SPILMAN FAMILY ABROAD

Deane Ellsworth Spilman
October 26, 1920-May 29, 1998 Mason City, IA


Photo taken 1989

Deane was the second son born to Thomas Spilman and Winnie Fry.  His older brother Thomas Leroy died as an infant before Deane was born.  He grew up on his parent's farm which had been Tom's inheritance from his father Dan.

Photo of Deane and Sammy Spilman
Deane and his cousin Sammy (Dan Jr.'s son) were close and spent a lot of their early years together.

Deane worked at the Farmers Elevator Co-op in Clear Lake prior to WWII.

He was drafted into WWII in 1942 and served in the US Army Air Force in Roswell, New Mexico.  He had trained to be a pilot and had received his "wings".  Just before he was sent overseas his superiors discovered he was color blind (Red/Green and Yellow/Blue).  He had never mentioned it and no one had ever asked before.  They could not allow him to be a pilot and retrained him as an airplane mechanic.  He remained stationed in New Mexico until the end of the war in 1945. 

He married Bette Blahnik January 01, 1945 in Appleton, WI.  They had 4 children and divorced in 1959.  His second marriage was to Shirley Grover.  Deane owned and operated "Spilman Appliance Service" in Mason City, IA.  He liked to work on cars, playing cards, enjoyed snowmobiling and camping.  More on Find a Grave

Deane and Bette Blahnik had 4 children:

1. Jayne Rose Spilman (Dan Christopher, Richard Skibba)
   a. Lance Christopher (Aimee Hintz)
       1. Kassidy Rose Christopher
       2. Nola Jane Christopher

2. Thomas Deane Spilman (Danna Clarke, Jacqueline Nelson)
   1st marriage
   a. Katie Spilman (Chuck Miller)
       1. Avery Nicole Miller
       2. Sydney Miller
   b. Thomas James Spilman (Lindsay Maves)
       1. Jackson Thomas (JT) Spilman
       2. Tyler David Spilman
   2nd marriage
   a. Blake Thomas

3. Debra Kay Spilman (Bruce Sim)
   a. Grant Sim

4. Lori Marie Spilman (Kenneth Dollevoet)