Frances Marie Jones Sparks

Funeral services celebrating the life of Mrs. Frances Marie Jones Sparks of Monroe, Louisiana will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday May 13, 2023, at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Monroe, Louisiana with Reverend Whitfield Stodghill officiating. Visitation is from 9:30 a.m. until time for service. Interment will follow in Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery in Monroe, Louisiana under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home in Monroe, Louisiana. Pallbearers will be PJ Turpin, Garrett Landry, Brennan Morris, Carter Sparks, Clayton Turpin, and Jon Guice. Honorary pallbearers will be her nephews, Kenneth Stone, Jimmy Stone, Larry Jones, Ronnie Jones, Ricky Jones, Donald Jones, and JD LaDart.

Frances Marie Jones Sparks, age 83, died May 7, 2023, following a brief illness surrounded by family at St. Francis Medical Center. Frances was born February 2, 1940 in Monroe, Louisiana. She was the eighth child of Walter Henry Jones and Lottie Frances Pankey Jones.

Frances grew up in Monroe, Louisiana and attended Neville High School. While at Neville High School, she met her sweetheart and husband James Dilling Sparks, Jr. Her high school interests, activities, and honors included homecoming court, cheerleader, Latin Club, French Club, Glee Club, Red Cross, Thespians, and a member of the volleyball team. She belonged to the Episcopal Church and central to her faith was her holy communion with our Lord.

Frances attended Northeast Louisiana University and was a member of the Phi Mu Sorority. She later attended Louisiana State University earning her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. She was a devoted mother and Legal Assistant in her husband’s law practice assisting in a number of important tasks, maintaining accuracy and attention to details, tracking deadlines, and collecting case materials.

While her husband served in the United States Marine Corps stationed in Norfolk, Virginia and Millington, Tennessee; special to her was the Marine Corps creed, oath, and ethos … Semper Fidelis “Always Faithful” > Honor, Courage, and Commitment. Traits and values she embodied and carried forward throughout her life.

As a mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, and sister, Frances gave all she had and more. She was big-hearted, strong, selfless, caring, family first, loving, supportive, and generous in good and tough times.

When we become adults, we see our mother more fully as a person with her own hopes and dreams, and as a trusted friend. We never encountered anyone more loyal, anyone stronger in body and mind, anyone so full of soul, spirit, humor, and beauty or anyone so completely and humanly ready to give more of herself.

Life for Mom was no crystal stairwell, her life challenges may have been many but she kept climbing with a positive attitude, turning corners, always moving towards the light of prayer, faith, hope, patience, love, and guidance.

The most powerful lessons in life are the ones you never expect to experience. Mom faced those turbulent waters with a warm heart, hands that really cared, a smile of sunshine, strength of purpose, and a molded heart of pure gold.

Frances had a deep desire to make others feel loved. She was affectionate, chatty, loving, and forgiving. She carried her husband and son’s illnesses with a proactive care of a loved one and took on the initiative (daily) to solve problems and took it upon herself to do good works, alleviate suffering, and seek solutions.

She watched over the affairs of the household. She preserved and overcame many obstacles and did noble things. Honor her for all that her faithful hands have done, and let her good works bring praise at the gates of heaven as her memory and legacy will live on.

Galatians 6:9-10 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we reap a harvest if we do not give up.“

Frances is preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Lottie Jones; her siblings, Morriece Henry (Reece) Jones (Betty), James Dudley (JD) Jones (Pat), Lillian Elaine Jones Stone (James), Joseph Murphy Jones (Dolores), Walter Henderson (Junior) Jones (Margie), Ruth Louise Jones Newberry (Charles), and Roy Howard Jones.

She is survived by her husband of sixty-one years, James Dilling Sparks, Jr.; children, James (Jim) Dilling Sparks, III (Julie Ann), Mary Howell Sparks Coon, Robert Clayton Sparks, Frances (Fran) Holloman Sparks Turpin (PJ); grandchildren, Thad Carter Sparks, Laura Lillie Sparks, Mary Frances Coon Landry (Garrett), Caroline Carter Coon Morris (Brennan), and Clayton Jefferson Turpin; greatgrandchildren, John Michael Landry, Lillie Marie Landry, Farrington Frances Landry, and Elizabeth Carter Morris arriving in September; sister-in-law, Ann Stanley Jones; and numerous nieces and nephews. 

The family expresses their deepest gratitude and appreciation to our home health-care specialist, Randall Bonnett, Dr. Chuck Morgan, Dr. Richard C. Kamm, and the medical staff at St. Francis Medical Center. Your medical professionalism, attention to patient care, and compassion was always at the forefront of our mother’s well-being. Our family is truly thankful.

Memorials may be made to the National Ataxia Foundation.