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The Life of AVA LOUISE SPARKS

Ava Louise (Moden) Sparks, 95, died on December 6, 2017 at Regency Care Center in Norwalk, Iowa. Ava was born on September 26, 1922 to Elmer & Ida Moden in Plano, Iowa.

She married Forrest Franklin Sparks in 1939. That union had two sons Jerry Eugene Sparks, and Lloyd “Keith” Sparks. Ava was a pastry chef at Central National Bank, a homemaker, loving mother and grandmother. Forrest and Ava attended Grace Baptist Church in Des Moines. They had a cabin at Lake Rathbun that the entire family enjoyed for many years, even after Forrest passed in 1986. They also attended the Iconium United Methodist Church in Moravia, near their cabin. Ava loved to quilt, crochet, garden and bake. She had beautiful flower beds throughout her yard.

Left to cherish her memory is her son: Lloyd “Keith” (Judy) Sparks, of Winterset; grandchildren: Jerry (Diane) Sparks, of Winterset; Bobette (Kevin) Marvin of Mt Vernon; Tammy (Richard) Zwer, of Ottumwa; Cindy “CJ” Sparks (Boyd Tiffin), of Bella Vista, AR; Steve (Michele) Sparks of Norwalk, many great and great-great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Forrest; her son Jerry, and her grandchildren Andrew and Sally Sparks.

A memorial visitation will be held at Hamilton’s near Highland Memorial Gardens, 121 NW 60th Avenue in Des Moines, on Saturday December 16th, 2017, from 10-11:30 am, with graveside service directly following at Highland Memorial Gardens.

The family would like to send out a special Thank You to the staff at Norwalk Recency for their wonderful care and attention to GMA during her time there.

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2017.12.16
My Childhood Memories of Aunt Ava

As an adult, it is interesting to look back on my childhood and realize what a great blessing my extended family has been to me. In the early 1950’s, I spent my summers and Christmas vacation at my Grandmother Sparks home. She lived two doors from my Uncle Gay, Aunt Elsie and Ronnie Lapham, a street over to Uncle Clovie and Aunt Audrey Riggle and two streets the other way to Aunt Ava and Uncle Forrest. It was the habit of Keith to spend the night with Grandma Sparks which I think was a win/win, Grandma Sparks having someone to be with her and for Keith to have someone to look after him while Aunt Ava worked. Each night Aunt Ava sent a loaf of bread with Keith to Grandma Sparks home and he, Grandma Sparks and I, and anyone else who might be there, made and ate toast every night. I stayed with Grandma Sparks too since my Mom also worked. In those three or four summers, no one ever asked me to bring a loaf of bread and I never even thought about it. I was about eight years old then. Our cousin Ronnie Lapham lived two doors from Grandma so many times I had lunch at their home and I was always made to feel welcome. Our Uncle Clovie Riggle lived one street over and he had a bicycle shop so I could borrow a bicycle (without fenders or chain guard) and Keith, Ron and I cycled all over the south side of Des Moines in the summer. The airport was a popular place to go because it had a cold-water fountain which was a rarity in those days. During the Christmas vacation, we slept in Grandma Sparks only unheated bedroom so she covered us with three or four layers of blankets so we could keep warm. Grandma Sparks slept on a cot in the living room near the coal burning furnace in the middle of the room. I can remember, at least once, getting up early and putting on some extra coal so Grandma would awake to a warm room. I suspect I did not do it as often as I should. Sometimes, Jerry who was a little older than us, would hang out with us. Jerry was pretty heavy set then and always wore a Navy knit cap. Everyone told him that he would go bald if he didn’t stop wearing it so much. A few years later, Jerry joined the Navy, and we moved to Phoenix. When I next saw Jerry, he was so thin when he was home on leave that I didn’t even recognize him. I think he was thin the rest of his life. Once when I was in Uncle Forrest and Aunt Ava’s home on Lewis Avenue, Keith and I were blowing up big balloons that had a whistle in them so when you let the air escape, it would cause the whistle to blow. One time I tried to blow the balloon up as big as I could get it to make the whistle last longer when the balloon blew up in my face. Unfortunately, the whistle was blown deep down my throat and became lodged there so I couldn’t breathe. Uncle Forrest saw what happened grabbed me, turned me upside down, and hit me several times on my back until the whistle became dislodged and fell out of my mouth. I’m sure he could see the panic on my face! He literally saved my life. On another occasion, Keith and I had a race from the front yard to the back door of their home on Lewis Avenue. When we got to the back door, we put our arms out to stop ourselves and Keith’s arm went right through the storm door glass pane. As I remember, he had three or four pieces of glass that became imbedded in his arm. I became quite excited when I saw the glass in his arm and blood pouring out thinking we should call an ambulance. Aunt Ava calmly wrapped his arm in some dish towels and took him to the doctor’s office. I suspect Keith still has scars from that incident. It was about that time that Aunt Ava won a brand-new car at the Iowa State Fair. I believe it was a 1955 Ford but I’m not sure my memory is correct on the year. That would have been either a 1954 or 1956 model. I was proud my Aunt won a car. The Iowa State Fair was and still is a big event. Aunt Ava and all my aunts were great cooks. When I left for Viet Nam in 1966, I stopped in Des Moines to see my family. Many of my aunts and others met at Grandma Sparks for a potluck lunch. I had 13 small wedges of pie for dessert so I wouldn’t disappoint any of my Aunts thinking I didn’t eat any of their pie. That’s why I ate so much pie. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. These are just a few memories that I have as a child about Aunt Ava. There are many other childhood memories that demonstrate how generous and loving Aunt Ava and the Sparks family were and are. I have always felt loved by Aunt Ava and all my aunts and uncles.
Posted by Richard S on 12/16/2017