Marshall E. Spencer

Marshall Spencer Obituary
Hamilton - Marshall Eugene Spencer left his family and friends to join his Heavenly Father Saturday, May 29th 2010. He passed away at the Marcus Daly Hospice Center, Hamilton from bladder cancer.
He was born on March 6, 1921 in Twin Falls, Idaho to Don and Mabel Spencer. He lived near Filer, Idaho and graduated from Filer High School in 1939. He lived on the rim of the Snake River and one of his pastimes was to take his fishing pole, scale the rims and enjoy the fishing. He graduated from the University of Idaho Forestry School in 1943. He was a member of the Xi Sigma Pi Forestry Honorary. He was editor of the Idaho Forester, an annual publication put out by the School of Forestry.
During the school year he worked for the National Youth Administration to help finance his board and room. He also enjoyed participating with the Idaho Vandaleers singing chorus. During summers he worked for the U.S. Forest Service. In 1942 he was a smokejumper when the program was in its infancy. During his senior year students in advanced ROTC chose to be inducted into the Army at Fort Lewis, WA. This permitted him to return to the University to receive his degree in Forestry while waiting to enter Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga.,
After graduation from Ft. Benning in Feb. 1944 he was shipped overseas and landed at Omaha Beach shortly after D Day as a replacement officer. His Division encountered many battles as they fought in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. His division helped liberate areas of France and the Netherlands in September 1944. He was wounded in October of 1944 near the Siegfried Line. His wounds were serious which required 19 months of hospitalization. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart with an Oak Leaf Cluster.
On May 27, 1945 he married LaRose Rogers from Idaho in Ogden, Utah.
He retired from the Army in March of 1946. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Region One for the first 18 years in Idaho and Montana, then transferred to Madison, WI., Washington, DC
and his last assignment was Berkeley, Ca. as Assistant Director at the Pacific Forest and Range Experiment Station. He retired in 1977 after 35 years of service and moved back to Montana in 1978.
He has been active throughout his life. He belonged to many organizations, Society of Research Administrators, Federal Government Accountants Association, Professional Council of Scientists and Engineers, AARP, National Association of Retired Federal Employees, active in the Presbyterian Church Choir and had served as an Elder. During his career he was active with Boy Scouts and sponsored many Eagle Scouts. He had been active as a volunteer with the Council on Aging. In 1991 he was chosen for the Man of the Year of the Award for Region 6, and received the award at a special ceremony where he was presented with a plaque by the Governor. He also volunteered many hours at the Bitterroot Valley Museum, Road to Recovery driving cancer patients to and from Missoula. He has spent many years volunteering at the Hamilton Senior Center, and had a great part in deciding to purchase the existing building before it was enlarged.
His further education consisted of a 2 year course in Real Estate at the Diablo Valley College, Labor Management School at the University of San Francisco College, and previous programs sponsored by the U.S Forest Service. In 1999 he and Rose were invited to Kerkrade, Netherlands in remembrance of his help in liberating Lymberg.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Lyle. He is survived by his wife, Rose of 65 years, daughter, Betty Ann, son, James, his son Shane, son Russell (Kay) their sons, Christopher and Jake. Also sisters, Sybil Johnson, Minneapolis, Shirley (Bill) Thomas, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and Marjorie Hurn, her special friend, Frank, Tucson, AZ. He is also survived, by many special nieces and nephews and their families.
He enjoyed golfing, singing, fishing, and traveling to historical areas doing genealogy research. His great joy was to share his many garden items with others.
In his quiet way, he has shown kindness to others; not thinking of himself. His calling in life was to allow God's love to shine through him.
2 Timothy- 4:7:"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course. I have kept the faith."
We will all miss this gentle giant.

The family suggests memorials may be given in Marshall's honor to the Hamilton Senior Center, The Hamilton Presbyterian Church, Marcus Daly Hospice or a charity of the donor's choice.
- Special thanks go to the nurses and staff at Marcus Daly Hospice, and the many friends and relatives in their caring ways.