Mrs. Betty Jo Wright Sparkman age 88 of Sparta, passed away at 6:46pm on Friday, July 11, 2025 at St. Thomas Midtown Hospital in Nashville.

Betty Jo was born October 8, 1936 in Campaign, Tennessee. She was the last surviving child of the eight children born to the late Vaughn Morgan and Recie Hester Jaco Wright. She worked alongside her husband at Sparkman's Jewelry on the Square in Sparta and later managed the former Pit Stop where she made many friends with all of her customers. She was a longtime member of Greenwood Baptist Church. In her later years, her middays were devoted to the Young and the Restless and solitaire but all day everyday she devoted her time to keeping track of her children and her beloved grandchildren.

In addition to her parents and her seven siblings, she is also preceded in death by her husband Frank M. Sparkman who died October 27, 1977.

Survivors include her daughter Mary Beth Strianese

Son: Scott (Leslie) Sparkman

Grandchildren: Julie (Thomas) Helmick, Dylan Sparkman, Carlyn (Taylor) Geyer, Jack Sparkman, Seth Sparkman and Ava Sparkman

Great-grandchildren: Hunter Helmick, Lily Helmick, Kyler McDonald and Scarlett McDonald

A host of nieces and nephews also survive

Funeral services will be conducted 1:00pm Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at Greenwood Baptist Church with burial in Greenwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 4-8:00pm Monday and again after 10:00am Tuesday at the church.

John McCord, Scott Sparkman and Mike McAfee will officiate.

Aiden Cummings, Brent Higdon, Joshua Templeton, Jeremiah Hodges, Austin Tolbert and Mike Rabius will serve the family as pallbearers.