He married Glenda Winget of Monroe, Sevier, Utah on 23 May 1940. They had a son, Ronald Hyrum Spencer on the 1 Aug 1941. Hyrum worked in Washington DC for about a year and a half, then moved to Salt Lake City in October 1942. In May 1943, Ronald wandered away and was drowned in the Big Cottonwood Creek in Salt Lake County. Hyrum was the one to find his lifeless body while searching in the creek.
A second son, Kenneth was born in December 1943, at about the same time that Hyrum was drafted into the US Army Air Force.
He was sworn into service on 6 Jan 1944. He spent most of the year in training, which resulted in his rank of Sergeant and position of a tail gunner of a flight crew.
He and his crew left for their tour overseas in October, 1944. This flight crew in their B-17G took off from England on their 10th mission headed for Hamburg, Germany on 31 Dec 1944. They were hit and 3 crew members were killed (including Hyrum). The rest bailed and were captured by German soldiers. They were taken back to the crash site where they were able to bury those that were dead and marked their graves so they could be found after the war. The surviving crew members spent the rest of the war as prisoners of war. The family back in Aurora was told that Hyrum was missing in action.
The German authorities confirmed that he had died on 21 February 1945. On April 3, a memorial service was held in the Aurora Ward Chapel. In August 1946 his body was moved from Rotenburg Germany and buried in the US Military cemetery, Neuville-en-Concroz, Belgium. In June of 1949 his body came home to Aurora for a final burial.
He was awarded the Purple Heart award for Military Merit on the 15th of March 1945.
He married Glenda Winget of Monroe, Sevier, Utah on 23 May 1940. They had a son, Ronald Hyrum Spencer on the 1 Aug 1941. Hyrum worked in Washington DC for about a year and a half, then moved to Salt Lake City in October 1942. In May 1943, Ronald wandered away and was drowned in the Big Cottonwood Creek in Salt Lake County. Hyrum was the one to find his lifeless body while searching in the creek.
A second son, Kenneth was born in December 1943, at about the same time that Hyrum was drafted into the US Army Air Force.
He was sworn into service on 6 Jan 1944. He spent most of the year in training, which resulted in his rank of Sergeant and position of a tail gunner of a flight crew.
He and his crew left for their tour overseas in October, 1944. This flight crew in their B-17G took off from England on their 10th mission headed for Hamburg, Germany on 31 Dec 1944. They were hit and 3 crew members were killed (including Hyrum). The rest bailed and were captured by German soldiers. They were taken back to the crash site where they were able to bury those that were dead and marked their graves so they could be found after the war. The surviving crew members spent the rest of the war as prisoners of war. The family back in Aurora was told that Hyrum was missing in action.
The German authorities confirmed that he had died on 21 February 1945. On April 3, a memorial service was held in the Aurora Ward Chapel. In August 1946 his body was moved from Rotenburg Germany and buried in the US Military cemetery, Neuville-en-Concroz, Belgium. In June of 1949 his body came home to Aurora for a final burial.
He was awarded the Purple Heart award for Military Merit on the 15th of March 1945.
Family Members
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Rosalie Spencer Swanson
1909–1999
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Austin Jay Spencer
1910–2004
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Alta Spencer Anderson
1912–2002
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Harold Gile Spencer
1913–2008
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Waldo Arthur Spencer
1916–2011
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Dortha Spencer Taylor
1917–1981
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Preston Neil Spencer
1922–2007
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Leonard Vee Spencer
1924–2008
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Forrest Quinn Spencer
1927–2022
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Leona Spencer Huntsman Ruesch
1934–2015
