William Anson SPARLING / Oddie Picton WILSON

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[864] The Rev. JACK SPARLING, 98, of Longview died Sunday evening, Oct. 7, 2001,in a Tyler hospital. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2001, at the First United Methodist Church in Longview. Officiants will be Bishop John Wesley Hardt; two of his granddaughters, the Rev.Allison Andrews Thompson and the Rev. Susan Andrews Hageman; and agrandson-in-law, the Rev. Randy Hageman. Burial will follow in Rose Hill Cemetery in Tyler. John Perry Sparling was born on May 23, 1903, in Little Rock, Ark., a descendant of distinguished pioneer families. Always a remarkable and adventurous person, he was repairing automobiles in his back yard by age 10 and rebuilding and flying airplanes at age 12. He served in the military in both World War I and World War II. At age 14, with a strong sense of patriotism, he quit school, falsified his age, and enlisted in the U.S. Army as it entered World War I. During this time, he suffered a life-threatening bullet wound and a near-fatal illness. After leaving the Army, he worked for the Southwestern Bell Telephone Co., supervised the installation of a new phone system for the state of Florida, and soon became supervisor for three states. In 1927, Mr. Sparling felt a calling to the ministry. Without ever having attended high school, he earned four college degrees from Southern Methodist University and Perkins School of Theology in Dallas. All the while, he worked his way through school. In 1935, he was ordained a minister in the Methodist Church and served his entire ministry in the Texas Conference. He served Methodist churches in Seabrook, Dickinson, Alta Loma, Kemah, League City, Mont Belvieu, Alvin, Huntsville, Jacksonville, Houston (Westminster), Kilgore and College Station.When America entered World War II, he volunteered as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy and served on a hospital ship in the Pacific Ocean. Later, he was assigned to St. Elizabeths Hospital in New York City, then to the Brooklyn Naval Hospital. After the war, the Rev. Sparling returned to the Texas Conference, where he continued his ministry with great dedication until retirement in 1971. In retirement, he spent his time in volunteer ministry, cattle farming, flying his airplane and traveling, with a myriad of other interests as well. His lifes loyalty continued to be that of service to God and to His Church. The Rev. Sparling was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Vera Moseley Sparling. Survivors include his wife Merle Thomas Sparling; a daughter and son-in-law, Patty and Duane Andrews of Tyler; a son, Jon Sparling of Dallas; his stepchildren, Margaret Thomas and Philip Thomas, both of Atlanta; six grandchildren, Susan and Randy Hageman of Hallsville,Allison and Ray Thompson of Houston and Jon Sparling Jr., William Sparling, David Sparling and Sarah Sparling, all of Dallas; and four great-grandchildren, Kathryn Hageman and William Hageman, both of Hallsville, and Caroline Thompson and Andrew Thompson, both of Houston. Pallbearers will be Dr. Duane Andrews, Ray Thompson, Philip Thomas, Jon Sparling Jr., William Sparling, David Sparling, Buddy Foster, Wesley Fosterand Mike Kerr. Honorary pallbearers are the ministers of the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, Dr. Charles Allbright and the Clyde Hall Sunday School Class.
Rader Funeral Home 903-753-3373

[1388] Born Charles Pugh Nixon Jr. He was the son of Oddie's sister, orphaned at age 2.

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