header 1
header 2
header 3

In Memory

Weldon Sparks - Class of 1940

LOVING HUSBAND, FATHER, GRANDFATHER, GREAT-GRANDFATHER, GREAT GREAT- GRANDFATHER, BROTHER AND FRIEND PASSED AWAY JUNE 16, 2014. HE WAS BORN FEB. 22, 1921 IN MONTPELIER, IDAHO. HE WAS THE FIRST SON TO MACY AND MARVIN SPARKS. JAY GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN 1940 IN MONTPELIER. HE WAS A FOUR YEAR LETTERMAN IN BOXING AND TRACK.

AFTER GRADUATION HE ENLISTED IN THE US ARMY AIR CORPS IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 17 BOMB GROUP IN TACOMA WASHINGTON, (WHICH WAS THE GROUP THAT BOMBED TOKYO, JAPAN WITH B-25'S FLOWN OFF AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER). THIS WAS UNDER COLONEL JIMMY DOOLITTLE'S PLAN. HE WAS PROUD OF THE AIR FORCE AND EVEN PROUDER TO HAVE SERVED. HE WAS PROMOTED TO MASTER SGT AND LATER AS 1ST SGT OF THE 475TH BOMB SQUADRON AT THE AGE OF 22. HE RETIRED FROM THE AIR FORCE IN 1963 AS A SENIOR MASTER SGT AND WORLD WAR II VETERAN. AFTER THAT JAY SPENT ONE YEAR IN CIVIL SERVICES AS AN ASSISTANT COMMISSARY OFFICER. DUE TO HIS FATHERS DECLINING HEALTH, JAY RESIGNED HIS COMMISSION AND RETURNED TO MONTPELIER IN 1965.

HE WENT TO WORK AS A SALES SUPERVISOR FOR ALLEN FOODS, A LARGER COMPANY OUT OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. HE CALLED UPON MILITARY BASES, STATE INSTITUTIONS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES IN IDAHO, MONTANA AND WYOMING. HE WORKED FOR ALLEN FOODS FOR 16 YEARS.

JAY MARRIED EMMA LOU WALKER IN SHREVEPORT LOUISIANA IN 1942. BY THIS UNION THEY HAD THREE CHILDREN, BARRY, GLORIA, AND DEANNA. THEY LATER DIVORCED IN 1965.

HE MARRIED MARINA PUGMIRE IN 1978. FROM THIS UNION HE GAINED TWO BEAUTIFUL STEP DAUGHTERS THAT HE CONSIDERED HIS OWN, FRANCES COOK AND DONNA BIENZ. HE ALSO ENJOYED THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUGMIRE FAMILY, STEVE, REX, REED AND TERRY.

MARINA AND JAY ENJOYED LIFE AND GOOD HEALTH. THEY ENJOYED MANY VACATIONS TOGETHER IN MEXICO, BAHAMAS, CALIFORNIA AND FLORIDA, JUST TO NAME A FEW. MARINA AND JAY SPENT SEVERAL YEARS AS SNOWBIRDS GOING TO YUMA, ARIZONA IN THE WINTERS. JAY WAS A MEMBER OF THE LDS CHURCH. HE BELONGED TO THE VFW AND OTHER MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS.

HE ENJOYED FLY FISHING AND HUNTING WITH ONE OF HIS BEST FRIENDS DON KUNZ. HE ALSO ENJOYED ALL SPORTS AND WOULD WATCH THEM ALL ON TV. BUT WHAT HE REALLY ENJOYED WAS WATCHING HIS GRANDCHILDREN AND EVEN GREAT GRANDCHILDREN PLAYING SPORTS. THERE WASN'T A SPORT JAY DIDN'T LOVE!

HE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS, HIS ONLY BROTHER THERALD, SISTER FERN, DAUGHTER GLORIA SPARKS GRAY AND GRANDCHILDREN JERRY BIENZ AND JARED LARSON.

JAY'S GRANDCHILDREN ARE TRICIA (COOK) POULSEN, DEANA COOK, JB BIENZ, JORDAN BIENZ, HOPE MORALES, JONI (LARSON) GOULD, MALLORY (LARSON) NEILL, STEFFAN LARSON, BERT SPARKS, KADINA ADELL (SPARKS) BARDSLEY, KELSEY (SPARKS) KING, MARCUS COLBUS JR., JOHN COLBUS AND JEFFERY LYNN SPARKS.

GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: (TRICIA'S) LACEY, HAILEY, COURTNEY AND SHAYDEN, (DEANA'S) TRISTAN AND TREVER, (ADELL'S) JJ AND JASMINE, (JONI'S) SAMANTHA, BRIGHTON, AND CLAIRE AND (MALLORY'S) ASHTON AND PAISLEY.

GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: (LACEY'S) DRASON AND DAXTON.

HE ENJOYED FAMILY CELEBRATIONS AND ANY REASON TO GET THE FAMILY TOGETHER. HAVING COMPANY OVER MADE HIS DAY. HE AND MARINA WERE ALWAYS THE BEST HOSTS. HE WAS ALWAYS THE LIFE OF THE PARTY WITH HIS QUICK HUMOR AND HIS SOMETIMES UNBELIEVABLE STORIES.

HE HAD A LONG AND HAPPY LIFE THAT WE SHOULD ALL HOPE TO HAVE. WE WILL MISS YOU.

SERVICES WILL BE HELD AT THE 3RD AND 5TH WARD CHURCH IN MONTPELIER, IDAHO, ON JUNE 23RD, 2014. VISITATION WILL BE FROM 11:00AM TO 12:45PM WITH THE FUNERAL FOLLOWING AT 1:00PM.