He died on 24 Jul 1946 in
Mesquite, Nevada. Frostburg, July 26 - Details of the drowning of Nelson H. Speir, 44, of Frostburg, in a flash flood Wednesday night in Nevada while he and two other Frostburg men were returning from (unreadable) were received here yesterday. Edward Finzel, physical education instructor at Beall High School, and Orville Jackson, both veterans of World War II, were with Speir but escaped unhurt. First word of the drowning was received here yesterday afternoon by Finzel's mother. Mrs. Ira Finzel, 19 West Main Street, in a telephone call from her son. (Unreadable) when a flash flood caused by heavy rains trapped the trio in their automobile. Although details are incomplete, it is believed that Speir attempted to get out of the car and was swept away by an eight-foot wall of water. His body was recovered yesterday morning 15 miles south of the scene of the accident. Mrs. Finzel telephoned John "Peg" Stewart, Speir's brother-in-law, in Cumberland, and Stewart put in a long distance call to a Las Vegas undertaker for further details. The three men left Frostburg June 16 for a motor trip to California. They were enroute home when the accident occurred. A native of Frostburg, Speir was a
son of the late Hugh and Maria Speir and resided at 39 Water street. He was graduated from Beall High School in the class of 1920 and attended West Virginia Wesleyan College at Buckhannon and George Washington University in Washington. He was last employed by the Bethelehem Steel Corporation in San Francisco, Calif., for two years during the war. A sports enthusiast, Speir was a member of the Touchdown Club of Washington for a number of years. He was unmarried. Speir was one of the best athletes to ever attend Beall High School. He still holds the county record for the 70-yard dash set in 1912 and the 115-pound class running broad jump set in 1913. He was also a star football, baseball and basketball player. The body will arrive in Frostburg either Sunday or Monday and services will be held at the home. Surviving are four sisters, Mrs. William Spates, Mrs. James Jeffries, Mrs. John Stewart, and Mrs. Mabel Stevens, all of Frostburg; and two brothers, Andrew "Son" Speir, art instructor in Baltimore City College, and Engle Speir, at home. The Cumberland Evening Times, July 26, 1946
In a second telephone call from her son, Edward Finzel, Mrs. Ira Finzel, 19 West Main street, learned that his life was saved by Qrville Jackson, Marine Corps veteran in the "flash" flood which took the life of the third member of the vacationing Frostburg trio, Nelson Speir, 43, hear Mesquite, Nevada, Wednesday evening. Finzel, calling from Las Vegas, Nevada, 50 miles south of the scene of the tragedy, informed his mother that the three men were driving through a normally dry desert wash when they noticed ahead of them, signal lights. All three got out of the car to investigate the lights, put up to alert motorists of the danger of a rush of water down the canyon after heavy rains, when an eight-foot wall of water flooded down on them. Speir was swept away in the water, but Jackson managed to swim to shore. When he reached land and noticed that Finzel was having difficulty in reaching shore, he plunged back into the water and dragged Finzel out. The two men were unhurt. Speir's body was recovered 18 miles below the scene of the accident and was taken to a L.as Vegas funeral home. The body will arrive here Wednesday morning, and services will be held Thursday at 2 p. m. at the home, 38 Water Street. The Cumberland Sunday Times, July 28, 1946 He was buried on 1 Aug 1946 in Allegany Cemetery, Frostburg, Allegany Co., Maryland. Frostburg, Aug. 2.-Final rites for Nelson Speir, 43, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Speir, who was drowned a week ago in a flash flood near Mesquite, Nevada, were held yesterday afternoon at the family home, 39 Water street. The Rev. Hixon T. Bowersox, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran church, Cumberland, officiated and interment was in the family lot in Allegany cemetery. Pallbearers were Neil Coofe of Washington; James Martin, of Cumberland, and Louis Sluss, Martin Hartig, Rudolph Mendelsohn and Robert Lemmert, this city. The Cumberland Evening Times, August 2, 1946
He. FROM STAUNTON, Va., comes a letter from Frank "Dune" Shaffer informing us that we omitted the name of one of Beall High's greatest athletes when we recently listed the standouts during the regime of Prof. J. Stanley Hunter at the Frostburg school. Mr. Shaffer points out that we overlooked Nelson Speir, the great sprinter, high jumper, broad jumper and grid star during Hunter's early days as Mountaineers' mentor. Nelson won medals in the state meet at Baltimore and also earned a football scholarship at West Virginia Wesleyan College. He was a brother of Engle "Butch" Speir, who also excelled as an athlete at Beall. Nelson Speir met death by drowning about 22 years ago. Mr. Shaffer has been in the theater business for many years and got his start at the Palace in Frostburg. He now has theStanley Warner Dixie Theater at Staunton. The Cumberland News, September 14, 1968

Change: 9 Feb 2010