Rose Witherspoon Spence Love

Rose Witherspoon Spence Love of Columbia and Nashville, Tennessee passed peacefully on September 17, 2023 in San Antonio at the age of 100 years old.

She was the daughter of the late Elder Andrew Witherspoon and Mother Mary Jones Witherspoon of the Original Church of God (Sanctified) In Nashville, Tennessee.

She was born on February 2nd, 1923, into a family of 12 children in Maury County, near Columbia, Tennessee. 

Rose Witherspoon Spence Love is survived by her oldest of two sons, Greggory Keith Spence of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, her youngest son, Christopher Lindsey Spence of San Antonio having predeceased her on September 23, 2020. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Andrew Alexander and Courtney Nicolle Spence, Justin Allen Beverley, Gregory Dewayne Beverley and her daughter -in -law Jacquelyn Arnell Beverley - Spence, her only remaining sibling Jay Witherspoon and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, grands of all descriptions, other relatives and friends.

When she was young, her family moved to Nashville, Tennessee where she grew up and attended public schools and graduated from high school. She was very tall and attractive for a girl in those days (was the center of her high school women’s basketball team), athletic and bright. She enrolled in Tennessee A & I State University, studying history and playing basketball and other sports. In the summer she visited her brother in Cleveland, Ohio and worked in the defense industry. She was enthralled with women in the War effort and enlisted in 1943 in the recently created Women’s Army Corp as one of the first African American women and served with distinction in World War II. (A description of her joining the Armed Forces, her experiences and service in World War II is contained in The Veterans History Project archives maintained by the Library of Congress.)

After the War, she married Granville Philip Spence, Sr., a World War II veteran and Army Top Sergeant whom she had met while training at Fort Huachuca, Arizona during the War. They settled in Cleveland, Ohio and had two sons. After a few years, Rose, Granville and their two boys moved back to Nashville, Tennessee to be near to her parents who were experiencing some health difficulties. 

During these years Rose Witherspoon Spence Love worked for the federal government often being the first or one of the first African American women and/or African Americans to be hired by the federal government offices in Tennessee, such as the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration. She was active in and a supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, her Church both locally and nationally, and with numerous veterans groups, including local and state-wide American Legion chapters and nationally such as the Military Women’s  Memorial at Arlington Cemetery, to name a few.  She also took additional college courses at Tennessee, A & I State University and Fisk University completing her Bachelor's Degree.

Granville Philip Spence, Sr., died in July, 1987 and subsequently Rose Witherspoon Spence married Robert Love of Columbia, Tennessee, where she also moved. She retired from the federal government. And Robert Love, a veteran himself, also died a few years ago.

Rose Witherspoon Spence Love was always a leader and persuasive speaker, gregarious and inquisitive, a strong and independent-minded personality, yet disciplined, hardworking, generous and caring. So many of these qualities seemed amplified and enhanced by her military service and experiences. She had both an inner strength and glow which made her simultaneously standout and charismatic.

Rose Witherspoon Spence Love was much beloved by her family and friends and throughout her life was an inspiration and role model for women and people of all descriptions.

A Viewing will be held at 2:00-3:00pm on Sunday, October 8, 2023 at the Puente & Sons Funeral Chapels -Northeast, located at 14315 Judson Road, San Antonio, Tx. 78233. It will be immediately followed by a Chapel and Funeral Service from 3:00-4:30pm at the same location.

Graveside Service will be held at 11:30am -12:00pm on Monday, October 9, 2023 at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery located at 1520 Harry Wurzbach Road, San Antonio, Tx. 78209.