Mr. George Phillip Speaker, age 93, of Crockett, passed away Thursday, July 17, 2008 in the Houston County Nursing Home in Crockett. Mr. Speaker was born January 21, 1915 in Galveston, Texas to Frederick and Alice Speaker the fifth son of seven children. Mr. Speaker served in HQ 3rd Battalion, 349th Infantry of the U.S. Army during WW II from Oct. 12, 1942 o Oct. 23, 1945 as a jeep driver. Mr. Speaker served in the Rome-Arno, North Appennies and Po Valley campaigns as a jeep driver. This was a very dangerous job during WW II. Fortunately, George was never wounded. Mr. Speaker saw Mussolini hanging in the square in Rome, Italy.
When growing up the family was Truck Farmers. They would load up the wagon with vegetables ready for sale and take them to the Farmers Market in Galveston.
Mr. Speaker was extremely proud to be an American and that he had served his country in her time of need. He was very patriotic. Mr. Speaker often talked of things that happened or things that he had witnessed during the war.
Everyone always enjoyed hearing his interesting stories.
Mr. Speaker grew up in Hitchcock, TX and became fluent in Italian. At that time Hitchcock was populated by many recent Italian immigrants that did not speak English. The children quickly pick up English but had to speak to their parents in Italian.
Mr. Speaker quickly learned German while serving in the Army. He was captured once by German soldiers and held overnight. He was asked why he was not fighting for Germany since Speaker is a German name. He told them that he was an American and that he was fighting for his country. His grandparents, Thedor and Anna Maria (Mary) Fransca Hils had come to Texas in 1873 from Erwitte, Germany.
The German soldiers told him that since he was a jeep driver and was not shooting at them that they had no quarrel with him. They released him the next day.
Mr. Speaker married Frances Louise Tolbert on Nov. 28, 1945 in Galveston County, Texas and he worked for the Hitchcock ISD in Hitchcock, TX from about 1955 until his retirement in about 1977. The last six years he had been a resident at the Houston County Nursing Home where he truly was treated like a King and loved the nursing staff.
Survivors include his wife Louise Tolbert Speaker, of Crockett; children Alice and Derry Jones, George Wesley Speaker, and Tina Hulsey; grandchildren Bobby Wayne Hulsey, Kari Hulsey, and Allison Alvarez; great-grandson Adrian Wesley Alvarez; numerous nieces and nephews, mostly in Houston County and Galveston County; in-laws: Marie and James Driskell, Anna and Harold McKenzie, James Blakeley, Carolyn and John Level, Ruby and Billy Sexton.
Preceded in death by his son John Ray Speaker of Houston; brothers; sister and his in-laws Claude and Helen Blakeley of Lovelady.
Funeral Services for Mr. George Phillip Speaker were held Monday, July 21, at 10:00 a.m. in the Callaway-Allee Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Ottis Byers officiating.
Interment followed in the Lovelady Antioch Cemetery.
Favorite things: Fried shrimp, baby ruth candy bars, the color red, Blue Bell ice cream, RC cola before it went out of business, coca cola, grape soda gardening, lemon pie.
He planted a garden as long as he was able. When they had to move into an apartment he grew vegetables in the flower bed. The neighbors loved it.
When growing up the family was Truck Farmers. They would load up the wagon with vegetables ready for sale and take them to the Farmers Market in Galveston.
Mr. Speaker was extremely proud to be an American and that he had served his country in her time of need. He was very patriotic. Mr. Speaker often talked of things that happened or things that he had witnessed during the war.
Everyone always enjoyed hearing his interesting stories.
Mr. Speaker grew up in Hitchcock, TX and became fluent in Italian. At that time Hitchcock was populated by many recent Italian immigrants that did not speak English. The children quickly pick up English but had to speak to their parents in Italian.
Mr. Speaker quickly learned German while serving in the Army. He was captured once by German soldiers and held overnight. He was asked why he was not fighting for Germany since Speaker is a German name. He told them that he was an American and that he was fighting for his country. His grandparents, Thedor and Anna Maria (Mary) Fransca Hils had come to Texas in 1873 from Erwitte, Germany.
The German soldiers told him that since he was a jeep driver and was not shooting at them that they had no quarrel with him. They released him the next day.
Mr. Speaker married Frances Louise Tolbert on Nov. 28, 1945 in Galveston County, Texas and he worked for the Hitchcock ISD in Hitchcock, TX from about 1955 until his retirement in about 1977. The last six years he had been a resident at the Houston County Nursing Home where he truly was treated like a King and loved the nursing staff.
Survivors include his wife Louise Tolbert Speaker, of Crockett; children Alice and Derry Jones, George Wesley Speaker, and Tina Hulsey; grandchildren Bobby Wayne Hulsey, Kari Hulsey, and Allison Alvarez; great-grandson Adrian Wesley Alvarez; numerous nieces and nephews, mostly in Houston County and Galveston County; in-laws: Marie and James Driskell, Anna and Harold McKenzie, James Blakeley, Carolyn and John Level, Ruby and Billy Sexton.
Preceded in death by his son John Ray Speaker of Houston; brothers; sister and his in-laws Claude and Helen Blakeley of Lovelady.
Funeral Services for Mr. George Phillip Speaker were held Monday, July 21, at 10:00 a.m. in the Callaway-Allee Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Ottis Byers officiating.
Interment followed in the Lovelady Antioch Cemetery.
Favorite things: Fried shrimp, baby ruth candy bars, the color red, Blue Bell ice cream, RC cola before it went out of business, coca cola, grape soda gardening, lemon pie.
He planted a garden as long as he was able. When they had to move into an apartment he grew vegetables in the flower bed. The neighbors loved it.
Mr. George Phillip Speaker, age 93, of Crockett, passed away Thursday, July 17, 2008 in the Houston County Nursing Home in Crockett. Mr. Speaker was born January 21, 1915 in Galveston, Texas to Frederick and Alice Speaker the fifth son of seven children. Mr. Speaker served in HQ 3rd Battalion, 349th Infantry of the U.S. Army during WW II from Oct. 12, 1942 o Oct. 23, 1945 as a jeep driver. Mr. Speaker served in the Rome-Arno, North Appennies and Po Valley campaigns as a jeep driver. This was a very dangerous job during WW II. Fortunately, George was never wounded. Mr. Speaker saw Mussolini hanging in the square in Rome, Italy.
When growing up the family was Truck Farmers. They would load up the wagon with vegetables ready for sale and take them to the Farmers Market in Galveston.
Mr. Speaker was extremely proud to be an American and that he had served his country in her time of need. He was very patriotic. Mr. Speaker often talked of things that happened or things that he had witnessed during the war.
Everyone always enjoyed hearing his interesting stories.
Mr. Speaker grew up in Hitchcock, TX and became fluent in Italian. At that time Hitchcock was populated by many recent Italian immigrants that did not speak English. The children quickly pick up English but had to speak to their parents in Italian.
Mr. Speaker quickly learned German while serving in the Army. He was captured once by German soldiers and held overnight. He was asked why he was not fighting for Germany since Speaker is a German name. He told them that he was an American and that he was fighting for his country. His grandparents, Thedor and Anna Maria (Mary) Fransca Hils had come to Texas in 1873 from Erwitte, Germany.
The German soldiers told him that since he was a jeep driver and was not shooting at them that they had no quarrel with him. They released him the next day.
Mr. Speaker married Frances Louise Tolbert on Nov. 28, 1945 in Galveston County, Texas and he worked for the Hitchcock ISD in Hitchcock, TX from about 1955 until his retirement in about 1977. The last six years he had been a resident at the Houston County Nursing Home where he truly was treated like a King and loved the nursing staff.
Survivors include his wife Louise Tolbert Speaker, of Crockett; children Alice and Derry Jones, George Wesley Speaker, and Tina Hulsey; grandchildren Bobby Wayne Hulsey, Kari Hulsey, and Allison Alvarez; great-grandson Adrian Wesley Alvarez; numerous nieces and nephews, mostly in Houston County and Galveston County; in-laws: Marie and James Driskell, Anna and Harold McKenzie, James Blakeley, Carolyn and John Level, Ruby and Billy Sexton.
Preceded in death by his son John Ray Speaker of Houston; brothers; sister and his in-laws Claude and Helen Blakeley of Lovelady.
Funeral Services for Mr. George Phillip Speaker were held Monday, July 21, at 10:00 a.m. in the Callaway-Allee Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Ottis Byers officiating.
Interment followed in the Lovelady Antioch Cemetery.
Favorite things: Fried shrimp, baby ruth candy bars, the color red, Blue Bell ice cream, RC cola before it went out of business, coca cola, grape soda gardening, lemon pie.
He planted a garden as long as he was able. When they had to move into an apartment he grew vegetables in the flower bed. The neighbors loved it.
When growing up the family was Truck Farmers. They would load up the wagon with vegetables ready for sale and take them to the Farmers Market in Galveston.
Mr. Speaker was extremely proud to be an American and that he had served his country in her time of need. He was very patriotic. Mr. Speaker often talked of things that happened or things that he had witnessed during the war.
Everyone always enjoyed hearing his interesting stories.
Mr. Speaker grew up in Hitchcock, TX and became fluent in Italian. At that time Hitchcock was populated by many recent Italian immigrants that did not speak English. The children quickly pick up English but had to speak to their parents in Italian.
Mr. Speaker quickly learned German while serving in the Army. He was captured once by German soldiers and held overnight. He was asked why he was not fighting for Germany since Speaker is a German name. He told them that he was an American and that he was fighting for his country. His grandparents, Thedor and Anna Maria (Mary) Fransca Hils had come to Texas in 1873 from Erwitte, Germany.
The German soldiers told him that since he was a jeep driver and was not shooting at them that they had no quarrel with him. They released him the next day.
Mr. Speaker married Frances Louise Tolbert on Nov. 28, 1945 in Galveston County, Texas and he worked for the Hitchcock ISD in Hitchcock, TX from about 1955 until his retirement in about 1977. The last six years he had been a resident at the Houston County Nursing Home where he truly was treated like a King and loved the nursing staff.
Survivors include his wife Louise Tolbert Speaker, of Crockett; children Alice and Derry Jones, George Wesley Speaker, and Tina Hulsey; grandchildren Bobby Wayne Hulsey, Kari Hulsey, and Allison Alvarez; great-grandson Adrian Wesley Alvarez; numerous nieces and nephews, mostly in Houston County and Galveston County; in-laws: Marie and James Driskell, Anna and Harold McKenzie, James Blakeley, Carolyn and John Level, Ruby and Billy Sexton.
Preceded in death by his son John Ray Speaker of Houston; brothers; sister and his in-laws Claude and Helen Blakeley of Lovelady.
Funeral Services for Mr. George Phillip Speaker were held Monday, July 21, at 10:00 a.m. in the Callaway-Allee Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Ottis Byers officiating.
Interment followed in the Lovelady Antioch Cemetery.
Favorite things: Fried shrimp, baby ruth candy bars, the color red, Blue Bell ice cream, RC cola before it went out of business, coca cola, grape soda gardening, lemon pie.
He planted a garden as long as he was able. When they had to move into an apartment he grew vegetables in the flower bed. The neighbors loved it.
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