Donal Arden SPARKS

SPARKS, MOORE, ORNDORFF, VAUGHN, WOOLLIS, HINMAN, WALROD, STUBBE, FOSTER, DAVIS, HOLT, COOPER, MILES, MILTENBERGER, NORRIS, RANDOL, HORTON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 12/29/2006 at 17:43:18

Donal Arden Sparks, 78, died May 31, 2006 at the Belmond Health Care Center. Services were held June 3 at Fielding Funeral Home in Chariton with Rev. Lynne Spencer Smith officiating. Interment with military honors was at the Chariton Cemetery.

Donal Arden was born June 30, 1927 at Princeton, MO, the son of Orval and Sylvia (Moore) Sparks. He attended Princeton area rural schools. He served in the United States Army and the Army Air Corps during World War II, spending part of his tenure in the Pacific Theater. He received both the WWII Victory Medal and Army Occupation of Japan Medal. His grade at the time of discharge was Corporal. Donal married Donna Lee Orndorff on November 26, 1945 at Princeton. They farmed near Derby and Chariton, raising turkeys, sheep and cattle. They owned and operated a Gulf Service Station in Chariton. Donal sold feed and was employed by Johnson's Sale Barn in Humeston as an auctioneer. Donal and Donna were devoted to their family, instilling the values of hard work and respect. A favorite saying of Donal's was, "Keep your mouth shut and your hands in your pockets." Donal was a member of the Belmond United Church of Christ where he was baptized. He was a member of the Chariton Legion Post for 28 years. He had been a resident of the Belmond Health Care Center since August 2004.

He was preceded in death by his wife in February 2006; parents; brothers Doyle and Darrell; sisters Celeste (Sallie) Moore, Florence Woollis and Genevia Vaughn; brothers-in-law Glenn Moore and Maryl Vaughn; and sister-in-law Hazel Sparks. Survivors are his children Sharion (Stephen) Hinman and Linda (Steven) Walrod of Belmond, Jerry (Janet) Sparks of Osceola, and Rita (Craig) Stubbe of Chariton; brother Raphel (Ann) Sparks of Albany, OR; sisters-in-law Fern Sparks, Shirley Foster, Roma (Bill) Davis of Princeton and Bonnie (Wood) Holt of Princeton, Carolyn (Bob) Cooper of Sun City, and Madalyn (Jerry) Miles of Ridgeway, MO; brothers-in-law Phillip (Kathy) Orndorff of Castle Rock, CO, Bill (Donna) Orndorff of Gilman City, MO, and David Woollis of Cambria, IA; grandchildren Neal (Jessica) Hinman, Michele (Jason) Miltenberger, Jason (fiancee Jennifer) Walrod, and Emily Walrod all of Belmond, Tiffinny (Glenn) Norris of Johnston, Amy (Andrew) Randol of Panora, Amy (Roger) Horton of Humeston, and Damon Stubbe of Chariton; and great-grandchildren, Elizabeth, Connor, Amanda, Lennie, J.D., Jeramy, Jamy, Jakob, Kale, Nicholas, Deseree, and Dalton.

June 8, 2006
©Belmond Independent 2006