Editor Russell M. Spear Dies - Here 50 Years
Madison, NC - Russell Mayo Spear, 79, editor of The Messenger for almost 50 years, died Tuesday morning in Moses Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro. He had been declining in health for several months.
Spear was a native of Amherst, Mass. He was a graduate of Amherst College and held a master's degree in English from the University of Massachusetts. Before becoming editor of The Messenger, he taught in a private school, New Hampshire Academy, and was an advertising salesman in Chicago.
Spear and his wife, Marion "Mimi" Spear, moved to Madison in 1934 when they purchased The Messenger during the Great Depression days.
He was past president of the Madison Rotary Club, past president of the Madison Merchants Association, past president of the Rockingham County Fine Arts Association. He was an early president of the Madison Boosters Club, which inaugurated the Madison Fair as a community enterprise in the 1930s. He served on the Madison Zoning Board, which made possible the development of Dalton Homes, a housing project that eliminated a black ghetto.
He was the son of the late Henry and Edith Spear, both natives of Amherst, Mass. He is survived by Mrs. Spear, a daughter, Karlyn S. Shankland of Jamestown; sons, Michael M. of Richmond, Va., and David M. of Madison, 8 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Graveside services are planned Thursday at 11 a.m. in Woodlawn Cemetery outside Madison. The family will receive friends at Ray Funeral Home in Madison from 7 to 9 p.m. today.
- Excerpts from the front page of The Messenger, Aug 11, 1983 [This edition also included some of his editorials written in the 30's, 40's, 50's & 60's]
Madison, NC - Russell Mayo Spear, 79, editor of The Messenger for almost 50 years, died Tuesday morning in Moses Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro. He had been declining in health for several months.
Spear was a native of Amherst, Mass. He was a graduate of Amherst College and held a master's degree in English from the University of Massachusetts. Before becoming editor of The Messenger, he taught in a private school, New Hampshire Academy, and was an advertising salesman in Chicago.
Spear and his wife, Marion "Mimi" Spear, moved to Madison in 1934 when they purchased The Messenger during the Great Depression days.
He was past president of the Madison Rotary Club, past president of the Madison Merchants Association, past president of the Rockingham County Fine Arts Association. He was an early president of the Madison Boosters Club, which inaugurated the Madison Fair as a community enterprise in the 1930s. He served on the Madison Zoning Board, which made possible the development of Dalton Homes, a housing project that eliminated a black ghetto.
He was the son of the late Henry and Edith Spear, both natives of Amherst, Mass. He is survived by Mrs. Spear, a daughter, Karlyn S. Shankland of Jamestown; sons, Michael M. of Richmond, Va., and David M. of Madison, 8 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Graveside services are planned Thursday at 11 a.m. in Woodlawn Cemetery outside Madison. The family will receive friends at Ray Funeral Home in Madison from 7 to 9 p.m. today.
- Excerpts from the front page of The Messenger, Aug 11, 1983 [This edition also included some of his editorials written in the 30's, 40's, 50's & 60's]
Editor Russell M. Spear Dies - Here 50 Years
Madison, NC - Russell Mayo Spear, 79, editor of The Messenger for almost 50 years, died Tuesday morning in Moses Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro. He had been declining in health for several months.
Spear was a native of Amherst, Mass. He was a graduate of Amherst College and held a master's degree in English from the University of Massachusetts. Before becoming editor of The Messenger, he taught in a private school, New Hampshire Academy, and was an advertising salesman in Chicago.
Spear and his wife, Marion "Mimi" Spear, moved to Madison in 1934 when they purchased The Messenger during the Great Depression days.
He was past president of the Madison Rotary Club, past president of the Madison Merchants Association, past president of the Rockingham County Fine Arts Association. He was an early president of the Madison Boosters Club, which inaugurated the Madison Fair as a community enterprise in the 1930s. He served on the Madison Zoning Board, which made possible the development of Dalton Homes, a housing project that eliminated a black ghetto.
He was the son of the late Henry and Edith Spear, both natives of Amherst, Mass. He is survived by Mrs. Spear, a daughter, Karlyn S. Shankland of Jamestown; sons, Michael M. of Richmond, Va., and David M. of Madison, 8 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Graveside services are planned Thursday at 11 a.m. in Woodlawn Cemetery outside Madison. The family will receive friends at Ray Funeral Home in Madison from 7 to 9 p.m. today.
- Excerpts from the front page of The Messenger, Aug 11, 1983 [This edition also included some of his editorials written in the 30's, 40's, 50's & 60's]
Madison, NC - Russell Mayo Spear, 79, editor of The Messenger for almost 50 years, died Tuesday morning in Moses Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro. He had been declining in health for several months.
Spear was a native of Amherst, Mass. He was a graduate of Amherst College and held a master's degree in English from the University of Massachusetts. Before becoming editor of The Messenger, he taught in a private school, New Hampshire Academy, and was an advertising salesman in Chicago.
Spear and his wife, Marion "Mimi" Spear, moved to Madison in 1934 when they purchased The Messenger during the Great Depression days.
He was past president of the Madison Rotary Club, past president of the Madison Merchants Association, past president of the Rockingham County Fine Arts Association. He was an early president of the Madison Boosters Club, which inaugurated the Madison Fair as a community enterprise in the 1930s. He served on the Madison Zoning Board, which made possible the development of Dalton Homes, a housing project that eliminated a black ghetto.
He was the son of the late Henry and Edith Spear, both natives of Amherst, Mass. He is survived by Mrs. Spear, a daughter, Karlyn S. Shankland of Jamestown; sons, Michael M. of Richmond, Va., and David M. of Madison, 8 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Graveside services are planned Thursday at 11 a.m. in Woodlawn Cemetery outside Madison. The family will receive friends at Ray Funeral Home in Madison from 7 to 9 p.m. today.
- Excerpts from the front page of The Messenger, Aug 11, 1983 [This edition also included some of his editorials written in the 30's, 40's, 50's & 60's]
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