A look back
By Staff
Researched by Dr. Bill Stewart
The Speake family has been prominent in North Alabama from the earliest days. Mr. Joe Speake, a prominent descendant, passed away on June 11, 2006. He was retired following 42 years of service with the telephone company and gave frequently of his resources, time, and energy to help the less fortunate wherever he lived.
June 22, 1952 -Without a doubt Elizabeth (Lib) and Joe Speake are among Hartselle's happiest young couples.
June 23, 1949 -In the recently completed term at the City School, the most prominent young scholars were Robbie Quinn, Elizabeth Peck, Joe Speake and Robert Stephenson.
June 24, 1940 -Work on the home of the Fred M. Speake family is progressing quite well with the advent of good weather. It will be recalled that the dwelling of this fine Hartselle family was destroyed by fire in late March. Causing quite a scare among their many friends, Mr. and Mrs. Speake and young son Joe fled their burning home in their nightclothes only a few seconds before they would have been trapped.
June 25, 1948 -Joe Speake will leave soon to participate in the Ridgecrest Baptist Camp mid-summer session.
June 26, 1936 -Mr. and Mrs. Fred Speake and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Summers hosted 30 boys and girls from the intermediate department of First Baptist Church at Duskin's Springs recently.
June 26, 1945 -Joe Speake is looking forward to celebrating his 16th birthday one month from today.
June 27, 1962 -Joe Speake, central office foreman at Bell Telephone Company, Decatur office, will serve as the director of Hartselle's United Fund campaign this fall.
June 28,1945 -Even though the first game is still about a couple of months away, MCHS football fans are already looking forward to the upcoming season.
Whether the autumn campaign will be successful or not will depend primarily on how well captain Billy Payne and his most experienced teammates play-David Puckett (guard), Joe Speake (center), Joe Butler and Charles Johnson (tackles), Jerry Mitchell and Bobby Gilchrist (ends), Joe Norwood (quarterback), Robert Stephenson (halfback), and Harold McClanahan (fullback).
