Obituary of William R. Spratt

William R. “Bill” Spratt, age 86 of Oxford, died Thursday, March 25, 2004 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City following a brief illness. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 30, 2004 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oxford with the Reverend Edmond Dunn officiating. Burial with military honors will be held at Mt. Calvary Cemetery near Oxford. Visitation will be from 4 to 8pm Monday at the church where a parish vigil service will be held at 8:00 p.m. A memorial fund has been established in Bill’s memory. Online condolences may be sent for Bill’s family through our website @www.gayandciha.com. William Reading Spratt was born April 28, 1917 near Wellman, Iowa the son of Bernard B. and Anna M. (Reading) Spratt. He attended schools in Walford. During WWII, he served in the United States Army. On June 26, 1943, Bill married Gretchen (Margaret Mary) Kleopfer near Laurinburg, NC. For most of Bill’s life, he farmed west of Oxford. During some of this time, he also worked for Wilson’s in Cedar Rapids. Bill also farmed for Amana Farms, and worked awhile at the Oxford Sale Barn. He was a member of St Mary’s Catholic Church in Oxford, and the Oxford American Legion. During his younger years, he enjoyed corn-husking competitions, actually winning the title for Johnson County one year. Bill enjoyed the outdoors, hunting fishing and the machinery exhibits at the Iowa State Fair. His true love was farming. When his children were young they showed their cattle, he was always one of the proudest dads there. His family includes two daughters, Rita Thatcher of Williamsburg, and Dorothy Spratt of Oxford; one son and his wife, William J. “Bill” Spratt and Rhonda of Coralville; four grandchildren, Becky Moorehouse, Bonny Thatcher, Barbie Thatcher, and Ryan Spratt; two great-grandchildren, Gavin Thatcher and Luke Moorehouse; brother, Richard Spratt of Oxford; two sisters, Luella May TePoel of Solon, and Winifred Holland of Iowa City; and sisters-in-law, Doris Spratt of Oxford, Helen Spratt of Oelwein and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, brother, Bernard Spratt; sisters, Anna Mary Gorvin and Mary Genevieve McDaniel; and brothers-in-law, Paul Holland, Max McDaniel, Leonard “Tiny” TePoel and Jim Gorvin.