Deloris Ann "Pete" Sparing passed away during the early morning hours of Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at the age of 82 at St. Peter's Hospital. She had spent the previous 4 days with her family maintaining a loving vigil at her side. Pete was born July 28, 1930 in Helena. She was the third child of 4, and the youngest for 11 years to Blanche Violet (Bouley) and Forrest Aden Green. She grew up in the family home on Hiawatha Street in the Kenwood Edition. Pete was given the nickname of Piccolo Pete by a family friend at a very young age, and it stuck. She has been Pete ever since.
She attended Kessler Elementary school, the same school her mother attended. The next 3 generations of her family also attended Kessler School with two of her great-grandchildren still there. She attended and graduated from Helena High School in 1948. During her high school years she worked at the Parrot Confectionary and "Ma Bell" as a telephone operator.
Pete married her loving husband, James Edward "Eddie" Sparing Sr. on November 27, 1948. They were married for 62 years when Eddie passed away in 2010. They were blessed with two children, Jim and Susan. Pete and Eddie made their home in Helena. Pete's most important job was staying at home and taking care of her family while her children were growing up. Once Jim and Susan were older but still at home, Pete worked part-time at American Federal Savings.
During the early years of their marriage, Pete and Eddie enjoyed bowling, camping with family, fishing, hunting (bagging an elk with her trusty .243), and playing cards with family and friends. She was a talented seamstress and an amazing cook. Pete was well known for her smooth gravy and ability to "whip up a pie in the wink of an eye." She also acted as a care-taker for many over the years including her grandmother and parents. It was through these relationships that she learned so much family history that she has readily shared with so many.
When her children were grown and began to have children of their own, Pete got great joy spending time with her grandchildren at her Rimini home. Pete and Eddie always had room in their queen-size bed for any grandchildren that wanted to snuggle. Pete would always indulge all requests of her grandchildren and was easily talked into making "the works" for breakfast.
During their retirement, Pete and Eddie much enjoyed travelling with the Mountain West Bank Summit Club and visiting friends and family members around the country. They also received the greatest joy from being so involved in the lives of their grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Grandma Pete was thrilled when she became blessed with great grandchildren that she got to spoil and care for. Her Great Grandchildren had the privilege of developing a special bond with grandma Pete and will greatly miss her. She was known as "Grandma Pete" by not only her family, but also many neighbor children and friends that held a special place in her heart and home.
Pete was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Eddie, and son-in-law Bob Smart.
Pete is survived by her son Jim (Cindy) Sparing Jr of Helena and daughter Susan Smart of Chittenden, VT. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Michael (Blair) Smart of Nashville, TN; Sherryl (Noah) Sanders of Nashville, TN; Michele (Brad) Russell of Helena; Jamie (Nick) Bright of Helena; and Kurtis Sparing of Great Falls. Grandma Pete is also survived by 5 great-grandchildren: Austyn and Ashleigh Crum and Ryan and Abby Yeske, all of Helena, and Tegegn Sanders of Nashville, TN.
Her legacy also includes her sister Myrtle Prohaska of Seattle, WA; sister Phyllis LeFevre of Casper, WY; brother Forrest (Karen) Green of Cody, WY; and brother-in-law Leonard (Ina) Sparing of Helena. Pete is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
We were not ready to say goodbye to you, Grandma Pete. We love you so very much and miss you even more.
Public visitation will be from noon to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 2nd at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home. Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 3rd at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery. A reception will follow the burial in the fellowship hall of the funeral home.
The Eugene Register-Guard
Lane County, Oregon
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Family Tribute
Cloid Brenner Wigle (1916-2010)
Cloid Brenner Wigle, age 94, was born April 3, 1916 at the family home in Harrisburg, Oregon on the Wigle Pioneer Land claim. He passed away peacefully at the home he built in Riddle, surrounded by family and caregivers July 5, 2010.
He graduated from Silverton HS in 1935 where he was active in multiple sports. Sports of all kinds would prove to be a central part of his later life as he followed his children, grandchildren and many local athletes in Douglas County.
After high school he was active in dairy farming and supervised the Woodburn School for Boys dairy until joining the Army despite having a governor's exemption in 1942. He volunteered for Airborne and became one of the early members of the 82nd Airborne. He made four combat jumps in the European Theatre, Sicily, Italy, Normandy on D-day and Market Garden in Holland. He was wounded the day after D-day and was a prisoner of war for a brief time in Normandy. He recovered from that significant hip wound to return to fight in the later parts of WWII.
Post WWII he attended Oregon State University briefly and then married Rita Ferschweiler in 1945 and moved to Riddle in 1947. Cloid and Rita were blessed with five children: Kent (Sue) of Coos Bay; Dick Wigle (deceased); Rod (Carla) Wigle of Bend; Colleen (Dennis) Hunt of Pendleton; and Gail (Rick) Weaver of Myrtle Creek; plus eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
An avid hunter and fisherman he fostered that passion in his sons and grandchildren.
After 25 years working at Hanna Nickel he retired to his workshop to craft his toys, kitchen wares, "fish-wackers" and most importantly his wood baseball bats and fungoes which ended up in the hands of many players and coaches across the country including Alex Rodriquez and Sparky Anderson.
Always a willing teacher he helped many a young baseball player "turn" their own bat on his wood lathe. He also became well known for sharing his WWII experiences with high schools all over the state bringing a face and a reality to the history books. This allowed Cloid to rid himself of some of the demons of combat and reconnect with many airborne friends in the later years.
Quick with a joke and not knowing a stranger he will be missed by many.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Rita, and his son Dick.
A memorial service for the family at his gravesite at Veterans Memorial Garden in Roseburg is scheduled for Friday, August 6, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, August 7, 2010 there will be a community gathering in Tri-City at the South Umpqua baseball field beginning at 11:00 a.m. Following Cloid's family and friends will gather at the family home in Riddle noon to 3:00 p.m.
Contributions in Cloid's name may be made to your own youth sports organizations to keep the Kids playing.