Russell Hulme Speirs

 

Russell Hulme Speirs was born February 11, 1934, in Bloomington, Bear Lake County, Idaho, the 4th child of Alvin Matthew and Denia Inez Hulme Speirs. He was born in his grandmother Ann Maria Briscoe Hulme’s home. He spent his early years in Bloomington going to school for the 1st and 2nd grades. In 1942, the family relocated to Clearfield, Utah, where he continued his schooling in the Pioneer Elementary School, then North Davis Junior High School, Davis High School, and some at Weber College.

 

He learned to work hard for neighbors in haying and other farm work as needed. He began learning the plumbing trade at 16 and carried the trade into his own repair and construction business as an adult. He also worked for the railroad for a time and would have loved to make that a career, but plumbing was his calling.

 

He met, then married his sweetheart, Barbara Jean Brown, in 1952. They loved rearing and teaching their three children: Laurie, Jelean, and Lynn. After his retirement from plumbing, Russell found great joy working as an ordinance worker in the Ogden Temple for several years.

 

Early in their married life, Russell enjoyed the time he spent fulfilling a military obligation in the Utah National Guard, 222nd Field Artillery Battalion as a cook. That service was a point of pride for him, especially in his later life. They made their home in Layton, Utah.

 

He passed along his love of the outdoors to his children and grandchildren. The children remember his love of taking a drive, often to Mirror Lake in the Uintah mountains. He taught his children the value of hard work and education.

 

Many have benefitted from his bountiful award-winning garden vegetables, especially his garlic. He was a great cook and loved to share this skill with all his family and friends. Christmas Eve lasagna, cream peas and potatoes, and peach cobbler were favorites. He honed his dutch oven cooking skills, catered events, and competed in dutch oven contests.

 

His unique sense of humor has been passed down to his children and grandchildren. The mere mention of a word or phrase will bring on a song. Just ask any grandchild, and you’ll hear, “Grandpa has a song for everything!”

 

Russell is survived by his three children: Laurie (Joe) Surrusco, Idaho Falls, Idaho; Jelean (Rob) Dokos, Eureka, Montana; and Russell Lynn (Andrea) Speirs, Layton, Utah; a brother, Robert (Marian) Speirs, Layton, Utah; 9 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great-granddaughter. He was preceded in death by his wife of 69 years, Barbara Jean Brown Speirs, his parents, and a brother, Eugene, and sister, Evelyn.

 

The Speirs family is grateful for the loving care provided by Dr. Darin Checketts, Dr. Mark Firth, and the wonderful staff at Chancellor Gardens, especially Sallie, Andrea, and Emily.

 

Funeral services will be held Friday, June 2, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 North Fairfield Road, Layton, Utah. Friends may visit with family Thursday, June 1, 2023, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary and from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. prior to the service.

 

Interment, Lindquist’s Memorial Park at Layton.

 

Services will be live-streamed and may be viewed by scrolling to the bottom of Russell’s obituary page at www.lindquistmortuary.com

 

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