Dwight Moody Spence, 1901-2004

  Dwight Moody Spence was born in 1901 in North Carolina and named for Dwight L. Moody, the famous evangelist. He was the fourth of 10 children who grew up on their family’s farm. Cotton was the main crop at that time and the whole family worked in the fields. At an early age he "felt called to preach." It was a struggle for him to get the required education, but he managed to graduate from Elon College and went to Nashville, Tenn., to study at Vanderbilt Divinity School. He attended a small church near the campus where he met Nancy Shockley. They were married soon afterwards.

  He began his work serving Congregational Christen churches at different places in North Carolina and Virginia. While living at Elkton, Va., he decided to change denominations. He applied to the Virginia Conference of the Methodist Church and was accepted. The next conference, he was appointed to the Rileyville Charge, seven churches. In the following years he lived in Appomattox, Patrick Springs, Fincastle, Victoria, Huddleston, Mt. Solon and Cartersville. He served multiple churches at each of these locations. At a new appointment, he studied the church membership rolls and tried to get acquainted with everybody by visiting in the home of each family. He enjoyed his work for many years.

  After retirement they moved to Nashville. He enjoyed many simple things. He was a regular visitor to the library and spent a lot of time reading. Poetry was one of his favorite subjects, so he decided to write some himself. A lot of his time was spent writing on his old portable typewriter. For many years he corresponded with family and a few friends from some of the churches he had served. In November he would begin writing notes and a new poem to send with his Christmas cards. He looked forward to receiving cards and hearing news from friends.

  He watched old TV shows in the evening. Lawrence Welk and Andy Griffith were two of his favorites. He loved nature and liked to walk the trails in the park. Feeding the birds was one of his pastimes. Fall was his favorite time of the year and he enjoyed riding around to see the best foliage. A special treat was a riverboat ride on the Cumberland River. It reminded him of the Cape Fear River which ran behind the farm at home. All his life he thought of the farm as home. It still belongs to one of his nephews. Many times he made the trip to visit with his family members — usually in the fall.

  In January 2004, he died at the age of 102 and was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery, beside his wife. She died in March 1982. They left one daughter and two grandsons who miss them.