Jack was born in Princeton, MO on June 27, 1924 to L. Harrison and Flossie (Morin) Sparks. He was the youngest of 3 with an older brother and sister. He grew up primarily on a farm near Tarkio, MO. He and his brother trapped for furs that they prepared and sold. He attended school through the 8th grade and then worked on the farm with his dad and brother, plowing fields by hand with mules.
At 16 he went to work on a nearby farm for an older couple. The man had heart trouble and Jack was to keep him from working. They had a tractor, so that was better than mules!
At 18 he joined the Navy where he served as a radio operator copying code in the Pacific. He attended radio school in Boulder, CO. Due to trouble with his knee, he only served for 2 years.
Jack worked on ranches as a cowboy in South Dakota for a few years. He was drawn back to Colorado and worked on ranches near Fairplay and Como. He met his future wife at a dance in Guffy, CO.
Jack and Bernice (Makings) were married in Colorado Springs in 1950 and made their home there for the next 36 years. They were blessed with one daughter. Jack had a variety of jobs but eventually had a career as a heavy equipment operator. He ran front end loaders loading rock on trucks, digging basements for many homes and businesses as well as working on Cheyenne Mountain helping build the NORAD tunnel.
Jack always had a love of music and learned to play the mandolin when young. He also played guitar, fiddle and tenor banjo. He played in some bands around CO Springs and eventually put together his own band. They played for dances in Divide, Woodland Park and Florissant for many years.
Jack is survived by his wife Bernice, his daughter Kandice Ray (Curtis), his grand-daughters Emily Livsey (Dan) and Jessi Dyck (Matthew) and many nephews and nieces. He was pre-deceased by his parents, his brother Harrison Junior Sparks and his sister Wanda White.
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