Florence "Betty" Speas

UPDATE: In accordance with the recent state of Iowa guidelines, facial masks are required to be worn and strict practice of social distancing must be followed. Betty Speas, 97, of Marshalltown, formerly of Dunbar and Ferguson, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 at Glenwood Place, where she resided. A memorial service for Betty will take place on Saturday, November 14 at 10:30 A.M. at Mitchell Family Funeral Home.  To attend the service remotely via livestream, please visit https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell-Family-Funeral-Home-99280714047/ . In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Glenwood Place, 2907 S 6th St., Marshalltown. For additional questions or to leave a condolence, please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234. Born Florence Elizabeth Vavra on February 25, 1923 in Dunbar, she was the daughter of Joseph and Barbara (Tomasek) Vavra.  She attended school in Ferguson. On July 1, 1939, Betty was united in marriage to Vernon Speas in Princeton, MO.  She enjoyed being a homemaker, taking care of their two children and working the farm. Later she worked at the post office in Le Grand and as a housekeeper for a number of years.  She always liked to stay busy and keep to a strict schedule. Betty was a private and simple woman with a heart of gold.  She had a strong faith and was an active member of Le Grand Friends Church and then First Baptist Church.  She was a fierce prayer warrior, with a prayer list a mile long.  Betty had a serving heart and was given the gift of her “hands.” She belonged to the American Baptist Women’s Mission Circle at her church and she made hundreds of pairs of mittens, receiving blankets, rolled bandages out of torn up sheets and whatever the project goals were for that year. She always was looking for old sheets to tear up and would have half of the roll done by herself.  She even did some while she was in the nursing home.  She also did a lot for the preschool, cutting out figures for the children’s classes.  Her hands were always busy for “her Lord.” As her family says, “she has many jewels in her crown.” Left to cherish her memory is her son, Donald (Marilyn) Speas; her grandchildren: David (Sarah) Tweed, Debra (Kent) Quackenbush and Brian (Rebecca Barnett-Speas) Speas; 5 great-grandchildren; her sister Dorothy (Dib) Gould; nieces: Beth (Fred) George, Lois Cory and Amy Thompsen and nephew Tim Austin. In death, Betty is united with her husband, Vernon; her daughter, Margaret Tweed; her parents; 4 brothers: Rudy, Joe, John and Charles “Chuck” and 3 sisters: Rose in infancy, Edna and Mary.