Bernice Ellen Sparks

August 18, 1936 - January 18, 2020

Bernice Ellen Sparks passed away on Jan. 18, 2020 with God and her daughter Connie by her side. She was 83 years young. She was the second of ten children and always remembered having a baby on her hip growing up. She married Henry Otis Franks III and had two daughters, Connie St. Clair-Matthews (Bill Matthews) and Carol Crosby (Dwain) with granddaughter Sherry Grau. She fed every animal she ever saw. She raced stock cars with her late husband Sparky of 42 years, and both received Sportsman of the Year trophies. She liked dolls, cats, Elvis and going to Reno and Vegas. Connie sent her on three vacations, one to Branson, Missouri and then to Tennessee to see Elvis’ mansion and stay at the Heartbreak Hotel and another one to Iowa to see Dede’s gravesite who was the love of her life. Thank you to her sister Betty for taking Mom to lunch the last few years on Mondays. I would also like to thank my husband, Bill for taking her lunches on Wednesdays and bringing her on all our vacations. One vacation she wanted to go to the beach and stay in Bill’s RV but not ride in it, so I followed the RV with mom in the car. Mom always called us the three musketeers. After Sparky died 12 years ago, I took her to dinner and a movie every Friday. I think she went for the popcorn. One time I took her to ride a horse on the beach with my son Danny and as I was taking a photo of her, the horse got spooked and took off. Mom hung on for dear life and said once on a horse is enough. She was preceded in death by her parents Frank and Marvle Woodford; brother Delbert Woodford; grandchildren, Connie’s three children, Tammy, Danny and Dustin. Please send any remembrances, in mom’s name to the local humane society.