Obituary for Christine L. 'Bobby' Speer
Christine L. (Bobby) Speer, 101, of Canyon, passed away on Thursday, August 31, 2023. Graveside services will be at 2:00 P.M. on Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at Willow Cemetery in Haskell, Texas with Larry Suttle and Tim Johnson officiating. The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 at Brooks Chapel in Canyon.
Bobby was born on June 4, 1922 in Rural Comanche County, Texas in the Duster Community to Rufus Wright and Willie Ann (Hughes) McPhail. She attended her first year of college at Howard Payne College on a scholarship. She later returned to Hardin Simmons in Abilene to graduate in 1956 with a Bachelor’s degree in Education. Christine married Robert Edison (Buck) Speer on June 28, 1941. After WWII, Buck and Bobby made their home in Haskell, TX from 1951 to 2005. Mrs. Speer taught in Haskell County from 1956 until her retirement in 1982. She began as a county school social worker visiting seven county schools to improve transient attendance and to maintain libraries for county schools which needed assistance. From 1960 until her retirement in 1982, she taught 5th grade at Haskell Elementary School. Buck preceded her in death in 2005, and in 2006, Bobby moved to Palo Duro Village in Canyon.
Buck and Bobby were married for 63 years, and both were faithful to the church in Haskell where Mr. Speer served faithfully as an elder for many years. Bobby has been a faithful member of the University Church of Christ since her move to Canyon in 2006.
Bobby was also preceded in death by her only son, Robert Earl Speer, a granddaughter-in-law, Megann McGee Shepard, her parents, a brother, Rufus Howard McPhail, and a sister, Dora Fay McPhail Brewer.
Survivors include her daughter, Linda Speer Shepard and husband, Bob of Canyon; granddaughter, Gina Shepard Jenkins and husband, Bill of Amarillo; grandson, Jon Shepard and wife, Susan of Ft. Worth; grandson, Justin Speer and wife, Vanessa of Denver, CO; daughter-in-law, Judy Speer of Aurora, CO; and three great grandchildren, Allison Jenkins Taylor and husband, Andrew of Little Rock, AR, Jake Jenkins of Searcy, AR and Maddy Shepard of Ft. Worth.
Bobby was born on June 4, 1922 in Rural Comanche County, Texas in the Duster Community to Rufus Wright and Willie Ann (Hughes) McPhail. She attended her first year of college at Howard Payne College on a scholarship. She later returned to Hardin Simmons in Abilene to graduate in 1956 with a Bachelor’s degree in Education. Christine married Robert Edison (Buck) Speer on June 28, 1941. After WWII, Buck and Bobby made their home in Haskell, TX from 1951 to 2005. Mrs. Speer taught in Haskell County from 1956 until her retirement in 1982. She began as a county school social worker visiting seven county schools to improve transient attendance and to maintain libraries for county schools which needed assistance. From 1960 until her retirement in 1982, she taught 5th grade at Haskell Elementary School. Buck preceded her in death in 2005, and in 2006, Bobby moved to Palo Duro Village in Canyon.
Buck and Bobby were married for 63 years, and both were faithful to the church in Haskell where Mr. Speer served faithfully as an elder for many years. Bobby has been a faithful member of the University Church of Christ since her move to Canyon in 2006.
Bobby was also preceded in death by her only son, Robert Earl Speer, a granddaughter-in-law, Megann McGee Shepard, her parents, a brother, Rufus Howard McPhail, and a sister, Dora Fay McPhail Brewer.
Survivors include her daughter, Linda Speer Shepard and husband, Bob of Canyon; granddaughter, Gina Shepard Jenkins and husband, Bill of Amarillo; grandson, Jon Shepard and wife, Susan of Ft. Worth; grandson, Justin Speer and wife, Vanessa of Denver, CO; daughter-in-law, Judy Speer of Aurora, CO; and three great grandchildren, Allison Jenkins Taylor and husband, Andrew of Little Rock, AR, Jake Jenkins of Searcy, AR and Maddy Shepard of Ft. Worth.