Carl V. Sparks

Rev. Carl V. Sparks, 92, of First Assembly Living Center, Concord, NC died Thursday, April 17, 2003, at NorthEast Medical Center. Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 PM Saturday, April 19, 2003, at Lady's Funeral Home Chapel. Dr. Forbis Kivett, Rev. Wayne Preusz, and Rev. Henry Williams will officiate. Burial will follow at Carolina Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from Noon to 1:30 PM Saturday at Lady's Funeral Home. Rev. Sparks was born December 12, 1910 in Gaston County. He was the son of the late John Wesley Sparks and Georgia Helms Sparks. He was a Wesleyan Minister for over 50 years. Rev. Sparks received his first academic training at Central Wesleyan College (now Southern Wesleyan University) and in 1942 graduated with his Th.B. degree. Other education was received at High Point University with a B.A. degree, and in 1958, he attained his M.Ed. at UNC-Greensboro. He pastored Wesleyan churches in the following cities: Brevard, NC, Radford, NC, Lynchburg, VA, Asheboro, NC, Lexington, NC, Mooresville, NC, Greensboro, NC, Kings Mountain, NC, Mount Airy, NC, and was Assistant Pastor at Kannapolis First Wesleyan Church. Rev. Sparks is survived by his wife of 61 years, Ruth H. Sparks, whom he married on August 31, 1941; daughter, Joyce S. Johnson, and her husband, Phifer, of Mooresville, NC; two grandchildren, Carole Ruelle Johnson of Dallas, TX, and Benjamin Johnson and his wife, Elizabeth, of Mooresville, NC; great grandchild, Jacob Levi Johnson of Mooresville, NC; sister-in-law, Frances Simmons, and her husband, Mitchell, of Lookout Mountain, TN. Memorials may be sent to The Gideons International, P.O. Box 52, Kannapolis, NC 28082 in memory of Rev. Sparks.