Owner's memory to live on in LOP eatery

Journal Staff WriterEmily L. Spencer, longtime Higgins Corner resident and restaurant owner, died Feb. 20, 2003 in San Antonio, Texas. She was 76.Spencer owned and operated the Red Wagon restaurant near Lake of the Pines since 1971 until August of 2002. Spencer was active in numerous clubs and organizations in the area. She was a charter member and past president of the Higgins Fire Auxiliary and the Bear River Lioness Club. She was the 2002 recipient of the Nevada County Law Enforcement and Fire Protection Council?s Public Safety Commitment Award. She devoted her time and financial support, largely through fund-raising events held at the Red Wagon restaurant, to schools in the Pleasant Ridge School District, Bear River High School, Higgins Lions Community Center, Nevada County Substance Abuse prevention program and Higgins Fire District.Her daughter, Donna Prince, who took over management restaurant in August 2002, said she plans to keep the eatery open, maintaining the staff and menu used by her mother. ?We have preserved it except for changing the hours slightly,? Prince said Wednesday. ?We now only offer dinner and are open Sundays at noon. Everything else is the same.? Spencer was born Nov. 19, 1926 near Clarkson, Neb., to John and Emma Novak, on her family?s 160-acre farm. At 15, she moved to Omaha where she later met and married Lyle C. Spencer. The Spencers moved to Southern California in the 1950s. They owned and operated a café there, the Farmer?s Daughter, until 1971.Spencer is survived by daughter, Janet K. Proctor of Grass Valley; daughter and son-in-law, Judith A. and James M. Duff of Sequim, Wash.; son, Lyle M. Spencer of Temecula; daughter and son-in-law, Donna J. and Bradford L. Prince of Grass Valley; son, Stanley C. Spencer of Meadow Vista; step-mother-in-law, Lois Spencer of Auburn; brother and sister-law, James A. and Shirley Novak of Nevada, Mo.; sister and brother-in-law, Mary M. and Dale Deain of Hot Springs, Ark.; brother, Lumir S. Novak of Carthage, Mo.; brother and sister-in-law, John H. and Merry Jo Novak of El Mirage, Ariz.; sister and brother-in-law, Agnes A. and Thurman Corbin of Lee?s Summit, Mo.; 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her husband, Lyle; infant brother, John Novak; and sister and brother-in-law Anna and Marcel Janecek of Harvard, Neb.A celebration of life for Emily and Lyle Spencer will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 23, at Bear River High School?s McCrory gymnasium.Memorial contributions may be made to the Higgins Lions Community Center Trust, Nevada County Substance Abuse prevention program, Nevada County Law Enforcement and Fire Protection Council or a charity of the donor?s choice.