Dr. Norman Woods Spellmann

Dr. Norman Woods Spellmann was born May 17, 1928, in Robstown, Texas, to Laura Smith and Louis Uhland Spellmann. He was the younger of two sons; his older brother is Louis. The Smith and Spellmann families were deeply involved in the Methodist Church in Texas, as early settlers. Norman’s father was a Methodist minister, and long-serving District Superintendent throughout the state; so Norman and Louis lived in quite a few Texas communities growing up, including San Angelo, Austin, Corpus Christi, and San Antonio, where he graduated high school.

Norman was devoted to his family, his church, his Georgetown community and his

university—Southwestern. Norman grew up in the Methodist Church, including the MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship), which nurtured his life-long social justice values, and Mt.Wesley, where he met Betty Bain, the love of his life, wife and mother of their four children. Norman and Betty graduated Southwestern University with honors in 1949. Norman obtained a Masters of Divinity at Perkins School of Divinity at S.M.U., in 1952. Norman became an ordained minister, and soon began work on his Ph.D. in Theology at Yale’s School of Divinity. He completed his Ph.D. in 1961. Norman was a member of the Perkins faculty for two years, from 1958-1960. He then joined the faculty at the Department of Religion at Southwestern University, where he served for 38 years until he retired in 1998. Norman cared deeply about the education and personal development of his students; many ministers and church leaders considered him a key figure in their training. He was a scholar, and authored Growing a Soul, the biography of A. Frank Smith, in 1979, A Century of Faith, The History of First Methodist Church, Witchita Falls, Texas in 1981, and co-authored The Methodist Excitement in Texas, 1984.

Norman also cared deeply about his community. He was a leader in the Committee for Better Schools, an organization that led in the integration of Georgetown’s public schools in the 1960’s. He and Betty sang in community choirs, over forty years in First United Methodist Church, and over twenty years in the San Gabriel Chorale. Norman died Saturday morning, September 10, 2011. A memorial service was held at First United Methodist Church in Georgetown on September 17. He will be buried next to his wife of 59 years in the Spellmann Family Cemetery near Smiley, Texas, on the site where his grandfather Ernst Spellmann raised his family.

His children are Don, Amy, Lou Ann, and Mark Spellmann. His grandchildren are Zane Jungman, Grace and Willie Spellmann, and Jessie Spellmann Mignone. Jessie, who Norman both baptized and presided over her marriage, is expecting the first great-grand daughter in November.

The Spellmann family requests that donations be sent to support the "Spellmann Grove Fund" at: Southwestern University, Office of Development, P.O. Box 770, Georgetown, TX 78627. The Please reference "Spellmann Grove Fund” on your check. The fund will support a grove of red oak trees and benches on the campus in memory of Norman and Betty.

Arrangements under the direction of Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home, 2900 Williams Drive, Georgetown, Texas 78628 (512)863-2564.