Betty Jane Powell Sparks

Betty Jane Powell Sparks, age 86, of Tuscaloosa, died May 25, 2015. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday, May 28, 2015 at Memory Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Johnny Jones officiating and Memory Chapel Funeral Home, directing. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the funeral home.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Samuel and Edna Powell, of Buhl Community; brothers, John Powell (Sue), of Powder Springs, Ga. and Bill Powell, of Tuscaloosa; former husband, Jack L. Sparks; and aunt and uncle, Katie and Ossie Chapman, of Birmingham.

Survivors include her son, Glenn T. Sparks (Patricia), of Northport; sister, Gloria Kersey, of Tuscaloosa; grandchildren, Nikki Colburn, of Northport, Kyler Sparks (Kristie), of Northport, by marriage; Tracie Turner, of Northport, David Monfore, of Nashville, Tenn.; great grandchildren, Campbell, Catie and Ella Colburn, Kadyn and Kinleigh Sparks, by marriage; Lindsay and Lauren Turner, former daughter-in-law, Karen Sparks, and a large number of nieces and nephews who called her “Aunt Betty”. Also, Patches, her loyal companion for nine years.

Mom was born in Tuscaloosa and raised in the Buhl community. Having grown up during some difficult times, it was a challenge to provide for a large family. As so many families did back then, mom went to live with her aunt and uncle in Dallas, Texas for part of her young life. She returned to Tuscaloosa as a teen, soon married and started her family.

She worked those old swing shifts at Gulf States Paper in the paper bag department and remained there as a relief operator until it closed in 1977.

The family bought a small farm in east Tuscaloosa where she spent lots of her retired time caring for her animals especially her dogs. She loved her dogs. It wasn’t unusual to see her early in the morning feeding baby goats or cows from a bottle.

She was a wonderful cook, making biscuits from scratch and specialized in bread pudding, fried squirrel and potato salad. She had a knack for breakfast foods which was out favorite meal.

Mom learned to drive in her 50’s having never mastered it before. Her first vehicle was a red mustang hatchback, which she kept spotless. Later in life she was often seen driving around with her sister Gloria sitting beside her, enjoying their time together shopping and eating.

She enjoyed traveling, eating out, nice clothes and everything free! A very kind, generous, loving person who loved her grandchildren, great grandchildren, sister and son. She always expressed love for her church, Cottondale Baptist Church, her Sunday school class and if you spoke with her for very long, she would express her love for you as well.

Betty was a wonderful and loving mother, sister, grandmother, great grandmother and friend. She had charm and grace with compassion and love for everyone.

Our family has lost a truly wonderful, godly person, but God needed her more to carry on her good deeds in heaven.

Pallbearers will be Gary Black, Danny Kendrick, Fred Kersey, Jerry Nemeth, Calvin Parker and Randall Turner.

Honorary pallbearers are those who gave her their love and care, Monica Merriweather, Eva Phillips and Freddie Lee Craig, Dr. Ross Vaughn and the medical professionals and staff at DCH Regional Medical Center. Special appreciation is extended to mom’s Sunday School Class at Cottondale Baptist Church and all members of the church as well as former employees of Gulf States Paper Corp. “paper mill”, and the Helen O’Bryant family, the Buster and Charlene Bolton families and friends and neighbors of the Woodlands Subdivision.