Ilena Spradin
September 1, 1934 – March 21, 2025
August 8, 2021
I am transcribing this to Sydney, my beautiful granddaughter.
Daughter—granddaughter—sister—student—Christian—wife—mother—grandmother— greatgrandmother—friend—widow
I was born on September 1st, 1934, on the Flats, 3 miles from Antoine, Arkansas in a dogrun house. It was built by my grandfather, John Jefferson Riley, in the late 1800s on a small farm known as the ‘Riley Place.’ My parents were John Elbert Riley and Verlie Vivian Malone Riley. I was the fourth child of six, Janice, Jimmie, Patsy, John, and Dona (Donna). I have many good memories of growing up with my family and visiting with my grandmother, Dona Lawson, in Antoine. In 1939, I started school at the Antoine Elementary School with 3 people in my first grade. In 1946, I started going to school at Delight High School. I was very active in school with school plays and basketball. I graduated in 1952 in a class of 23 people. In 1952, I borrowed $300 from Uncle Frank to go to business school and paid him back $15 a month. I worked until I got married in 1954.
In 1947, on a Sunday afternoon, a couple filled their pickup truck with Antoine kids and drove us to the campground for all day singing. Around 4:30, a lot of kids at the campground gathered on the bridge. I told my friend that I was tired and wanted to go home, but we had all agreed to stay until after the services. A 14-year-old, blue eyed boy named Lelond Spradlin, offered to take me home, but I replied, “If you have a car, you are not old enough to drive it.” He said, “I will show you,” and he drove me 8 miles home in his parents’ old Chevrolet truck. That was the beginning of a 49-year, 11 months, and 3-day relationship. September the 4th, 1954, Lee and I got married in the Antoine Church of Christ. We started our Christian walk together in a small apartment on Rieger Street in Dallas, Texas (I was baptized in 1946 at the Antoine Creek and rebaptized in 1959 at the Sunnyvale Church of Christ in Dallas. Lee was baptized at the Antoine Church of Christ in 1960.)
Lee started his career with the Dallas Police Department in the summer of 1954. I worked for Western Electric until we were blessed with a 7.11pound son with blue eyes in December of 1959. In 1963 we moved to Desoto, where I was a stay-at-home-mother as Lee worked his way through the Dallas Police Department and graduated with law enforcement from Sam Houston State University. We worked together in the elementary department (mostly third grade) at the Desoto Church of Christ. When I would look for my helper, Lee would be gone. It would always turn out that he would disappear to the cradle roll.
In 1974 Lee accepted the police chief job in Amarillo, Texas. We moved there that summer with an unhappy 18-year-old, 11-year-old, and Leo the Lion. We worshiped at the Central Church of Christ. Our family adjusted except for Leo; he ran away. In ’76, we were blessed with a grandson, Johnathon. In ’82 Lee accepted the police chief job in the beautiful city of Macallan, Texas, which was on the Mexico border and close to South Padre Island. While in McAllen, we worshipped with the Harvey Drive Church of Christ. In ’86, we were wanting to get back to our roots, so Lee took the Texarkana, Texas police chief job. In ’93, Samuel Spradlin and Jon Riley Davis were born. In ’97, Elizabeth Spradlin and Blair Davis were born. In 1999, Sydney Davis was born. We were also blessed with a great-grand-daughter in 2002 named Adayiah. Lee and I enjoyed our grandchildren; they made us very happy and sometimes very busy.
In 1992, Lee retired from the Texarkana Police Department. He passed away in December of 2002. In the fall of 2003, I moved to Jasper, Alabama and worshipped with Woodland Trace Church of Christ. While living in my townhouse, I made close friends with Jo Baggett, who was the last of many good friends that I had in my life. I moved into Vivian’s house with her family in 2019 due to my health. I had my own space in their house that I was able to decorate and make my own. Dona helped me to worship online with the Fairview Park Church of Christ in Little Rock, Arkansas, where I worshipped until the Trace started to do online services. Looking back over my 90 years, I had many hill tops and valleys. I held onto the mighty hands of the Lord over those many years, I have had a very good and happy life. I will now go and join the mighty cloud of witnesses that I read about in Hebrews chapter 11. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
A graveside service will be held Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at Smyrna Cemetery Okolona-Prescott Area
