Jack T. Spurgeon

Formerly of Moline, Illinois

Jack T. Spurgeon, 85, currently of Grand Mound, Iowa, passed from this life on Friday October 31, 2014, at UnityPoint Health - Trinity Bettendorf, Bettendorf, Iowa, following a short illness but a long and interesting life. Jack formerly resided in Moline, Port Byron, and Osborn, Illinois.

Services are at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday in the Horizon Room at Trimble Funeral Home at Trimble Pointe, 701 12th Street, Moline. Burial is at Greenview Memorial Gardens, East Moline, where the East Moline American Legion Post #227 will present military honors. Visitation is 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, with a Masonic service at 6:30 p.m. Memorials may be made to Papa's Helping Vets, 2667 5th Street, Rock Island, Illinois.

Jack was born February 23, 1929, at home in Moulton, Iowa, the son of Charles Burton Spurgeon and Lottie (Stites) Spurgeon. His lineage can be traced back to 1179 in England, and ancestors included a Revolutionary War soldier and an Indian fighter who fought alongside Daniel Boone.

His mother always said that it was freezing cold that day, with the snow reaching to the top of the fence posts. He was the ninth of ten siblings, including Maxine, Max, Ralph, Lorraine, Pauline, Trim, Dorothy, Mary, and Patty. He was predeceased by all of them except Patty (Wendell) McDanel, the last surviving member of the clan.

Before Jack was born, there was a rich old man in Moulton who liked the name "Jackie". He told Lottie and Burt that he would either buy them a fancy baby buggy, or get Little Jackie a car when he turned 16, if they would agree to give their new baby that name. They agreed and the baby came into the word as Jackie Trenton Spurgeon. Unfortunately, the year was 1929 and the rich old man lost everything in the Crash. As Jack explained it, he never got the baby buggy or the car, but he had to live with the name "Jackie" for the rest of his life.

Following graduation from Burlington High School he served honorably in the United States Navy for two years. Jack was always a little guy, but determined to join the military. After one attempt failed, Jack and his enlistment officer went to Chicago (where he was less well-known), and he proceeded to fill up on bananas all morning. That was just enough to put him over the weight limit, and his dreams of military service began.

After the Navy, he also served terms in the United States Army and the Air Force. While stationed at Offutt AFB he met RoseBerta Capron, and they were married on August 31, 1952. Jack always signed his name "Jack T. Spurgeon" and had given his buddies various stories of what the "T" stood for. Imagine his bride's surprise when, during the wedding ceremony when the preacher said "Do you, Jack Trenton Spurgeon …" his Best Man shouted "Trenton? I thought your name was Turtle!"

Rosie passed away in November of 1984. Jack then married Donna Hurst in 1985, and she passed away in 1992. Jack was then married to Mary DeNeve, who passed away in 2013.

After retiring from three branches of the service, Jack attended Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport, Iowa, graduating in 1959. During this time he went to school during the day and worked full time at night. After graduation he practiced for a short time in Louisville, Kentucky, both in an office setting and out of his home.

Jack began working at John Deere Harvester in 1964, after returning to the Quad City area. He began as a turret lathe operator and worked his way up to General Supervisor, retiring in 1983 to care for Rosie until her death in 1984.

One of Jack's passions was travel, which he indulged in until his health no longer permitted. Anyone who knew him also knew that Jack was an AVID St. Louis Cardinals fan, Hawkeye fan, and lifelong Democrat. A mantra that he got from his father was that you could be a Democrat and a Cardinals fan, or you could move out of his house. He clung to this belief until his passing. He also took an active part in politics, serving as a Democratic Central Committeeman and an unsuccessful run for Alderman in Moline in the 60s. Because of his belief in our political system, he would now encourage everyone to GO VOTE.

Jack and Rosie were blessed with three children who survive him: Vicki (Mark Sievers), Grand Mound, Iowa, Diana (Jamie) Mueller, Milan, Illinois, Jonna Spurgeon, Hillsdale, Illinois; grandchildren, John (Amy) Wietting, East Moline, Rebecca Crotty, Osborn, Stacy (Dan) Fox, Viola, Kelly (Rob) Fox, Redig, South Dakota, Shawn (Amy) Evans, Dixon, Taylor Butler, East Moline, Brandon Butler, Cambridge, Robert (Amanda Knight) Sievers, DeWitt, Anthony Sievers, South Korea, Grant Sievers, DeWitt; great-children, Austin Wietting, Logan Wietting, Alyssa Johnson, Ryan Clark, Emma Clark, Alex Sievers, Rhett Fox, Abby Fox, Isabelle Fox, Madeline Fox, Aislynn Fox, Kelly Marsh, Lillian Butler: great-great grandchildren, Kaiya Cooper, Zaydin Cochuyt.

Visit Jack's memorial tribute page at www.TrimbleFuneralHomes.com to share stories and condolences, send flowers, and light a free candle in his memory.