Tommy 'Tom' Ray Otis

Tom Otis passed away Wednesday, Jan. 28 in Spencer, Iowa. A celebration of his life will be held at Spencer Golf and Country Club on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 2-4 p.m. Tommy Ray Otis was born in Forest City, Iowa, in 1928 to G. Carol Otis and Melinda (Skogerboe) Otis. Tom lived in Forest City and attended school there, before joining the Merchant Marines during World War II. He traveled extensively while serving, but was stationed mainly in England and the Pacific. He attended watch-making school at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., following the war. Tom married Vertalie Nell (Nelson) Otis in 1949. Though they didn't begin dating until junior high, the couple met as children when they attended the same elementary school in Forest City. Romance blossomed on Valentine's Day when, perplexed by how to spell her unusual name, third-grader Tom handed second-grader Vertalie a blank valentine and said, 'I've tried several times to write your name. Here, you fill it out.' Tom and Vertalie Otis spent their first 13 married years in Forest City where children Sally (Phelps), Bill, and Bob were born before moving to Spencer in 1962. There, Tom joined friend Tom Nelson to form Nelson-Otis Jewelry Store in downtown Spencer. Together, they also owned jewelry stores in LeMars and Algona. Their successful partnership lasted more than 25 years after which Tom Otis retired from the jewelry business. After 10 years in Southern California, he returned to Spencer to purchase Eddie Quinn's Clothing Store and then re-opened it as Otis Clothiers with his son Bill. Tom also enjoyed home building and construction. During his early years in Spencer, Tom built four apartment houses, two dormitories, and 11 beautiful homes, as well as serving as project manager for several motels and other homes in the Iowa Great Lakes region. Tom enjoyed hunting and was even profiled in Field and Stream for his crow shooting. He was a passionate fisherman and enjoyed visiting his cabin on Upper Goose Lake in Canada to catch walleye. He loved bringing people to Canada to fish and looked forward to his trips there. Tom was also an accomplished woodworker. He made beautiful furniture including tables, bedroom sets, mantels, and bookcases. His parents and his older brother, George, precede Tom in death. He will be remembered by Vertalie, his wife of 66 years; his sister Bonna (Herb) Peterson; his sister-in-law Dorothy Otis; and his children Sally (Dr. Bill Phelps), Bill (Tootie) Otis, and Bob (Mary Sue) Otis. Tom will be missed by his grandchildren Jennifer (Rick) Ferrell, Betsy (Bryan) Boesen, John (Ashley) Phelps, Tom Phelps, Elizabeth (Wade) Daggett, Christopher Otis, Sam Otis, and Ben Otis; and step-grandchildren Jenni (Demond) Winston, Jill McClintic, and Matt (Angie) McClintic. He also had 9 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established with the Spencer Community School Foundation to start a scholarship in Tom's name.

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