Linda Sparks, a longtime resident of Grays Harbor, died Nov. 10, 2019, at Grays Harbor Community Hospital after a decade-long battle with cancer.
She was born Jan. 6, 1940, in Miesenbach, Pfaltz, Germany, into a large family of six siblings. Her parents were Friedrich and Karolina Schmidt. Multiple generations of the family have been in the same village going back for several hundreds of years.
On Jan. 17, 1957, she married Ronnie J. Sparks, who at the time was an active duty Airman 1st Class with the U.S. Air Force. They remained married for the entirety of her life, for over 62 years. She proudly became an American citizen in January 1960 in Denver, Colorado. As a military wife, she has lived in many places, but loved the Pacific Northwest and spent the majority of her life in Oregon and Washington. Upon her husband Ronnie’s retirement from the military as a chief warrant officer, they settled in the Eugene, Oregon, area for eight years, prior to moving to the Harbor in the late 1970s.
Never one to be idle, she was always involved in business at all points of her life, often dictated by military duty stations. In the early 1960s, she bought and successfully ran a cafe in Eugene, Oregon, for several years known famously for her homemade soups. Oftentimes people came from as far as 50 miles away and would wait in line for over an hour just for a seat. She also had jobs as diverse as a secret shopper for the Woolworth Co. and working for Nordstrom’s. She later found her calling in the women’s fashion industry, operating a highly successful boutique in Eugene, Oregon, as part of a three-store chain and eventually became the store buyer, which allowed her to travel to New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles to become completely immersed in the fashion industry. Having such success, in 1978, she and her husband Ronnie, decided to move to Aberdeen and together bought Brower’s women’s clothing store. Continuing with that success, they opened and operated branches of Brower’s in Olympia, Washington, and Bend, Oregon.
Together Linda and Ron were stalwart members of the Aberdeen business community for 20 years, serving on boards and committees to serve the Harbor until her retirement in 1998. Upon announcement of her retirement, the extensive circle of clientele she had been serving for decades planned a party for her in hopes of coaxing her to continue.
Linda always loved the Northwest and was an avid salmon fishing, clamming and crabbing enthusiast. However, as busy as she always was, her first and foremost priority was caring, cooking and providing for family and friends, always putting their needs and wants before her own.
She is survived by husband Ronnie, son Gene, granddaughter Roxanne, sisters Ingrid, Gertrude and Elfriede, and extended family Riche Sparks, Venus Williamson, Delfin Espiritu Jr. and Emelia Williamson.
A celebration of life will be held on Friday, Nov. 29, at 5:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Good Help Catholic Church multi-purpose room. The family invites anyone who knew her to attend.
Cremation arrangements are by the Coleman Mortuary in Hoquiam.
Please take a few moments to record your thoughts for the family by signing the online register at www.colemanmortuary.net.
