Services will be 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, at the Congregational Church in Blair for Frances Geil Sprecher, 86 of Blair, who died Dec. 18, 1996, at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair. Burial will be in the Blair cemetery.

Frances Geil Sprecher was born Aug. 7, 1910, in Blair to Jacob and Fannie Rodman Bross. She graduated from Blair High School and attended Dana College, the University of Nebraska, the University of Colorado and the University of Kansas.

She taught first grade in the Blair Schools for 11 years.

In 1931, she married Donald F. Newell, who was born at Syracuse, Nebr. Nov. 21, 1911, to Rev. Arthur Frost and Alice Bross Newell. He attended Blair High School and the University of Oklahoma.

After college he worked for Phillips Petroleum as a microscopic paleontologist. He served with the U.S. Army in the Admiralty Islands in the South Pacific from 1941 to Dec. 7, 1944, when he was killed in action. A Lt. Colonel with the First Calvary, he was awarded the bronze star.

She later married Dwight Sprecher, a civil engineer with Ceco Steel Co. He preceded her in death.

She was also preceded in death by a son, Lee.

She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and Harold Williamsen of Blair; a daughter-in-law, Ila Jean Newell of Omaha; grandsons and their spouses, Mark and Mary Williamsen, Gary and Cathy Williamsen and Mike and Roxanne Williamsen; great-grandchildren; Kori Williamsen, Kodi Williamsen, Melissa Williamsen and Derek Williamsen; a step-son and his wife, Newell and Peggy Sprecher of St. Cloud, Minn.; step-grandchildren, Pamela and her spouse, Mark Winfeldt and Scott Sprecher and three step-great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be directed to the Blair Public Library or Blair’s Hospice Program.

Campbell-Aman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.