Sally B. Adams

SALLY ADAMS July 16, 1914 - March 5, 2013 Sally B. Adams, 98, of Waco, Texas, passed away Tuesday, March 5, 2013 after living a long and full life and enduring a short illness. She will be laid to rest in Talala, OK. A visitation will be held Thursday, March 7, at Dolton Funeral Home in Collinsville, Oklahoma and a graveside service will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, March 8. A memorial service will be scheduled at her former place of residence, Stilwell Retirement Center, for all her friends in Waco to celebrate her life. Sally was born Sarah Gertrude Brunette on July 16, 1914 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin to Edmund and Rose Adele Demars Brunette. She was the fifth of seven children. She grew up during the Great Depression, which required hard work and frugal living. This experience shaped her personality throughout her life. She could do the work of three people without breaking a sweat and hated to throw anything away if it could be reused. As a young adult she left Wisconsin on a road trip and ended up in Albuquerque, NM where she met and married Robert Sparks Sparky in 1935. Sparky worked for Otis Elevator and was assigned to jobs throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. They spent several years moving from assignment to assignment after only a few months at each job. Sally became a pro at moving and the nomadic life suited her adventurous spirit. She always found a Newcomer's Club and a Catholic Church to join and wasted no time making new friends. She never met a stranger and in addition to being a capable homemaker she was a skilled bridge player always ready for the next game. In 1948, while living in New Orleans, LA, Robert Jr. Bob was born. Sally thoroughly enjoyed motherhood, and she and Bob remained close all her life. In 1960, Sally, Sparky and Bob settled on a small hobby farm in Talala, OK. Sally was active in St. Therese Catholic Church in Collinsville, OK. She continued to live on the farm after Sparky's death in 1976. In 1980 Sally went to a dance in Tulsa and met Luther Adams. They were married soon after and she moved to his hometown of Inola, OK. With Luther she gained a new family, including six stepchildren and numerous grandchildren, whom she loved as her own. In Inola she was active at the Senior Citizens Center, a volunteer for Meals on Wheels and the caretaker of a treasured strawberry patch. She loved traveling with Luther as well as hosting large family get-togethers and sleepovers for her grandchildren. After Luther's death in 1990, she continued to live in Inola until 2001, when she moved to Waco to be close to Bob and his family. Even at the age of 87, she was not afraid to leave her home in Oklahoma and start a new life. She quickly made new friends, and at her 90th birthday party dozens of people gathered in Waco to celebrate with her. Sally was youthful and energetic even into her 90s. Until recently she took no medication and was the model of good health. She always ate and drank in moderation and exercised daily. She had a positive attitude, a sharp mind and a quick wit. She was a devoted Catholic all her life and embodied the Christian spirit. She was loving, accepting and generous with everyone she knew. She valued family above everything else, and she loved reunions and holiday gatherings. Her other passion was playing games, and she was tough to beat even at the end of her life. She leaves behind many people who will cherish her memory. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Bob and Donna Sparks of Hewitt, Texas; granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Julie and C.J. Winckler of Jackson, Mississippi; two great grandsons, Liam and Graham Winckler; many nieces and nephews scattered across the country and the Adams family in Oklahoma. She was proceeded in death by her parents; her six siblings; her first husband Robert Sparks Sr.; her second husband Luther Adams; and numerous other family members and friends. Memorial donations can be made in her honor to Stillwell Retirement Center at 5400 Laurel Lake Drive Waco, Texas 76710.