Elaine Speckmann

Speckmann, Elaine A.
MCKINNEY, TX / STOUGHTON

Elaine A. Speckmann, chronologically age 94, but always young at heart, passed away on Friday, April 17, 2015.

She was born on September 28, 1920 in Stoughton, Wisconsin to Harold and Bernice Halverson. The family lived on a farm originally belonging to her great-grandfather, Stener Halverson, who came to the US from Norway in 1845. When she was eight years old, her father started a business renting fishing cottages and serving food and drink at a small restaurant and bar, which became Halverson's on Highway 51. Halverson's was later expanded by her brother-in-law Bob Montague. The family moved to that location where Elaine, her sisters and brother helped out by cleaning the cabins, doing the laundry and helping in the restaurant business. Elaine attended the Lakeside School, a one room school house, until eighth grade. She graduated from Stoughton High School as salutatorian before attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison and receiving her bachelor's degree in Clothing and Textiles. She worked as an assistant buyer at Carson Pirie Scott in Chicago before moving to New York City where she worked for McCall's Pattern Company, visiting big department stores to put on fashion shows and specialized sewing clinics. She was an outstanding seamstress and made many lovely clothes for her daughter, including beautiful gowns for high school and college proms. She continued sewing throughout her life. She met her husband Bob while traveling through Chicago on one of her business trips. They were married on June 26, 1949 by a minister from Christ Lutheran Church in Stoughton. Due to Bob's work with Shell Oil, the family was frequently moved around the country. They ended up in Texas where their daughter became an SMU grad and their son a graduate of Texas A&M. Elaine and Bob relocated to the Dallas area ten years ago to be close to their children and grandson.

Elaine grew up attending family reunions hosted by her maternal grandparents, Agnes and Willis Watson, and she enjoyed getting relatives together for family reunions at her cottage on Lake Kegonsa. She always looked forward to her Stoughton High School class reunions for the class of '38. Elaine loved nature, canoeing trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and bird watching - both here and around the globe in Russia, Alaska, Africa and Costa Rica. She was an accomplished artist who painted in oils and she enjoyed visiting art museums in London, Oslo, Amsterdam, Paris and Rome. Elaine often attended the Oshkosh Air Show with her brother Bud and tagged along with her sister Gerry to auctions, finding interesting antiques to take back to Texas. Her favorite fishing spot was on Lake Kegonsa where she fished from a young age. Her favorite bait was hellgrammites obtained from a secret location.

She is survived by her daughter, Linda Spina of McKinney, Texas; son-in-law Frank Spina; grandson Andrew Robert Spina; son, Robert D. of Plano, Texas and daughter-in-law Gail; brother Donald Halverson and his wife Lorraine of Stoughton; sister Gerry Jacobson and Kent Allen of West Palm Beach, Florida and Stoughton; and very special nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Bob and sisters Margie and Shirley. The family wishes to thank Dr. Akbar Rizvi and Jennifer Koonce Hazel, RN, who took incredible care of her over the last year.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am Thursday, April 23, 2015 at Cress Funeral Home, 206 W. Prospect Street, Stoughton with burial to follow at Roselawn Memorial Park in Monona. Visitation will begin at 10:00 am. The family will also greet friends on Wednesday April 22, 2015 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the funeral home in Stoughton. Friends and family are invited to a luncheon following the committal service at Halverson's on Highway 51, Stoughton.

Please share your memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com

Cress Funeral Home
206 W. Prospect
Stoughton, WI 53589
608-873-9244