Major Lou Sparks

Major Lou Sparks was born on April 1st, 1956 in Tahlequah, Ok, the daughter of Major "Kale" Sparks and Lucinda (Cain) Christie Sparks. She grew up with a large family of brothers and sisters, Clyde, Perry, Dianne, Peggy, Cordia Bell, Jeff, Jennifer, Ronnie and Billie. She grew up and attended school in the Woodall area. Upon graduating, she started her family. She was married and in 1981, she welcomed her only child, a daughter, Major Dawn. Throughout her life she worked several jobs. But her favorite and most rewarding was working as a Medical Assistant for Dr. Forrest in Bethany, OK. She loved people and it showed. Everywhere she went she left them with a smile.

In 2001, her daughter welcomed her grandson, Dakota Mitchell and in 2003 her granddaughter Mallory Mitchell. She loved Dakota and Mallory! She always doted on them to anyone who would listen. She loved to sneak them all the candy she could, always took them to the creek, and Mallory specifically remembers her playing them "hillbilly old time music".

Major loved to dress up! She never left the house without her hair fixed, makeup perfect, lipstick on, and finger nails done. She loved to get fixed up in her "best dress" and go out dancing the night away. She was a garage sale guru, the queen of camping and fishing, and usually in the company of her favorite canine companion, Fancy, a terrier mix. She kept a pot of brown beans ready, her cookie jars full, and her homemade lemon bars were perfection. There was nothing more fun than a game of Bingo and best of all, a day with her great grandson, Waylon.

Major had a lot of family and friends. She spent a lot of time with her niece, Cyndi, who at times was more like a daughter. They very much enjoyed eating ice chips and smoking cigarettes! Cyndi says there isn't a milestone or memory in her life that Major wasn't a part of. Her favorite memory was when Major would call Dianne and ask to come get Cyndi and was told "you can't come get her, she isn't yours". A close group of her childhood friends have always kept in touch and have regular lunch dates to catch up on all the happenings and reminisce on all the good times. Debbie Garr, Lynn Colburn, Janet Joyner and Janice Stephens will always remember the time they had with her and cherish all of the memories. Some of her other very close, longtime friends were Maudie Smith who was her shopping buddy, Beverly Williams who would take her to Oklahoma City and Ponca, and Margaret "Jukie" Guess who her and Beverly would meet up with in Ponca.

Major’s life was not to be a long one, so she packed as much fun and memories as she could fit into one lifetime. Major passed from this life on June 11th, 2024 in Tahlequah, OK, following a short illness. She was 68 years old and will be greatly missed.

Major is preceded in death by her grandmother, Cynthia Christie, her mother, Lucinda Cain Stanley and father, Major "Kale" Sparks. One sister, Dianne Jones, one brother, Perry Cain, as well as several other loved ones.

Those left to cherish her memory include her daughter, Major Dawn Mitchell and wife, Emily of Broken Arrow, OK. Her grandchildren Dakota Mitchell of San Antonio, TX and Mallory Mitchell and great grandson, Waylon Wilson both of Broken Arrow, OK. Her brothers and sisters, Clyde Ballard and wife Donna of Westville, OK, Peggy Stepp and companion Paul Trapp of Hulbert, OK, Cordia Bell Barnes of Tahlequah, OK, Jeff Sparks and Robbie of Hulbert, OK, Jennifer Mitchell and husband Tony of Cassville, MO, Ronnie Stanley of Tahlequah, and Billie Vance of Tahlequah. As well as friends and loved ones too numerous to mention.

Funeral services for Major Lou Ousley will be conducted on Tuesday, June 18th, 2024 at 1:00 PM at Reed-Culver Funeral Home with Pastor Clyde Hinds officiating. Her family will receive guests on Monday, June 17th, 2024 beginning at 12:00 PM until 5:00 PM at Reed-Culver Funeral Home. She will be laid to rest at Price Cemetery in Tahlequah, OK with her family.

Pallbearers for Major include Wesley Stepp, Gary Stepp, Jeffrey Sparks, Bobby Ballard, Dana Nickens, and Doy Perry. Honorary pallbearers include Dakota Mitchell, Kevin Gordon, Dennis Hamby, Tanner Galyean, Tucker Johnson-Galyean, and Ethan Gilstrap.