Sparks, Elizabeth H. (Cramer) 1921-2003

SPARKS, CRAMER, BEEN, SIMPKINS

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 6/24/2005 at 19:08:40

Elizabeth Hannah Sparks, 82, of Newton died of congestive heart failure and respiratory failure Friday, Nov. 8.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Newton with the Rev. David Wendel officiating. Burial will be at Palo Alto Cemetery in rural Newton. Pence-Reese Funeral Home in Newton is handling arrangements.

Friends may call after 9 a.m. Tuesday until 10:30 a.m. at the church where the family will be available. In lieu of flowers, memorials will be accepted in her name to the First United Methodist Church or Good Samaritan Fund at Park Centre and may be left at the funeral home.

The daughter of William Henry and Lorena Fern (Been) Cramer, she was born July 7, 1921, in Newton. She was a graduate of Newton Senior High School and attended Simpson College in Indianola. On Sept. 3, 1944, she married Albert Harold Sparks, a fellow classmate at Simpson. She worked as a secretary for John Horsley, director of admissions at Simpson College, Jasper County Savings Bank, Northwestern University Library and National College of Education and was a homemaker.

Mrs. Sparks was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Newton for many years. She was a resident of Evanston, Ill., Waterloo, Lime Springs, Grundy Center, Sioux City, Wellman and Williamsburg. She returned to Newton in June 1985.

Survivors include her husband; two sons and daughters-in-law, David and Jill Sparks of Sioux City and Steven and Michelle Sparks of Verona, Wis.; five grandchildren; and a sister, Helen Simpkins of Indianola.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Newton Daily (IA) News, Monday, November 10, 2003