Lavella Spencer

Lavella Spencer departed this life, on September 10, 2018 while sleeping peacefully at the Spencer Ranch near Sparks, Oklahoma at the age of 87. She was born March 1, 1931 in Morris, Oklahoma, the daughter of the Reverend Wallace Wilburn and Beatrice (Hunter) Wilburn. While growing up, Lavella lost her mother at the age of 3 and her father at the age of 9. Her older brother, Reverend Horace Wilburn and his wife, O’Detta (Kilgore) Wilburn took her in and raised her as their own. Lavella attended West Tulsa Bible School in 1946. In 1950, Horace and O’Detta moved their family to Modesto, California. After moving to Modesto, Lavella married Robert (Bob) Spencer in Modesto on August 27, 1954. The last six months of her life were so special for Lavella as the joy of being close to her Cowboy at the ranch seemed to outweigh her pain. For all of us, it was thrilling to have her back, mentally as sharp as ever. While her body had failed her, her face was wrinkle-free and that of a teenager. The tragic loss of her parents at such a young age served to make her strong and determined, yet she never lost her gentle ways. Her compassion and absolute purity of heart and soul had no limits. Lavella leaves a gaping hole in our hearts that can never be filled. While we will forever grieve our loss, we cannot be selfish by wanting to keep her with us in her pain-filled existence. We freely give her back to God as we celebrate her passage into a pain-free realm. Lavella was truly one-of-a-kind. Everyone loved that gorgeous and classy redhead that Bob lovingly called Peaches. Lavella was preceded in death by her parents and 9 siblings; Verta (Wilburn) LaRue, Valeria (Wilburn) Castro, Maurice Wilburn, Reverend Horace Wilburn and wife, O’Detta, Reverend Robert Wilburn, Sam Wilburn, Mae (Wilburn) Gowin, Kay (Wilburn) Loveland and Bud Wilburn. Lavella is survived by her husband of 64 years, Bob Spencer and * Son Steven and Robin (Turner) Spencer; grandsons Bob Spencer and Vincent Spencer; * Son Brad Spencer; granddaughters Melissa Spencer, Jenna Spencer; step-granddaughter Whisper Gregory, and great-granddaughters Giavanna Bewernitz and Gavin McCutchen; She is also survived and loved by too many nieces, nephews, family and friends to count. Please visit https://www.parksbrothers.net/obituaries/Lavella-Spencer/ to share a memory on the tribute wall or view pictures of her life. There are no services scheduled at this time.