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    PAGE 5 & 6    Spears Cemetery historical sketches and gravestone pictures                 
             
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William and Rachel Spears had 2 sons: William Jr. was a farmer and a lawyer.   George married Betsie A. Bennett. daughter of Saley and Mary C. Bennett, who lived in the house on North Road which is now the home of the Dixons.  George and Betsey had two sons and two daughters: John B. , William Jr., Nancy and Hannah.  John  married Stella L. Paine.

In the meantime, on the old Phillips farm owned by Thomas Phillips, there was a community cemetery.  The oldest portion of the cemetery is located at the southwest corner and many of the Phillips family are buried there.   After a time, Thomas Phillips sold the farm to George Spears.  This was when the cemetery began to be called Spears Cemetery. 

 In 1912 George presented an idea to the Old Home Association of Foster.  He said it would be nice to have a tomb at the cemetery grounds, and was willing to donate an adjoining piece of property for that purpose.  In May of 1912 the Old Home Association met and passed a resolution to accept Mr. Spears' offer of a lot of land and to expend a sufficient sum to build a suitable receiving tomb on that site.  Plans were set in motion and supplies were purchased to build the tomb. 
cost of supplies:   Iron Door        $28.40
                            Cement             81.62  (Young Brothers)
                            Lumber             20.76  (John Bowen)
                            Stone                15.00
                            Labor              440.70
                            Miscellaneous   18.62
                           
In 1913 the tomb was completed and deeded to the Foster Old Home Association.  Everyone was very proud to say that Spears Cemetery now had its own tomb on the site.  

Eventually, George Spears turned the farm and the Cemetery lot over to his son John and wife Stella, who cared for the cemetery with pride.  For a while this cemetery was cared for by those interested in their own lots.  In 1922 Stella decided to turn the grave lots over to a group of heirs who had agreed to become the caretakers.  A non-profit corporation known as the Spears Cemetery Association was formed.  This Association is still in existence today watching over the care, maintenance and historical preservation of Spears cemetery.    Donations from members accumulated into a sum of money to be secured in a certificate of deposit whereby only the interest was to be expended.  That sum of money is still on deposit to this day, and the by-laws have been preserved to protect it.


Click on the links for more historical information about the history of Spears:   Tucker Lot     Tribute