Norman 'Joe' Joseph Spicka

Tuesday, December 18, 2001

Norman 'Joe' Joseph Spicka

ATWOOD -- Norman "Joe" Joseph Spicka, 41, died Sunday (Dec. 16, 2001) at the Good Samaritan Center in Atwood.

He was born Aug. 15, 1960, at Denver, Colo. When he was three years old he came to live on a farm in the St. John's community with Frank and Lenora Spicka. He attended grade school and one year of high school in McDonald, Kan., and graduated from high school at Cheylin High School in Bird City, Kan. He attended the Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland, Kan., where he studied diesel mechanics.

After the death of his father, Frank he and his mother farmed for a few years, and then rented the farm out while he worked as a mechanic in Atwood, Wheeler, Kan., Benkelman and McCook. Later he moved to Denver, Colo.

In late 1985 he was diagnosed with Huntington Disease. When he became disabled he decided to return to western Kansas where he has been raised. He and his mother moved to McDonald in 1993. He later entered the Good Samaritan Center in Atwood.

He was a member of the Catholic faith since he was three years old, and a member of the Catholic Workman Branch 74. He was preceded in death by his father, Frank in April of 1979; one sister, Tanya in 1991; one brother, Mike Larsen; his birth mother, Darlene Larsen; and his grandfather, Harold Schnee.

Survivors include his mother, Lenora Spicka of Atwood; one sister, Paulette Larsen of Colorado; his birth father, Norman Larsen of Denver; and his step-grandmother, Myrna Schnee of Atwood.

Mass of Christian Burial services will be Wednesday, 10 a.m., at the St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church in rural Atwood with the Rev. Damian Richards officiating. Interment will be at the St. John's Cemetery.

A parish vigil and Catholic Workman rosary service is tonight, 6 p.m., at Williams Funeral Home of Atwood.

Memorials may be given in his name to the Huntington Disease Foundation.

Williams Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.