John Spencer
4304 Anderson Grade Road

Yreka, Ca 96097

Phone:  530-842-2743

EMail:   montewagner@opexonline.com

From Dan Seat:    I had a long talk with John Spencer this evening.  He is living in Yreka, California.  He has recently retired from the Police Force and has just purchased a motorhome.  He plans to do a bit of traveling soon.  

I gave him the web site location and indicated that you would be getting in contact with him.  His phone number is (530) 842-2743.  His address is 4304 Anderson Grade Road, Yreka, Ca 96097.  His email address is montewagner@opexonline.com.

Where have you been.  I haven't received anything or seen anything new on the web site.  Are you still in town or country?

Have a good day,  Dan Seat

Dear Jerry,

Enclosed is a brief history summary for you to publish or put on the internet. I was not sure how you wanted it presented but I trust this may suffice.

I have also enclosed a professional "Cop" photo I thought might be appropriate. I have lots of fishing pictures also but will hold off those for now.

I want to thank you for all the good work you are doing and have done in the past reunions that I could not get away to attend. I had clients all over the place during that time to row down the rivers. Charles Kuralt was one of my best customers, but he is gone now. I wonder how many in our class have disappeared or passed on.

The last time I heard from you was when you were in New York. Now you are in Vegas. It appears that it has turned into a better city than before. I know they have many police conferences there. Most of my conferences or training places were at Tahoe, Sacramento, Dana Point and the Bay Area.

I am now more or less, a fishing bum.

We are planning on attending the festivities in Payson if there are no ‘wanted’ posters for me at City Hall. Remember old, Dick Chappel? He caught me running around the back roads in an old hot rod I bought from Jerry Dixon for $50. He escorted me down to the Dixon residence and made Jerry give me by $50 back and made me return the car. I think I was only 14 or 15 then. Lots of old war stories.

I will keep an eye on the internet.

Tight lines,

Fish Fuzz - (John C. Spencer)

Not too long after High School, I served a hitch in the U.S. Army right after the war in Korea. After the military service, I worked for Pacific Gas & Electric, then went to college getting a degree in Police Science. I worked for the California Department of Justice for some time, then became a police officer for the City of Red Bluff, CA where I worked in many divisions but mostly as a patrol sergeant which covered some seventeen years.

In addition I was a fishing guide in Northern California for 15 of those 17 years. After my stint at Red Bluff, I purchased a fishing business in Twin Bridges, Montana, operating a guide and tackle business called Four Rivers Fishing Company. After several years of that, I went back into law enforcement and served as a Deputy Sheriff and Investigator for Madison County Sheriff’s Department in Virginia City. After several years of that work I moved back to Northern California, where I worked as a Juvenile Counselor for a while. Then I became Chief of Police of a retirement golfing type community: Lake Shastina, located on the North side of Mt. Shasta. I served that community for fifteen years until retirement. I have become an avid fly tier and fly fisherman over my lifetime. I no longer guide for a business. However, I still design steehead flies, and teach handicapped and underprivileged kids how to fish.

I have two sons and two daughters - three from my first marriage and one from my second marriage. My first wife died of ovarian cancer. One son is an engineer for a telecommunications company the other son is a trouble shooter for Sutter Health Group. One daughter is a computer programmer and the other daughter is a cardiac car RN. I always seem to get tangled up with nurses. My first wife was an RN, a daughter is an RN, an now my present sweetheart is an RN practitioner.

Over thirty years of police work took it’s toll on my marriages, but things have always worked out okay. I have enjoyed life and it’s adventures. I have experienced many happy times. I have also experienced some very dangerous times in my past occupation. I have had some close calls - one being where I almost got killed in a high-speed chase where a mental patient in a stolen car rammed me in an intersection. I came out of that okay but had some lingering aftereffects many years later.

It’s great to know we made it this far.

All the best with warm regards,

John C. Spencer

25 Years Ago

Click on pictures to enlarge

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