William Augustus SPECK, the son of Archibald and Eliza Jane (BOYD) SPECK, was born May 28, 1855, Monmouth, Illinois. He married Laura Edna NICHOLSON, born in 1858, Fairfield, Iowa, the daughter of George and Anzaletta (BONNEFIELD) NICHOLSON. They were the parents of nine children, most of who were born near Tingley, Ringgold County, Iowa.

1. John Archibald "Johnny" SPECK
    b. 21 Feb 1881; d. 01 Nov 1900, Iola KS
2. James Edward SPECK, b. 04 Oct 1882, Ringgold Co. IA; d. 1958
3. Anzaletta (SPECK) SMITH, b. 23 Nov 1884, Ringgold Co. IA
4. George Glenn SPECK, b. 07 Oct 1887, Ringgold Co. IA
5. Infant Daughter SPECK
    b. 15 Oct 1890, Ringgold Co. IA; d. 30 Mar 1891
    interment Tingley IA Cemetery
6. Clarence SPECK, b. 09 Nov 1892, Ringgold Co. IA
7. Anna Myrtle SPECK, b. 09 Mar 1895, Ringgold Co. IA
8. Hattie Aris (SPECK) KAUFFMAN KEEL
    b. 23 Aug 1897, Ringgold Co. IA; d. 20 Dec 1963, San Diego CA
9. Charles SPECK, b. 08 Mar 1900, Ringgold Co. IA

Oil had been struck in Kansas, so in the fall of 1900, Will and Laura moved their entire family to Iola, Kansas. Their youngest son, Charles, was not yet one-year-old. Will was a teamster and hauled pipe and supplies at the oil fields there. He suffered an injury to his right leg due to a large pipe falling on it.

In November of 1901, their son Johnny died at Iola, Kansas of typhoid fever at the age of 19 years. Their daughter, Anzaletta, also became ill with typhoid fever that same year. Those who cared for the sick had to be quarantined. On December 8, 1901, Adrian Vestal SMITH married Anzaletta so that he would be able to care for her.

Charles, the youngest child, recalls that in 1908, Will and Laura, along with the three youngest children, Myrtle, Hattie and Charles, moved their belongings in a covered wagon from Iola, Kansas to Napier, Iowa. They arrived at the home of their daughter, Anzaletta at Napier about 11:00 P.M. on December 23, 1908. Charles recalls that they were 5 weeks on the road, averaging about 10 miles per day, It was necessary for them to lay over 1 week in Missouri to rest the horses because the mud was hub deep. Their last night on the road was spent in a school house near Madrid, Iowa.

In February 1915 William A. and Laura Edna SPECK were living near Napier, Iowa and there was a terrible ice storm that month. Farmers lost livestock because it was too icy to get them to the barns and people ice skated from Ames to Des Moines. At this time William A. was working for Bill MILLER and the two of them had taken a sled drawn by mules to Kelly, Iowa, for supplies. On the return home, Will was sitting on top of some sacks of potatoes when the sled hit something that caused him to be thrown off the sled onto the ground on his back. From that day on he was paralyzed from his waist down - 7 years until his death on April 20, 1922.

Charles, the youngest son, did much to care for his father. He quit school at the age of 15 and for at least a year never left the home place because his mother needed him to help with his father. Will was a large man and after the accident had to be turned in bed and had lost all control of his bowels and bladder so needed very much care.

Will had a sarcoma (cancer) appear on the back of his neck and shoulders. He had it removed twice and each time it came back. Thus, the third and last time it came back, the doctor requested that Charles go out and catch 5 bullfrogs. The doctor then cut the stomachs from these bullfrogs and used the frog skins to graft over the hole that was left after removing a 5-pound chunk of cancerous growth from the neck and shoulders of Will.

After Will's accident the family moved to Ames, Iowa and into a house on Oakland Avenue. Clarence and Hattie both worked and helped pay the rent and the family had to live on the county for a while. Then they moved to Wood Street in Ames [future site of the Bell Telephone Company Office].

Their son, Charles, at the age of 16 went to work for A. L. CHAMPLIN'S General Store, delivering groceries, etc. They allowed him to stop by his home during the day to turn his father in bed.

Will was a very strong man, especially in his arms, so they finally were able to fix up some boards and rope over his bed so that with the strength in his arms was able to hoist himself up and work his way into the wheelchair without so much assistance.

William died at the age of 66 years on April 20, 1922, Ames, Iowa. Laura died at the age of 81 years on November 25, 1939. They were interred at Ames Municipal Cemetery.