Bio written by Find A Grave contributor Ron:
"The family pet was the dog Sparkey. He was a pure mixed breed type, one of a kind. A school friend called me one day and said he had found a stray dog, but his folks said he could not keep him. He wanted to know if I wanted him. My parents said ok. My friend brought him to my house. Here came this small black dog bounding up the driveway into my arms. He was boundless energy and He looked like a Scottie type. I named him Sparkey. We figured him to be about 4 years old. so he was born about 1940. I was 11. He loved to follow me every where with me riding my bike. We fixed him a box in the garage to sleep in. In Abilene, Texas life was pretty laid back in 1943. My dad planted a small peach tree garden in the back yard. in the summer time I slept under the trees on a cot with a bedroll. Sparky slept at my feet. and kept a vigil all night. He chased supposed intruders, which were mostly stray cats.
His downfall was my father's chickens and the neighbor's big cat, who loved to tease Sparkey and then attack him, always winning. I was in the Boy Scouts so Sparkey went on all my hikes and camping trips. He was our watch dog and my constant companion.
One day he just disappeared. I went everywhere searching for him. A neighbor told me that a car had come by on the street. They offered him some food so he jumped into the car and they drove off. I was sad, angry, and very upset, I continued to drive my bike all over town, thinking I would see him. Never did. Finally I thought he was gone forever. About three months later I was next door in a neighbors house,I looked up and standing in my front yard was Sparkey. I can't describe how surprised and happy I was. His fur was all tangled and dirty. He had a big collar on his neck where several ropes had been tied. Sparkey and I were so happy. He, of course, knew he was back home. I believe in my heart, even today so many years later, that he was speaking to me and telling me how wonderful it was to be HOME. Just like Dorothy told Toto in the Wizard of OZ it was GOOD TO BE HOME!!!!
In the winter time Sparkey would get into the snow and ice. Then he would want to be inside the house. So my mother would let him in by the fire on an old towel to dry off and get warm. Then he would get up, go to the door and get right back out for more cold weather romps.
Well the years drifted by. I was in college so our day to day contacts became less, but Sparkey remained true and steady. He loved to be scratched behind his ears and would pull all kinds of antics to ask for you to do just that. Then one day I made a big change in my life. I got married in 1952 and moved to an apartment about 2 miles away from the family home, so our time together became even less. Then one day my mother called me and said that Sparkey had not come in for his evening meal. The next morning my sister was playing in the drive way next to the house and she saw him laying under a shrub he had died there. It was in April, 1953. A faithful, loving family pet had passed away. we buried him in our back yard in the shade of one of our peach trees, and told him goodbye old friend."
"The family pet was the dog Sparkey. He was a pure mixed breed type, one of a kind. A school friend called me one day and said he had found a stray dog, but his folks said he could not keep him. He wanted to know if I wanted him. My parents said ok. My friend brought him to my house. Here came this small black dog bounding up the driveway into my arms. He was boundless energy and He looked like a Scottie type. I named him Sparkey. We figured him to be about 4 years old. so he was born about 1940. I was 11. He loved to follow me every where with me riding my bike. We fixed him a box in the garage to sleep in. In Abilene, Texas life was pretty laid back in 1943. My dad planted a small peach tree garden in the back yard. in the summer time I slept under the trees on a cot with a bedroll. Sparky slept at my feet. and kept a vigil all night. He chased supposed intruders, which were mostly stray cats.
His downfall was my father's chickens and the neighbor's big cat, who loved to tease Sparkey and then attack him, always winning. I was in the Boy Scouts so Sparkey went on all my hikes and camping trips. He was our watch dog and my constant companion.
One day he just disappeared. I went everywhere searching for him. A neighbor told me that a car had come by on the street. They offered him some food so he jumped into the car and they drove off. I was sad, angry, and very upset, I continued to drive my bike all over town, thinking I would see him. Never did. Finally I thought he was gone forever. About three months later I was next door in a neighbors house,I looked up and standing in my front yard was Sparkey. I can't describe how surprised and happy I was. His fur was all tangled and dirty. He had a big collar on his neck where several ropes had been tied. Sparkey and I were so happy. He, of course, knew he was back home. I believe in my heart, even today so many years later, that he was speaking to me and telling me how wonderful it was to be HOME. Just like Dorothy told Toto in the Wizard of OZ it was GOOD TO BE HOME!!!!
In the winter time Sparkey would get into the snow and ice. Then he would want to be inside the house. So my mother would let him in by the fire on an old towel to dry off and get warm. Then he would get up, go to the door and get right back out for more cold weather romps.
Well the years drifted by. I was in college so our day to day contacts became less, but Sparkey remained true and steady. He loved to be scratched behind his ears and would pull all kinds of antics to ask for you to do just that. Then one day I made a big change in my life. I got married in 1952 and moved to an apartment about 2 miles away from the family home, so our time together became even less. Then one day my mother called me and said that Sparkey had not come in for his evening meal. The next morning my sister was playing in the drive way next to the house and she saw him laying under a shrub he had died there. It was in April, 1953. A faithful, loving family pet had passed away. we buried him in our back yard in the shade of one of our peach trees, and told him goodbye old friend."
Bio written by Find A Grave contributor Ron:
"The family pet was the dog Sparkey. He was a pure mixed breed type, one of a kind. A school friend called me one day and said he had found a stray dog, but his folks said he could not keep him. He wanted to know if I wanted him. My parents said ok. My friend brought him to my house. Here came this small black dog bounding up the driveway into my arms. He was boundless energy and He looked like a Scottie type. I named him Sparkey. We figured him to be about 4 years old. so he was born about 1940. I was 11. He loved to follow me every where with me riding my bike. We fixed him a box in the garage to sleep in. In Abilene, Texas life was pretty laid back in 1943. My dad planted a small peach tree garden in the back yard. in the summer time I slept under the trees on a cot with a bedroll. Sparky slept at my feet. and kept a vigil all night. He chased supposed intruders, which were mostly stray cats.
His downfall was my father's chickens and the neighbor's big cat, who loved to tease Sparkey and then attack him, always winning. I was in the Boy Scouts so Sparkey went on all my hikes and camping trips. He was our watch dog and my constant companion.
One day he just disappeared. I went everywhere searching for him. A neighbor told me that a car had come by on the street. They offered him some food so he jumped into the car and they drove off. I was sad, angry, and very upset, I continued to drive my bike all over town, thinking I would see him. Never did. Finally I thought he was gone forever. About three months later I was next door in a neighbors house,I looked up and standing in my front yard was Sparkey. I can't describe how surprised and happy I was. His fur was all tangled and dirty. He had a big collar on his neck where several ropes had been tied. Sparkey and I were so happy. He, of course, knew he was back home. I believe in my heart, even today so many years later, that he was speaking to me and telling me how wonderful it was to be HOME. Just like Dorothy told Toto in the Wizard of OZ it was GOOD TO BE HOME!!!!
In the winter time Sparkey would get into the snow and ice. Then he would want to be inside the house. So my mother would let him in by the fire on an old towel to dry off and get warm. Then he would get up, go to the door and get right back out for more cold weather romps.
Well the years drifted by. I was in college so our day to day contacts became less, but Sparkey remained true and steady. He loved to be scratched behind his ears and would pull all kinds of antics to ask for you to do just that. Then one day I made a big change in my life. I got married in 1952 and moved to an apartment about 2 miles away from the family home, so our time together became even less. Then one day my mother called me and said that Sparkey had not come in for his evening meal. The next morning my sister was playing in the drive way next to the house and she saw him laying under a shrub he had died there. It was in April, 1953. A faithful, loving family pet had passed away. we buried him in our back yard in the shade of one of our peach trees, and told him goodbye old friend."
"The family pet was the dog Sparkey. He was a pure mixed breed type, one of a kind. A school friend called me one day and said he had found a stray dog, but his folks said he could not keep him. He wanted to know if I wanted him. My parents said ok. My friend brought him to my house. Here came this small black dog bounding up the driveway into my arms. He was boundless energy and He looked like a Scottie type. I named him Sparkey. We figured him to be about 4 years old. so he was born about 1940. I was 11. He loved to follow me every where with me riding my bike. We fixed him a box in the garage to sleep in. In Abilene, Texas life was pretty laid back in 1943. My dad planted a small peach tree garden in the back yard. in the summer time I slept under the trees on a cot with a bedroll. Sparky slept at my feet. and kept a vigil all night. He chased supposed intruders, which were mostly stray cats.
His downfall was my father's chickens and the neighbor's big cat, who loved to tease Sparkey and then attack him, always winning. I was in the Boy Scouts so Sparkey went on all my hikes and camping trips. He was our watch dog and my constant companion.
One day he just disappeared. I went everywhere searching for him. A neighbor told me that a car had come by on the street. They offered him some food so he jumped into the car and they drove off. I was sad, angry, and very upset, I continued to drive my bike all over town, thinking I would see him. Never did. Finally I thought he was gone forever. About three months later I was next door in a neighbors house,I looked up and standing in my front yard was Sparkey. I can't describe how surprised and happy I was. His fur was all tangled and dirty. He had a big collar on his neck where several ropes had been tied. Sparkey and I were so happy. He, of course, knew he was back home. I believe in my heart, even today so many years later, that he was speaking to me and telling me how wonderful it was to be HOME. Just like Dorothy told Toto in the Wizard of OZ it was GOOD TO BE HOME!!!!
In the winter time Sparkey would get into the snow and ice. Then he would want to be inside the house. So my mother would let him in by the fire on an old towel to dry off and get warm. Then he would get up, go to the door and get right back out for more cold weather romps.
Well the years drifted by. I was in college so our day to day contacts became less, but Sparkey remained true and steady. He loved to be scratched behind his ears and would pull all kinds of antics to ask for you to do just that. Then one day I made a big change in my life. I got married in 1952 and moved to an apartment about 2 miles away from the family home, so our time together became even less. Then one day my mother called me and said that Sparkey had not come in for his evening meal. The next morning my sister was playing in the drive way next to the house and she saw him laying under a shrub he had died there. It was in April, 1953. A faithful, loving family pet had passed away. we buried him in our back yard in the shade of one of our peach trees, and told him goodbye old friend."
