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Bruce Spade Obituary
He is survived by his wife Alice Spade of Redding, and their five children; four son's, Terry Spade, of Redding, Randy Spade of Oak Run, Ricky Spade, of Redding, Russell Spade and his wife, Tami, of Redding, and one daughter, Kelly Knight and her husband, Richard, of Old Shasta, and daughter-in-law, Pam Spade, of Redding. He also leaves behind his brother, Tom Spade and wife Gerry, along with their two children, Troy and Ronald of Redding, and, as mentioned, many grandchildren and great grand children.
He was an avid genealogist, to which his cousin John Albert Spade attests in the following excerpt from his beautifully written eulogy:
"He has functioned as the captain of our family ship and masterfully navigated uncharted waters in search of our ancestral home, and our family who once lived there, and he has left beacons along the way. He has left us what can only be termed an unprecedented legacy for generations to come. He pointed the way for us to reunite with our German cousins, and he did this with extraordinary discipline, and the type of bullheaded determination and perfectionism that is the earmark of the Spade family.
I have seen, too, what a pillar of strength he has been for his wife, his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He has not only been a captain, but a guiding light as well, leaving behind him a family who can relish in memories of him and, someday, smile fondly at the way he told stories, and recall all they did as a family.
He has left a legacy to them, to us and to future generations, and has accomplished in life not only that which would make his father and mother proud, but his aunt Edna Lucille Spade Vann, as well … whose life-long effort to research this family was what Bruce resolved years ago to continue in her memory, and which he did with remarkable skill. Bruce's efforts in this life have touched hundreds, potentially thousands of family members in a very positive way. What more could a man be expected to leave behind?"
Services for Bruce A. Spade will be held Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 10 a. m. at Allen & Dahl Chapel in Palo Cedro, CA. http://www.allenanddahl.com
Immediately after the services we will be heading over to Russell's house for sandwiches, salads and drinks. If you would like to bring some potluck item you are more than welcome, however we think we will have more than enough. Please feel free to get up and speak … we will enjoy hearing as many stories as possible. Thank you all so much for all of your support during this difficult time.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Bruce Spade
Sponsored by Kelly Diana (Spade) Knight .
Kelly Knight
December 13, 2011
Thinking of Dad on his Birthday! He would have been 75 today... Miss you Daddy!
Kelly Knight
July 23, 2011
When I was in seventh grade science class the teacher told us we all had to write an oral/visual report on anything science related. I remember feeling helpless and very scared because I had never given a speech in my life. I could not think of a good subject when I looked to my father for advice. He said Bee’s are very scientific, you could do you report on Bee’s and take a hive, some caged bees, a smoker, honey, pollen and stuff like that and explain the nature of Bees and how they do what they do for the world the survival of the planet. He helped me so much that week. He got me a clean beehive with a honey filled frame, some pollen and some honey. Some caged bees, a queen, some drones and workers. And some of the equipment such as a smoker hives tool, bee suit with the gauntlets, hat with screened veil and gloves. The report was so good and comprehensive that I was asked to give it to every science class the next day. I felt so proud and so did my Father, he grinned from ear to ear. So the next day I gave seven more reports and everyone was so nice to me. I got to pass around all the caged bees and we even let the drones (because they do not have stingers) walk on some student’s hands. My Father had some of the most interesting mutant drones ever seen, some had red eyes and some had yellow eyes. These Drones were extremely rare and unique, so Jack Hauer (our local Bee Inspector) called the University of California and some people came out to see them, document them and took some samples for research. During the seven reports we also had honey, honey comb and pollen tasting. It was so much fun. It was a great experience, I really got to know my dad a lot more that week and it built memories that have lasted a life time. According to Jack Hauer we never did here from the University of California researchers, so he and my dad come up with their owner reasons for the mutant bees. My dad thought it may have been because of the high tension power lines that ran through that particular bee yard where those drones were discovered. Well that is just one more wonderful story of my dad that I love to think about.
John Spade
March 18, 2010
Always thinking of you.
Kelly Knight
January 1, 2010
I would bother my father (Bruce Spade) a lot for stories. This is one he finally wrote a few years back. I was very happy when I found this, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Remember he wrote this so he is the narrator.
A Story for Kelly
This story is about why we ended up in California, so that gets me thinking about my grandfathers and the way life works.
I only had one grandfather and he didn’t like me much, but to understand my relationship with my Grandpa Ed, you must first understand his relationship with my father.
Between 1909 and 1911 my other grandfather, Will Spade moved from Pennsylvania to Elm Creek Nebraska and started a farm. He was doing well and life was good. By 1916 he had 8 children and everyone was happy. My other grandfather had a farm in the same area, and I’m sure my father and mother went to school together and played together at harvest time.
In December of 1916 just before Christmas, Will started choking on something at the supper table. Some say he had an enlarged thyroid, maybe. Anyway he was a strong man and by the time he finally died he was outside on the woodpile. My grandmother and 8 small children watched him and their good life together die in the snow that day.
My grandmother packed up her children and her husband’s body and went back to Pennsylvania where she had family. In those days women didn’t have many rights and children without fathers were considered orphans. She had trouble feeding that many kids, so she put my father out in what today would be a foster home. In those days what it amounted to was the people you were indentured to were to raise you, see that you went to school, until you were 21. Then you got a suit of clothes and your freedom, in exchange for, as my dad put it, all the work they could beat out of you.
His education stopped there, and he didn’t like the people so he ran off. He was caught and brought back and put with another family that didn’t treat him any better so he ran off again. This time he got way down south looking for a better climate to fit the clothes he had. He would work for a meal of a place to sleep and kept on the move.
He was caught and brought back, but by now he was 14 or 15 and considered a hard case, so no one would take him so he stayed with uncles and other family. He stayed with John George, his grandfather, for a while who he called the meanest man in Pennsylvania.
In his travels he kept showing up at Ed Snook’s doorstep in Nebraska looking to court my mother Ethel. Now my mother had an education and even taught school, a sweet, pretty, young girl, and here was this wild orphan boy with no education, no home, and no prospects. Certainly not good enough for his daughter, so Ed ran him off time and time again.
About the time my father was 16-17 years old he came to California where he hoped the authorities wouldn’t find him. He was big for his age and strong, so by fibbing about his age a little he could hold a man’s job, and he stayed employed in the Redwoods in the 1920’s, when most of the country was out of work. He saved some money and sent some home to his mother to help feed his sisters and brother.
When my mother was 21, dad when back to Nebraska and they ran off and got married, against Ed’s wishes. They lived in Casper California. As far away from Ed as they could get. Dad worked in the woods in the summer and in the shop in the winter doing cat repair work. Mom worked in the office as a secretary. Mom taught dad to read and write and do his numbers. They had 9 good years together, and then I came along. Ed could see his daughter was happy so, in order to see his daughter he forgave them and if dad and him were not friends, they at least tolerated each other, because they both loved the same girl.
About 1940 the government wanted Ed’s farm for a big air base in Grand Island Nebraska. While they paid a good price, it broke Ed’s heart to leave the life and the land he loved. He moved to Napa California to be near his other daughters Jane and Babe. Jim, Jane’s husband was working in the shipyard at Mare Island and everyone was getting ready for the war.
By the time the war started dad was a top-notch diesel mechanic and they needed mechanics more that they needed soldiers. So he went to work on the Alcan Highway under the army and like everyone else was in for the duration. But by being a civilian the pay was a lot better, and he sent all his money home and mother saved every dime.
When the war was over, with the money they had saved, we were able to buy a four acres of bottomland in Redding with a nice house and a barn and with what mother wanted most, indoor plumbing. So after years of living in logging camps and company owned lumber towns, we had our first real home.
Now we get to the grandpa part and the summer we spent together. After we got settled in Ed came up from Napa to build us a large shop and garage with an apartment on the second floor. Dad was working long hours in the cat shop below Shasta Dam as they were just finishing it up. So that left grandpa and me to build it, and I was sure he couldn’t do it without my help.
What I called helping, he called annoying. I was about 10 at the time and without a father at home for so long I had gotten a little stubborn. More than once he said, “you are as wild as your father was”. He said it in a bad way, but being compared to my dad sounded good to me.
But he had a good sense of humor, and one day when I was being really helpful he busted a keg of nails on the ground and told me the ones pointing that way were for that side of the house and the ones pointing this way were for this side etc. My job was to take the nails to their proper side and pile them up. That kept me busy for hours and he smiled the whole time, and I knew it was because I was doing such a good job.
He was also quick to come down on me if I did something wrong. One day I did something and he had a saw in his hand when I did it. He whipped me good with that saw and every time it hit my butt is just sang. That was over 50 years ago and I still get the chills when I think about it.
He had built a large tray about 4 feet by 6 feet and lined it with metal to mix mortar in as we were going to plaster the building. We went out one morning early to start and it was full of my best pollywog collection. So we had to find a new home for them before we could start, and that didn’t set to well with him. And he really didn’t like it when I used his best wood chisel’s to carve my name in the cement walk he had poured a few days earlier.
But he was a good grandpa who rewarded me with smiles and stories when I did good. I learned a lot that summer and I’m sure I liked him more than he liked me.
December 13, 2009
Dad, I have a lot of stories of yours to post and I will be working on those over the next couple of weeks. You should have been 73 years today. I think about you so very often... Love Kelly
Harry Spade
April 4, 2009
Hey cousin. It's been a year since you left us. I still miss your emails.
Kelly Knight (Spade)
December 13, 2008
Dad, we miss you everyday, but especially today on your Birthday! You were born December 13, 1936 in Fort Bragg CA. You should have been 72 years young today. You showed me the place you were born on our trip there in October 2007. The place is called the Gray Whale Inn. I asked you which room you were born in and you told me the one in the back because you could remember seeing the ocean that day.. We laughed! Most of us got together for our Family/Thanksgiving Dinner and we sure missed you! I know you would not want me to cry but it is so hard not having you here with us. I will light a candle every year on your
Birthday from this day forward and remember you with so much Love.
Alice Spade, Bruce Spade, Rachel & Kelly (Spade) Knight in Fort Bragg in October 2007 GOODTIMES!!!
July 26, 2008
Grandpa Ken Spade with Grand Daughter Kelly Spade sometime back in 1967.
July 26, 2008
Bruce Spade with Grand Children Vincent, Rachel, Valorie and Abby. During Thanksgivings 2007 :)
July 26, 2008
Kelly Knight (Spade)
July 26, 2008
Whenever, we would go to our father for advise with a problem he would always say things like, "Wow you have more problems than a white child."
I always got great advise and always followed whatever he told me to a T and it was always the right path.
The one thing I rememer the most that he always said was: "If everyone with a problem could sit in a big circle and throw all of their problems in the middle of the circle you would grab your own and run like hell!"
I miss you and your great advise
Dad!
Your loving and favorite daughter, Kelly!
DORIS WIDRA
May 7, 2008
I REMEMBER MEETING BRUCE WHEN I WAS FOURTEEN. THEY HAD COME EAST TO PA. TO VISIT THE SISTERS,SPADE AND THEIR FAMILIES.
I AM NOW 75. 20 YEARS AGO WE VISTED HIS DAD IN REDDING. WHAT A GREAT TIME WE HAD VISITING UNCLE KEN AND UNCLE BENNIE.
WE DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE BRUCE FOR SOME REASON.
WE SEND OUR LOVE AND DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO ALL OF THE FAMILY.
DORIS WIDRA, DAUGHTER OF LORETTA (SPADE) ROBINSON
Vanessa Prokos
May 7, 2008
I never met Bruce but send my condolences to his family. I am certain he will be greatly missed. As Grand Daughter of Rosa Spade Young, I appreciate his contributions to the Spade Family Newsletter
Keith and Eileen Carpenter
May 7, 2008
I like a lot of the Spade family, never met Bruce, but his work on the Spade family tree will inspire the rest of the family to keep on. Bruce's persistence gave the family so much information we may never have gotten otherwise. Our condolences to the family. Keep his memory alive.
Sylvia Spade, Peck
May 6, 2008
I have never met Bruce, but i send my love and Prayers to all of you.
He was a super guy from what i have read about him. God Bless
Greg Peck
May 6, 2008
I never met my cousin Bruce in person but I will miss his emails and his extraordinary work on the Spade history. From what I read in the last Spade newsletter, Bruce was a very remarkable man. My sisters, Ina, Della, Norma, and I extend our condolences to your family.
Russell Spade
May 2, 2008
I am the supervisor of a Saturn-dealership in Redding California. Everyday I work with the modern combustion engine. I guess propulsion systems have always interested me. I remember being inspired by Newcomen, Watt, and Robert Fulton-all great thinkers that contributed to modern steam engines. So, in the forth grade, I set out to invent a multi-channel high-powered steam engine that would power a car that would look much like Fred Flintsone’s flip mobile. Flinstone’s Canvas roof would be a metal plate with 50 quart canisters (tin cans that my dad used as bee feeders) balanced on top. Under that metal plate would be another plate where I could build my fire to heat the water I would have in the quart bee containers-this would produce steam. My high-pressure steam would then feed down a ½ inch pipe concentrating a steam burst on a paddle wheel crank-this would turn my tire and move my car.
Along comes my dad who is baffled by my huge mess in the yard. As you may have already picked up from my story my father was a Bee Keeper and many of materials were actually his bee equipment that I had drug in from all over and was assembling in the middle of his drive-way work space. Instead of getting mad he got into what I was doing by asking questions.
“You actually think you are going to drive this car down Clear Creek Rd. in August, in Redding, with Fire burning on a red glowing metal plate while boiling water and creating high-pressure steam?”
“Uh-yes!” I said.
Dad said, “If you get it up past 15 or 20 miles an hour the Fanning flames will put the driver’s seat in a bad spot.”
“I’ll move it.” I said. “Or make a heat shield for the driver.”
Then my dad looked at me, he suddenly didn’t seem as worried as he was minute ago and said, “O.K. well, clean this up when you’re done.”
Kelly Knight
April 20, 2008
Stories of my Father!
My Dad loved to play practical jokes on everyone. His initials fit him to a T!
I remember one time when I was in sixth grade and the school was sending home some minority paperwork to see how many kids in the school had American Indian Heritage. So I took the paperwork home and asked my Dad if this was something we needed to fill out for school, because I did not know for sure. So he took a look at papers, smiled and went to work, I went outside to play.
Later that night my Dad told me to take the papers to my teacher and make sure he got them because these papers were very important.
So the next day I took these papers to my Teacher Mr. Ray and turned them in. He asked the class to read quietly; however, shortly after this he began laughing so hard that he almost fell out of his chair and little tears were squirting from his face. He quietly asked me to come up to his desk, he asked me if I was of Indian Heritage and I said I am not sure, why what did my father write? Mr. Ray said well according to this your Indian name is Squeaking Squirrel, I said what?! He said yeah, and laughing some more he said and it says here that your Father’s Indian Name is Swift Tiger and your Mother is Squawking Squaw, and your brothers are Sneaky Hawk, Running Bear, Cackling Coyote and Skinny Mule. When the teacher saw how mad I was, because I had been gotten again, he laughed even harder. And then he said I really need to meet your Dad, he’s funny man…
There were so many times that he had really gotten me over the years.
One time I had the chance to get a little pay back.
My three year old daughter’s pre-school is near where my parents live, so at the beginning of the school year I asked my parents if they could pick her up after school sometimes so that I could work through lunch on busy days. They happily agreed. However, my Father had just heard on the news about someone stealing some kids from a school and he said any one can just walk in to these schools these days and pick up any ones kids and walk right out.
So when my Dad was getting ready to pick up Rachel from school for the very first time, I told her teacher Mrs. Nichols that my Father was going to pick Rachel up after school the next day, and he didn’t believe in the security system in at the schools at all. So I asked her to really give him the once over when he got there. So she cheerfully agreed.
When he got there she asked to see his Driver’s License, asked what kind and color of vehicle he drove with the license number… and she was just about to frisk him when Rachel ran up screaming Pa Pa, Pa Pa and hugged his leg. So the teacher said okay I guess you are him.
That night he told me that he was very impressed with the school and their security system and he felt much better about her safety. I was so happy he was going to sleep better at night that I never told him about the set up… So in a way, he got me again… I love his work!
Jon Fredricks
April 14, 2008
I did not know Mr. Spade, but I have known Kelly for more than 20 years. She is all I need to know about him. He must have been a remarkable man.
Harry Spade
April 14, 2008
I can't believe I'm copying your obituary into my genealogy program. Family history won't be the same without you involved.
I never met you in person but I'll miss you just the same. Thanks for everything.
Sandi Downing
April 14, 2008
Kelly,
What a blessing to have such a loving, wonderful father. His legacy will live on in you and you will always carry the love he had for you in your heart.
God bless you and your family and you will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.
Randy Spade
April 13, 2008
Dad
The man that taught me to hunt, fish, and how to work is gone. He also tried to teach me when to work and when to fish, but had less success with that lesson.
In dieing he taught one last lesson, how to die with dignity.
When he survived his Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, and then by-pass surgery, we talked about death. I told him that because Grandpa Ken had made it into his 80’s I thought we would get 80 years. “Some don’t,” he said. He seemed to know he would get less and was at peace with that. He never showed any fear of death.
He made good use of his last years tracing the family back into Germany. His Genealogy kept him going, I am sad to think of what we may never learn now that he’s gone.
We had one last chance to work together a few weeks ago when I bought at auction a few thousand 40 to 70 year old milk bottles, and wooden crates. I had bitten off more than I could chew, and he was there with his truck to help haul the many loads of bottles. He always supported my MANY wild business schemes. He seemed to know I would somehow make them work.
His last few months were good ones, I don’t know if he felt it coming, but he was making more of an effort to come out from behind his computer and visit with me whenever I stopped by. I thank him for that.
Randy Spade
Kelly Knight
April 13, 2008
My Father will be missed daily for me. I have written him an email almost everyday for the last seven years, and for the last four and a half years have sent him information on his grand daughter Rachel daily. Whether it was boring or exciting he always got a note and sometimes pictures. I will miss him working on the vegetable and flower gardens. I will miss my email friend, my story teller, my father, and the grandfather of my daughter. Every time we want to share something new in our lives we will feel a tug on our hearts. This great man will always be remembered with so much love.
John Albert Spade
April 12, 2008
Although time and distance separate me physically, I have for years been spiritually drawn to Redding because of a common bond, both of blood and love of family, I shared with the one you call husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. I can truly attest to the fact that no one can ever take Bruce’s place in this world. My thoughts and prayers are with you today, as they have been for a week now, and they will continue to be with you for the remainder of my years.
Kim Needles
April 11, 2008
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time. Bruce was a very special friend to my Father, along with Alice being a very wonderful friend to my mother. A kiss and hug to all of there children, remember he will always be in your hearts and with you for ever.
Debbie (Hauer) Fluhrer
April 11, 2008
I met Bruce, through my father, many years ago and remember him as a wonderful man. May God continue to hold you in the palm of His hand during this time of loss.
June Bebensee
April 10, 2008
I will miss you at the FHC in Redding. I send my heart felt sympathy to his family.
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