Urban Spanier

Urban F. Spanier, age 86 of Spring Hill, died Monday, April 16, 2012 at the Albany Area Hospital in Albany, Minnesota.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, April 20 at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Spring Hill with Rev. Omar Guanchez officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery with military honors.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose and from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at the church in Spring Hill. Parish prayers will be at 6 p.m. followed by a rosary from the St. Michael's Men's Society and the Paynesville Knights of Columbus at 7 p.m. with a military prayer service immediately following the rosary on Thursday evening.

Urban Fred Spanier was born August 19, 1925 in Spring Hill, Minnesota to Daniel and Margaret (Meyer) Spanier. In 1943 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served aboard the U.S.S. Hayter. On June 13, 1951 he married Rosie Barten in Sauk Centre. He was a lifelong farmer near Spring Hill.

Urban was a member of St. Michael's Catholic Church in Spring Hill where he served as a trustee, lector, and Eucharistic Minister. He was Chairman on the Spring Hill School Board and served 40 years on the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation Board. He also was Chairman on the Grove Mutual Fire Insurance Board. Urban was Charter Member of the Knights of Columbus Council 3820 of Paynesville, founding member of the Lake Henry Legion Post 612, and a member of Belgrade VFW Post 1825. Urban was Director on the MN Amateur Baseball Association. He was elected to the MN Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 and he served on the board for 23 years. Urban was President of the Central MN Umpire Association and a lifelong baseball umpire for amateur, college, and high school teams.

Survivors include his wife, Rosie Spanier of Spring Hill; children, Tim (Mamoeletsi) Spanier of St. Paul, Ted (Deb) Spanier of Sauk Centre, Tama Spanier of Spring Hill, Todd (Patty) Spanier of Andover, Terence Spanier of Brooklyn Park, and Toby (Diane) Spanier of Pipestone; 12 grandchildren; sister, Mary Ann (Ray) Barten of Greenwald; and sister-in-law, Lucille (Elmer) Sinderman of Melrose.

Urban was preceded in death by his parents; sisters and brothers, Margaret (Spanier) Heinen, Math Spanier, Leo Spanier, Andrew Spanier, Rita (Spanier) Thiegs; infant brother, Hubert Spanier; and daughter-in-law, Sandy (Kuhlmann) Spanier.

Serving as casket bearers will be Tim, Ted, Todd, Terence, Eric, and Mark Spanier.