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John William “Jack” Spurzem

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Birth	:	5 Jul 1923 Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Montana, USA
Death	:	2 Oct 2011 Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana, USA
Burial	:	Montana State Veterans Cemetery, Helena, Lewis and Clark County, USA
Coordinate	:	46.6151886, -112.0993042
Plot	:	Sec C, Row 10, Plot 39
Description	:	John W. "Jack" Spurzem, 88, of Great Falls, died of natural causes Sunday, October 2, at a local care facility. At his request, there will be no services. A gathering of friends and family is 1 p.m. Saturday at the Ulm School. Private inurnment will take place in the Veterans Cemetery at Fort Harrison. Schnider Funeral Home is handling arrangements. John, or "Jack," as most people knew him, was the last surviving sibling of the Joseph P. and Margaret (Sullivan) Spurzem family. At the time of his death he was surrounded by his family. He was born on July 5, 1923, in... Read More	John W. "Jack" Spurzem, 88, of Great Falls, died of natural causes Sunday, October 2, at a local care facility. At his request, there will be no services. A gathering of friends and family is 1 p.m. Saturday at the Ulm School. Private inurnment will take place in the Veterans Cemetery at Fort Harrison. Schnider Funeral Home is handling arrangements. John, or "Jack," as most people knew him, was the last surviving sibling of the Joseph P. and Margaret (Sullivan) Spurzem family. At the time of his death he was surrounded by his family. He was born on July 5, 1923, in the family home on 5th Avenue in Helena, the seventh of eight children. His grandparents, Wilhelmina (Lutz) and Peter Spurzem were members of one of Helena's pioneer families, moving to the Helena area in the 1870s. Jack attended St. Helena Grade School next to the Cathedral on North Ewing Street through the sixth grade, Central School through eighth grade and Helena High School on Rodney Street. Jack began dating his future wife, Roberta "Bobbie" Walters, whom he affectionately called "Gert," on March 7, 1941. He was drafted into the Army in May of 1943, during World War II, but before he left, they were married on May 16, 1943. After serving in the war, he returned to Helena. Jack went to work at Fort Harrison as a fireman for two years before beginning a career with the U.S. Postal Service. With his 31 years of combined military service and with the U.S. Postal Service, he was able to take advantage of an "early-out" with the U.S.P.S. and retire at the age of 49 in 1972. In the 1950s, he and his wife, Bobbie, built a cabin at the bottom of Flesher Pass that has been used ever since for family outings and hunting expeditions. Coming back to that cabin after a hunting outing and listening to his stories while drinking a warm cup of coffee and chowing down would always warm everyone's heart. After his retirement, they wanted to build their dream home in that area. A land trade with his brother, Thomas Spurzem, got them their start. Jack did most of the work on building the house himself, along with help from his wife, his son in Ulm, John R., and a handful of others. Being a handyman came in very useful in this endeavor and produced a home anyone would be proud of. Jack's pride and joy was his garage. He would spend hours there working on someone's car, lawnmower or anything else mechanical. He collected every nut and bolt, clamp and tie-down or anything else he thought would be useful. Over the years, quite a few motorists stranded on the highway over Flesher Pass would drop by the house, and Jack always seemed to have what they needed to fix the problem. He and Bobbie lived their dream in their little bit of "heaven" for more than 30 years until Dec. 2008, when they moved to Great Falls to be closer to their family and the services one needs in the later part of life. Jack thoroughly enjoyed watching his grandchildren and great-grandchildren participate in various sporting activities. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing throughout his life and then teaching his grandson, Jim, how to hunt, fish and work on anything with a motor. Jack will be remembered for his sense of humor, his handyman capabilities, his "Montanan" way of helping thy neighbor, his ability to tell a story and his love of polka music. Jack will be greatly missed by his loving wife of 68 years, Roberta V. "Bobbie" (Walters) Spurzem; sons John R. (Marie) Spurzem of Ulm and Michael J. Spurzem of Seattle; granddaughter Joey (Jerry) Wagner of Great Falls with great-granddaughter Alicia; grandson Jim (Heather) Spurzem of Ulm with great-grandson Lane and great-granddaughter Savannah; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Margaret (Sullivan) Spurzem; brothers Frank, Joseph Jr., William, Thomas and Richard; and sisters Virgie Lenore and Margaret "Babe" Williams. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family requests donations be made to Peace Hospice, 1101 26th St. S., Great Falls, MT 59405. Condolences may be posted online at www.schniderfuneralhome.com and/or www.gftribune.com/obituaries. Published in Great Falls Tribune on October 5, 2011 Middle name from Grave contributor Marla M. from MO

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is John William “Jack” Spurzem's memorial?
John William “Jack” Spurzem's memorial is located at: Montana State Veterans Cemetery, Helena, Lewis and Clark County, USA.
When did John William “Jack” Spurzem death?
John William “Jack” Spurzem death on 2 Oct 2011 in Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana, USA
Where are the coordinates of the John William “Jack” Spurzem's memorial?
Latitude: 46.6151886
Longitude: -112.0993042

Family Members:

Parent

Spouse

Roberta Virginia “Bobbie” Walters Spurzem

(1926 - 2021)

Siblings

Margaret H. “Babe” Spurzem Williams

(1905 - 1999)

William Phillip Spurzem

(1918 - 1980)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

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Coordinate: 46.6151886, -112.0993042

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13. IOOF Cemetery
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14. Lewis and Clark County Cemetery
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Coordinate: 46.6558870, -112.0319440

15. Old Saint Marys Catholic Cemetery
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16. Old Catholic Cemetery
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Coordinate: 46.5779120, -112.0183220

17. Plymouth Congregational Church Columbarium
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18. Arley Burt Pet Cemetery
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19. Silver Creek Road Cemetery
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20. Sunset Memorial Gardens
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21. John Montgomery Gravesite
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Coordinate: 46.5170000, -112.0845000

22. East Helena City Cemetery
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Coordinate: 46.5945220, -111.9146760

23. Silver City Cemetery
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Coordinate: 46.7360992, -112.1800003

24. Saint Anns Cemetery
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