Mildred Lucille Parker Speegle was born January 22, 1926, to William Henry and Fanny Parker in Wills Point Texas. She had 4 siblings, Alden Parker, Daphne Davis, Glen Parker and Ray Parker. She was surrounded by an unwavering faith as well as much love and laughter. Music was always a big part of the Parker family. All five of the children could read music and sing. It became a family tradition to have a night of music at their family reunions where each person was required to participate no matter their age. If you played an instrument you needed to be ready to play at the reunion Millie had a beautiful soprano voice and spent a life time using it to sing praises to her Lord.
She left home after graduating High School and tried a semester of College at East Texas Baptist College but quickly decided college was not for her and moved to Fort Worth to work at the mail room at Montgomery Ward. She really enjoyed her time as a single woman with her own apartment and special girlfriends that she ran around with. She was a member of Rosen Heights Baptist Church in Fort Worth. One Sunday afternoon a knock came at her door and she opened it to find a young, handsome airman standing there smiling from ear to ear. He introduced himself as Bob Speegle and explained that after having lunch with the pastor from Rosen Heights, the pastor suggested that he give this really great girl a visit, so he did. The rest is history. They quickly fell in love and married on July 14, 1951. They were married 63 years.
Millie followed Bob from Fort Worth to Hobbs New Mexico where he started his career with Phillips Petroleum. They also started their family there with 2 children, David and Jane. Bob moved quite a bit with Phillips in their younger years, finally settling in Andrews, Texas. During those years Millie worked at several places; the school cafeteria, the post office and Commercial State Bank. But the place that received most of her efforts, besides at home, was at the Church. Millie was a faithful member of the choir, directed Sunday School departments. She helped with Vacation Bible School, Children’s Choir and was even in charge of overseeing the annual Thanksgiving Dinner! Even after Bob retired and they moved to San Angelo, Millie remained faithful in serving in any way she could. Eventually Bob was moved to an Alzheimer’s Unit and after a bad fall, Millie joined him several years later. Bob passed away February 3, 2015 and shortly after that Millie was moved to Midland to be closer to her children. Even with Alzheimer’s, and failing health, Millie was a favorite of those who cared for her due to her warm spirit and ready smile. Millie passed away September, 5th, 2016.
Millie is survived by 2 brothers, Glen Parker of Santa Maria, California and Ray Parker of Hughes Springs, Texas; her children, David and Jeri Speegle of Snyder, Texas, Jane and Kim Mehringer of Midland, Texas; six grandchildren: Amy Peteet and her husband Joe, Aaron Mehringer, Sarah Cave and her husband Tim, and Jonathan Speegle of Dallas, Texas. She also had 4 great-grandchildren, Moses and Aaron Cave, Mackenzie and Jaxson Mehringer.
Family and friends will gather to celebrate her life at 2:00 PM Friday, September 9, 2016 at McNett Funeral Home Chapel in Andrews with Eric Clark, officiating. Interment will follow in the Andrews West Cemetery under the personal care of McNett Funeral Home. The family will receive friends on Thursday from 6-7 PM at the funeral home. Please celebrate her life by visiting www.mcnettfuneralhome.com.
Memorials may be sent to Immanuel Baptist Church, 90 East 14th Street, San Angelo, Texas 76903.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mildred Lucille Speegle (Parker), please visit our
Heartfelt Sympathies Store.
