Her father was a Quaker field secretary and police chaplin,[1] and her mother was a registered nurse.

[6][7] In 1943, she was named nationality communities secretary of the YWCA,[8] responsible for outreach to immigrant groups.

[6][9] She organized classes about American cookery[10] and gave presentations to community groups about ethnic customs and celebrations, based on her research and travels in Europe.

"Once you become a sleuth in such matters, each hour is an adventure, each day a journey into the unknown," she explained to a reporter in 1960.

[12] In addition to her books on folk customs for adults, Spicer wrote cookbooks,[13] fiction,[14] and a series of story collections for children, with the matching titles 13 Monsters, 13 Witches (1963), 13 Ghosts (1965), 13 Giants (1966), 13 Devils (1967),[15] 13 Goblins, 13 Rascals, and 13 Dragons (1974).