| PAUL SPENS Family history |
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Previous generation (Grandparents uncles aunts of Paul W Spens)
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Generation No. 3
Previous generation (Parents of Paul W Spens)
John E. Spens Jr married Olga Clara Filax.
Dececember 31, 1904, in Moltke Township, Michigan. John was born
October 19 1867, location unknown, and died June 12, 1932, location
unknown (probably East Detroit). He married Olga Clara Filax, daughter
of Carl Filax and Ottelie (Buerr) seventh child of Carl and Ottelie Filax,
She was born June 22, 1882 in Moltke Township, Michigan, and died
May 01, 1959, Detroit Mihigan.
Olga Filax:
They attended St. Thomas & Peter Lutheran Church, Detroit, Michigan.
Funeral Service held at A. H. Peters Funeral Home, 12057 Gratiot Ave., Detroit,
Michigan.
Burial: May 04, 1959, Clinton Grove Cemetery, Mt. Clemens, Michigan
Residence: Olga lived on Glenfield Ave. in Detroit, Michigan.
John E. Spens Jr.
John started out as a butcher near the waterfront in East Detroit, and
later made a living, buying and renovating houses. Then building them
to rent to buy programs. He and his family investors had over 22
houses when the banks collapsed in 1929. but only 4 left when the he
died. The 1930 census gives John’s occupation as builder of homes.
John is buried next to Olga in Clinton Grove Cemetery, Mt. Clemens,
Michigan.
Children of Olga (Filax) and John E. Spens are:
1. Paul William Spens, (Father of Richard Paul Spens) was born
September 30, 1904, Mt. Clemens, Michigan; and died November 08,
1976, at Boxford hospital in Farmington, Hills, Michigan.
2. Mabelle R. Spens, (my Aunt) born February 21, 1908, location unknown; and died
July 25 1984, Dearborn, Michigan.
3. Roy William Spens, (my Uncle) born February 20, 1913, Detroit, Michigan; and
died October 18, 1970, Detroit, Michigan.
As teenager left bottom About World War I with Uncle Harry?
Clowning around during Collage days in the late Roaring Twentys, 1920
Big 6 Studebaker Big 6 Limo in background at righ
By his Dads 1920 Big 6 Studabaker Limo in background at right
Alice, Pauls first wife center
http://antiquemachinery.com/Paul%20and%20Alice%20Spens.jpg
Paul and first wife Alice Paul's family 1930's Paul 3 rd from left Paul at left mom in center.
Paul attended Cass Technical High school for 2 years (school for
exceptional students at that time), then the University of Michigan, and
after completing two years of medical school switched his degree
program and graduated with a degree in Petroleum Science. In 1930
Paul was residing with his parents as shown in the census. With the
crash of the stock markets and the depression, Paul packed up an home
built travel travel trailer made into his living quarters behind an
Oakland "8", and went out to Kansas where he taught in a six-room
schoolhouse. He became the Athletic Coach then principal.
Paul returned to Detroit and lived with his mother, who was alone after
the death of Paul’s father in 1932.
Paul last worked at Burroughs in Livonia inspecting components and
took many classes on missile and aircraft systems, also the vacuum
tube IBM 360 punchcard reading computers,
In 1965 he was transferred to, Bendix Aerospace at the no.#1 plant in
Ann Arbor, for working for NASA as an government inspector for the
space packages built by Bendix Aerospace the Apollo space programs
(note he inspected the reflector units placed on the moon still in
use today the determine the slowly changing orbit of the moon and
testing earth born SDI laser systems). He shook hands with the 3
Gemini astronoughts, that burned up in the Gemini space capsule and
was severely saddened by their death and commented to me (when I
was a child a the time) he couldn't believe the space program used pure
oxygen atmosphere in its capsules, they have lowered the pressure
after the accident, but it is still used in certain conditions today.
During World War II, he taught classes On repairing and rebuilding
aircraft engine electrical support systems and published an the first
government cartoon style illustrated instruction book on the subject
used by the services.
After the war he worked for Chrysler corp. as a test engineer
maintaining and performing petroleum analysis equipment while
getting his Maters degree in Mechanical Engineering at night school
using the GI Bill. He received an Patent for a Positive crankcase
vacuum ventilator using exaust driven venturi 10 years before any
emissions system were started in the 60,s .
He married (2) Ethel Mae (private), May 05, 1956 in St. Thomas & St.
Peters Lutheran Church, Detroit, Michigan. Ethel was born January 6,
1920 in Detroit, Michigan.
Funeral services were held at Grace Lutheran Church Burial: November
12, 1976, Clinton Grove Cemetery, Mt. Clemens, Michigan
For Mount clemens genology see....
http://www.cmpl.org/Eresources/Results.asp?
Subject_ID=63&Page=eResources
http://www.libcoop.net/mountclemens/dblist.htm
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Generation No. 4
Last updated 2 26 08
PAUL W. SPENS ( Paul Spens, Paul William Spens) family
Genealogy of Mount Clemens, MI
and Rogers city, Michigan. for a map of mount clemens see
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Mount+Clemens,+MI,
+USA&sa=X&oi=map&ct=image
PAUL W. SPENS ( Paul Spens, Paul William Spens) family
Genealogy of Mount Clemens, MI
and Rogers city, Michigan. for a map of mount clemens see
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Mount+Clemens,+MI,
+USA&sa=X&oi=map&ct=image
This every-name index for the 1930 federal population census of Macomb County, Michigan
Surname First Name Age ED# Sheet Line# City/Township Soundex
Spens Amanda 56 50-27 10A 6 Lenox Township S152
Spens Anna 14 50-27 10A 13 Lenox Township S152
Spens Arthur 50 50-10 18A 6 East Detroit S152
Spens Arthur 24 50-27 10A 7 Lenox Township S152
Spens Bette Jane 7 50-10 18A 8 East Detroit S152
Spens Delores 2 50-10 18A 10 East Detroit S152
Spens Evelyn 4 50-10 18A 9 East Detroit S152
Spens Frederick 16 50-27 10A 12 Lenox Township S152
Spens George 50 50-27 10A 5 Lenox Township S152
Spens Howard 24 50-10 18A
This index was created from National Archives microfilm of the World War I Selective Service Draft Registration Cards,
1917-1918, for Macomb County, Michigan, M1509, reels 113-114. These microfilms are available for viewing at Mount
Clemens Public Library
Surname Given Name Birth date Residence Nearest relative
Spens Alfred August Carl 27 Oct 1883 Halfway, MI Spens, Rozena
Spens Arthur Henry 19 Aug 1879 Halfway, MI Spens, Anna
Spens Edward Carl 07 Aug 1884 New Haven, MI Spens, Louise
Spens George 18 Nov 1879 New Haven Spens, Amanda
Spens Oscar Charles 19 Aug 1879 Halfway, MI Spens, Rosena
Paul w Spens apx. 1 year
