(Schultz,+Joanne+Speltz


 * Joanne (Schultz) Speltz--deceased**

 **1969: **After leaving Mt. Vernon in 1958, I attended Pullman High School and graduated in 1959. I attended WSU and graduated in 1963 with a BS in Home Economics Education. I taught Home Ec one year at Kent, WA. On a summer vacation in SE Minnesota I met and married my husband, Tony, and we settled on his home farm. We now own a business of farm equipment sales. I do substitute teaching and custom sewing. We have 2 beautiful daughters Debbie 4, Michele 2. Hello, I am Michele Speltz, the two year old daughter Joanne Schultz Speltz wrote of for the 1969 reunion. My mother died on August 19, 1986 after a very long battle with breast cancer that spread to her bones. She had three daughters, Deborah (1965), Michele (1967), and Nicole(1970). As her 1969 note said she graduated from Pullman High School and then from WSU. She moved to Minnesota and married my father Anthony Speltz in 1964. Her parents were from Minnesota so even though she moved far away she had lots of relatives here in Minnesota. I, Michele, actually live on Joannes mothers home farm that was homesteaded in 1864 by great, great.... grandpa. What an honor. Tony still lives in Lewiston (also an Arizona snowbird). He just sold and retired from the farm equipment business that he and Joanne ran together. In the early 80's Joanne opened a fine needle work shop in the front part of the farm store and love every minute of it. She taught many craft / needlework classes. We had to close the shop after her death. Her teaching degree was also used as a school substitute teacher. She taught all three girls how to sew and cook. She also was a 4-H and Girl Scout Leader and helped many youth in those organization. As her health failed she spent most of her time sewing Cabbage Patch doll clothes, knitting doll sweaters and reading. Her last 6 months were spent in a hospital bed in the living room as she could not "be stuck back in some bedroom and miss out on everything". We all learned to be caregivers at a young age. For Michele, the love of care giving ended up being a career choice as she went on to college to get a social work degree. Michele and her husband, Rick, opened an assisted living facility in our home town of Lewiston. Michele and Rick Speltz (yes, I was a Speltz and married a Speltz) have 3 sons and 2 daughters ages 17 to 7(Amelia, age 11 earned Grand Champion on her 4H sewing project this year, Grandma Joanne would have been so proud). Deb earned an elementary school teaching degree, married a farmer, Mark, and has taught at a Catholic School for nearly 20 years. Deb and Mark Trcka have a boy and girl, 13 and 11. Nicole married and lived in the metro area and has 3 children, a girl and 2 boys. She later divorced and now lives west of Minneapolis, MN. (each of us have a daughter that look very much like their grandmother Joannes childhood photos) If any of you have memories of our mother, Joanne Schultz, that we would be interested in, we would love to hear from you. Mom was sick for nearly 8 years before she died and we did not take the time to talk much (what kid 11-20 really cares to reminisce with their mother). Thank you in advance for sharing your memories with us. Email Michele at hcgaj@charterinternet.com
 * Letter to classmates from Joanne's daughter, dated Jan. 27, 2009: **