15 years on the Ogle County Board from 1991-1992, 1993-2006 with 9 years as Finance Committee chairman. During his retirement, before moving to town, Bill enjoyed his farmette on Lowden Road, raising sheep and playing with his tractors. He was a member of Tebala Shrine, Rockford, Polo American Legion, Oregon VFW, Mount Morris Moose, and Dixon Elks Lodge.

He is survived by his wife, Helen; brothers, Guy (Mary) of Houston and Bob (Vicki) of Springfield; sister, Rosemary (Russell) Murgatroyd of Jacksonville; and very special friends, Edward and Robin Culbertson and their families of Chicago and Oregon. The family would like to thank Bill’s caregivers, Lee, Louise, Felicia, and especially Judy, who helped us over the last 6 months.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, preceded by visitation at 10 a.m. at Farrell-Holland-Gale Funeral Home, 110 S. Seventh St., Oregon, with the Rev. David Rogula officiating. Private burial will be in Daysville Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Serenity Hospice & Home, 1658 S. state Route 2 , Oregon, IL 61061 or Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, 2211 N. Oak Park Ave., Chicago, IL 60707.