Clifton Rogers Sparkman

Clifton Rogers Sparkman, age 77, resident of Rolling Fields Circle, passed away September 26, 2010 at Maury Regional Medical Center following an extended battle with cancer. Funeral services for Mr. Sparkman will be conducted at 1p.m. Wednesday in the chapel of Oakes and Nichols Funeral Home with the Rev. Greg McCoy officiating. Interment will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens with military honors being provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19. The family will visit with friends at the funeral home Tuesday from 4 - 8 p.m. and Wednesday from 12 noon until service time. Born April 27, 1933 in Davidson County he was the son of the late Rev. Coleman Rogers Sparkman and Mattie Beard Sparkman. He was the husband of Anne Jewell Sparkman who survives. He served in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict. Upon discharge from the military he attended the Nashville Auto Diesel College, studying to be a heavy equipment mechanic. He was well-known for his expertise with Diesel Engines, especially the repair of mining equipment for local mining contractors. In the 1960's he started Sparkman Trucking Company, hauling phosphate ore to local plants. He continued in the trucking business until the Maury County plants closed in the 1980's and then went into the excavation business. He enjoyed clearing land and building ponds and lakes and also was a skilled carpenter and home builder. He had many different occupations during his life but the one he loved most was farming. He owned a farm in the Culleoka Community and spent his happiest days there with his children and grandchildren. He was a devoted and loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather who considered his family a great blessing from God. Mr. Sparkman was a member of Friendship Baptist Church at Culleoka where he served for many years as a Deacon. In 2007 the congregation of Friendship conferred the honor of Deacon Emeritus to him in recognition of years of faithful, devoted and humble service as a Deacon. During all the months that he valiantly fought cancer his complete faith in and love of the Lord never faltered. He praised Him each and every morning for the blessed life He had given him. In addition to his wife he is survived by a daughter Annette Sparkman (Chip) Matlock of Columbia; a son Roger (Darlene) Sparkman of Columbia; grandchildren Clif (Gabby) Matlock of Murfreesboro, Honey (Clark) Denson of Murfreesboro, Jon Andrew Matlock of Cookeville, Will Matlock U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, Elizabeth Sparkman attending MTSU at Murfreesboro, and Jaime Sparkman of Columbia; great-grandchildren Luke Denson, Joshua Denson and Lucy Denson all of Murfreesboro; three sisters, Roxie (Veachel) Williams of Madison, Ruby Webb of Columbia and Barbara Woody of Santa Fe; and many nieces and nephews whom he loved very much. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by one brother Max Sparkman, one sister Jessie McKnight, brother-in-law and life-long friend Carlton Woody and his beloved mother-in-law and father-in-law John A. and Winnie Jewell. Active pallbearers will be Clif Matlock, Jon Andrew Matlock, Will Matlock, Clark Denson, Donald Webb, Rick Woody, Ronald Sparkman and Dwight Jewell. Honorary pallbearers will be Billy Jett, Bobby Potts, Scott Smith, Bobby Finley, James G. Dugger, Bud Richardson, Adam Simmons, James Woody, Enoch George, Ewell B. Harris, Billy Harper, Carl Fortenberry, John Zimmer and Don Taylor. The family would like to give special thanks to Hospice Compassus, the Doctors and Staff of Tennessee Oncology, Sarah Cannon Cancer Center, Dr. Paul Perryman and staff and the staff of Maury Regional Medical Center's Oncology Department for their excellent medical care. Thanks also for the many prayers and acts of kindness by friends, family and the congregation of Friendship Baptist Church. Clifton Sparkman's legacy is found in Acts 20:35. "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"