Ex-Sheriff Spanton Dies In Blair At 87

Blair, Neb. – Former Washington County Sheriff Bert Spanton died Tuesday at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Home in Blair. He was 87.

For many years, he worked for the State of Nebraska, the Omaha Public Power District, ConAgra and he Denver-Chicago Trucking Co.

In the early 1960s he joined the Blair Police Department and a few years later began working for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. In 1970, he was elected sheriff. Four years later, he lost in a Democratic Party primary by 21 votes.

Survivors include his wife, Martha of Blair; daughters, Louise Stacey and Marilyn Svendgard, both of Blair; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; brother, Vern Spanton of California; and sister, Vail Wickham of Omaha.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Campbell Aman Funeral Home in Blair.

Note: The World Herald also had a small article in the obituary section with the same information.

Note: Bert was born on 23 March 1909.

# 2 - - Date and place of publication of this newspaper article was not recorded.

BERT W. SPANTON, 87

Services for Bert W. Spanton, 87 of Blair who died June 4, 1996 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Home in Blair will be 2 p.m. Friday, June 7 at the Campbell-Aman Funeral Chapel in Blair. Burial will be in Blair Cemetery.

Bert W. Spanton was born March 23, 1909 in Bellevue, Nebraska to Walter Edward and Ida Alice Marco Spanton. He grew up in the Tekamah area and later moved to the Blair area where he resided the rest of his life.

He was a truck driver for the Denver-Chicago Freight Company for 15 years. He then did construction work in the Blair area before joining the Blair Police Department, where he served two years. He was a deputy sheriff with the Washington County Sheriff's Department for five years, before serving as sheriff from 1970-74.

He was a member of the Peace Officers' Association and the Blair Eagles.

He married Martha Miller December 21, 1929 at Blair.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Albert Lee; six sisters and five brothers.

He is survived by his wife Martha; two daughters, Marilyn Svendgard and Louise Stacy, all of Blair; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; a brother Vern of Washington; and a sister, Vail Wickham of Omaha.