Jeane Spencer Bartlett

 

Jeane Spencer Bartlett
Jeane Spencer Bartlett

Jeane Spencer Bartlett, 95, of Amarillo, Texas, died on January 2, 2022.

Memorial services under the direction of Boxwell Brothers will be at 2:00 P.M., Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at First Baptist Church Chapel with Dr. Howard K. Batson officiating. Private graveside services will be at Llano Cemetery.

Jeane was born on July 8, 1926, in Gilmer, Texas, the twin daughter of Lorene McCaslin Spencer and Woody Lee Spencer, Sr. Her twin was Imogene Spencer.

She was a long-time member of First Baptist Church and a member of the Ruth Class.

She attended school in Clarendon and Draughon’s Business College in Amarillo. She was a 55-year employee of the Amarillo Globe News (1945-2001). She held several positions with the newspaper beginning with five years in the Classified Advertising Department. She became secretary to a number of the executives in 1950 and in 1972 was named the newspaper’s first Personnel Director, a position she held until retirement. She directed the newspaper-sponsored National Spelling Bee for over 30 years.

She married Harry Bartlett, also a Globe News employee, in 1959.

Jeane was active in the community and volunteered with a number of organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce. The Women’s Division named her the first Woman of the Year in 1990. She was secretary to the board of the Amarillo Chapter of the American Red Cross. Amarillo Women’s Network honored her with a lifetime achievement award. She was inducted into the Panhandle Press Hall of Fame in 2004. In 1993, Jeane was the recipient of a special award given by the Newspaper Personnel Relations Association for her work in the human resource field. She was honored by West Texas State University with the Distinguished Service Award. She participated in Leadership Texas in 1987 and was a lifetime member of Beta Sigma Phi.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Harry Moody Bartlett, her twin sister, Imogene, three brothers, Woody Lee Spencer, Jr., Jack Howard Spencer, and Morris Mack Spencer.

Jeane is survived by several nieces and nephews.

The family requests that memorial donations are made to First Baptist Church of Amarillo, Texas.

23 Replies to “Jeane Spencer Bartlett”

  1. I did Jeane’s hair for over 35 years and was so sad to see her and Harry moved to Park place and then to where. I shall forever be grateful for the impact she had on my life in the years that she sat in my chair and allowed me the privilege of making her hair look beautiful like it is in the picture on her obituary. Heaven is richer today because Jeane now resides there alongside her husband

  2. Jeane and Harry were great people. My daughter made it to the National Spelling Bee and they were the sponsors. I was a single Mom with my daughter and we did not travel often. They took us under their wing and assisted us in travelling to Washington DC. Then they accompanied us to so many activities and helped with everything. That was one of the best experiences ever!! We had a fantastic time because of Jeane and Harry’s kindness and compassion.

  3. Since Jeane’s jobs at the Globe-News were separate from the news side, where I worked, I knew her only slightly, though pleasantly, until about three and a half years ago. That was when my wife, Nell, went into the Ware nursing home. I ran into Jeane in the hall there, each of us pushing a wheelchair, and we talked that way several times in the three months before Nell died. If I’m not mistaken, Jeane was staying right there full-time to take care of her husband, Harry, whom I also knew slightly from the Globe-News days. That was most loving of her. I knew enough about her, before the nursing home time, to respect and like her. Her devotion to Harry raised that respect to a high level of admiration.

    1. Thank you, Don. We are so thankful for Ware and how Jeane continued to show love to others during her and Harry’s time there.

  4. Jeane never lost her interest in the people who worked at the Globe-News. I’m so very grateful that I got to know her, (and Harry) and her delightful sense of humor. She will be missed.

    1. Thank you, Sandy. Thank you especially for writing her cards and letters over the last few years. It meant so much to her.
      Suzanne, Debra, and Judy

  5. Jeane’s best attribute as the HR director at the Globe-News was her intense desire to know each employee and listen to their cares and concerns. During my years as the education beat writer, I had the honor of helping her with the annual spelling bee. One might think that a news reporter would consider the event fluff compared to writing about controversies and scandals. Jeane simply explained beforehand how this was the first public spotlight for many of the competitors, and how she appreciated that a story that lifted up the winner in an entertaining account was as important to the paper’s community service as any other story we published in the public’s interest.

    1. Thank you, Don. We are so thankful for Ware and how Jeane continued to show love to others during her and Harry’s time there.

    2. Thank you, Greg. Jeane and Harry were “The Amarillo Globe News” in a way. That Spelling Bee brought her much joy. Thank you for your kind comments.
      Suzanne, Debra and Judy

  6. I will always remember the day I met her. She hired me in 1998 and because of her advice, I am still with the company. She had a true interest in the employees at AGN.

  7. Jeane Bartlett was my Dad’s younger sister. I enjoy seeing the comments and hearing stories about Aunt Jeane. It is clear that not only in my life, but those of others she was an inspiration. She and Uncle Harry had an amazing life and love many folks and especially the Amarillo Globe News folks. She was an elegant professional woman. My father always help her up as an example what women could do in their lives. He was proud of his little sister. I will think of you often Aunt Jeane, but I know you are with Uncle Harry where you always want to be.

  8. I worked at the Globe-News for only a short time, but I also interviewed Jeane Bartlett and Harry Bartlett for my master’s thesis, a biography of longtime editor and columnist Wes Izzard. I learned much about Wes Izzard but also about the Bartletts, and especially Jeane. She was a professional, gracious lady and a big part of the history of the newspaper.

    1. Thank you, Mike. Being an avid reader of The Globe News for so many years…many of your columns were clipped and saved. I still have them, too. “Horse in the Corner was the Worst” is one that brought tears. I would love to read your thesis on Wes Izzard. His grandson is a friend of mine, I bet he would like it as well. Thank you remembering our Uncle Harry and Aunt Jeane.
      Suzy

  9. As the human resources director for the City of Amarillo, I had the real pleasure of working with Jeane for many years and found her to be a very caring human resource professional. She was always diligent in being aware and responsive to the needs of employees. Jeane was a caring person who was always ready to listen without being judgmental. She will be missed by her friends and the community she served all of her life.

  10. Jeane was the consummate professional in everything she did and the way she did it. She had a big influence for many years on the Amarillo community and her beloved Panhandle area through her work at the paper and in the community. I was very fortunate to have worked for more than three decades at the Globe-News, all while she was there as the Human Resources director. She always was an advocate for our employees and prospective employees and somehow stayed ahead of the many changes that rapidly were occurring in personnel management and recruitment during her time at the paper. She was a valued mentor to me and many others. She will be missed.

  11. She was one of the most amazing women I’ve ever known. She was always interested in our Globe-News people’s lives. Jeane and Harry both contributed so much to making the newspaper a challenging, relevant and fun place to work.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *