Last Saturday, in a home filled with laughter and love Norman, “Joe” Spears marked his 100th birthday. For most, a centennial celebration is a rarity, but for Spears, it seems like a natural culmination of a legacy that has touched countless lives.
What’s the secret to a long and happy life? For Spears, it’s simple: “Good genes and take life as it comes.” On patience, he said, “It’s the biggest lesson in life,” and on maintaining a positive outlook, “Don’t let it get you down, and don’t let it consume you.”
“Treat others how you’d like to be treated, help each other and don’t interfere with other people’s business,” Spears advised. When asked about his proudest accomplishment, Spears didn’t mention medals or accolades. Instead, he said, “Helping somebody in need.”
The Spears family settled in Homeland, a small, now nearly-forgotten community along U.S. 160 in southwest Howell County.
The family’s journey to that settlement began with Spears’ grandfather, who purchased a land grant originally awarded to another Civil War veteran. The land grant certificate, still preserved by Spears to this day, bears the signature of President Ulysses S. Grant.
“That piece of paper means more to me than I can put into words,” Spears said, his voice reverent. “It’s not just about the land. It’s about the history, the sacrifice and the connection to something bigger than myself. My grandfather worked hard to make a life there, and that work set the stage for everything that followed.”
Growing up on that parcel in Homeland instilled in young Spears the values of hard work and resourcefulness. The farm demanded it, and so did the times.
Though life in the rural Ozarks wasn’t easy, the Spears family thrived, weaving themselves into the fabric of the local community. The farm at Homeland was a place where the family gathered, worked and celebrated life’s milestones through over 150 years of economic downturns, world wars and changing eras.
“It’s still in the family,” he said proudly. “Through all the changes and challenges, we’ve kept it. It’s a piece of our history, and I hope it always will be.”
Even now, Spears cherishes the memories of his time on that land. He remembers the smell of fresh earth, the way the light filtered through the trees and the satisfaction of a hard day’s work. Homeland was a proving ground for the kind of life Spears would go on to lead, defined by steadfastness, service and a deep sense of gratitude for the blessings of family and home.
Spears’ connection to that place, and the history it holds, is as unshakable as the Missouri limestone beneath it.
In August 1943, Spears entered the U.S. Army Air Force at Jefferson Barracks by “volunteering for induction,” meaning he wasn’t drafted; he chose to serve.
Training took him across the country to Amarillo, Texas; Tempe, Ariz.; Las Vegas; and Avon, Fla., before he earned his wings in July 1944. Just six months later, Spears found himself in Italy as a B-17 Flying Fortress waist gunner with the 15th Air Force in Foggia. He recalls flying at altitudes so high that temperatures dropped to a bone-chilling -40 degrees.
“If you didn’t wear silk gloves and you touched something,” he said, “your skin would stick to it.” His job? Defending the aircraft with a .50 caliber machine gun.
Over the course of his service, Spears completed 20 successful missions. On one, an antiaircraft bomb pierced one of the plane’s wings. To make matters worse, six 500-pound bombs failed to release. Spears and a fellow airman took off their shoes to crawl into the cramped bomb bay and manually release the explosives. It was dangerous, harrowing and the kind of story Hollywood might write.
For his bravery and service, Spears was awarded the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Good Conduct Medal and an Eastern Theater Offensive Ribbon, among others. Yet, for Spears, it was all about doing his duty.
When Spears returned to West Plains after the war, he came back with a mission: to ensure that the opportunities he had in life could be shared by others.
From the beginning, he and his late wife, Glyn, championed education as a cornerstone of community development. Glyn was among the first students at what is now Missouri State University-West Plains when it opened its doors in 1963. Though she didn’t graduate from the university, her passion for education extended to teaching on campus and serving on its Development Board from 1991 to 1997.
Spears, understanding the financial barriers faced by many in the area, took action. Long before there were widespread scholarship funds or institutional grants, Spears quietly stepped in, paying tuition for students who couldn’t afford it.
One of his more formal contributions came in 1997, when he established the Spears Technology Loan Fund, following funding approval for MSU-WP’s Lybyer Technology Center. The fund, matched by the West Plains Bank & Trust Company, was a game-changer for many students. Spears designed the fund with a forward-thinking approach: Students who benefited from the loan fund were expected to pay it back to help the next student behind them. He hoped this would spark a cycle of giving, instilling philanthropy in those he helped.
Spears’ dedication to MSU-WP didn’t stop there. As a contributor to the Annual Fund, he continued to support students in need. His consistent generosity and vision for education earned him recognition as a Founder’s Club member by the MSU Foundation in 2006.
Beyond the campus, he owned and operated several businesses and delved into real estate development, and he was a driving force behind key initiatives that shaped the future of West Plains. As chairman of the Industrial Development Corporation, Spears oversaw infrastructure improvements that provided easier access to industrial areas. He played a pivotal role in strengthening vocational education within the West Plains R-7 School District, helping train a workforce to meet the demands of local industries.
When Spears took on leadership with the Downtown Development Group, six new parking lots were created in the downtown area to address congestion that had been stifling business growth. He led beautification projects to give the area a fresh, welcoming look, and worked to provide financial assistance to businesses for storefront improvements.
Further, as a board member of the West Plains Housing Authority, Spears worked to address blighted areas in the city, helping create new housing developments and securing high-rise housing for the elderly. His efforts extended to securing right-of-way for the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Business U.S. 63 project, which brought major improvements to the city’s infrastructure.
Through his work with the South Central Ozarks Development Corporation, Spears helped develop plans for a new airport capable of handling commercial jet traffic serving a seven-county region, and the West Plains Municipal Airport was relocated to the Ozarks Development Corporation Industrial Park in Pomona.
One can almost feel Joe Spears’ quiet legacy woven into the fabric of West Plains: It’s in the laughter of students walking to class, made possible by scholarships he helped to create. It’s in the hum of commerce downtown, a hub he worked to revitalize. It’s in the stories of neighbors, telling about the man who always lent a hand without asking for anything in return.
