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Elbert Ronald Hughes

Mr. Elbert Ronald Hughes, 86, of Clemmons, passed away at his residence on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. Hughes was born in Gold Hill on June 20, 1934, to the late William Emery Hughes and Odessa Lowder Hughes. He served his country in the United States Navy during the Korean Conflict. Hughes retired from the United States Postal Service, where he worked as a letter carrier. He was an active member of Salem Baptist Church. In addition to his parents, Hughes was preceded in death by his sister, Juanita Lazenby. He is survived by his wife, Jo Ann Hemrick Hughes; four children, Tim Hughes (Amy), Angie LeRoy (Bill), Julie Mustin (Erik), and Michael Hughes (Marsha); ten grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one brother, Gene Hughes. Funeral services for Hughes were held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020, at Salem Baptist Church with Rev. Kivett Hicks officiating.  Interment followed at Forsyth Memorial Park with full military honors. The family received friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Salem Baptist Church livestreamed the funeral service at www.salembaptistnow.org . In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Salem Baptist Church, 429 S. Broad St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Hayworth-Miller Silas Creek Chapel is assisting the Hughes family.

Marjorie ‘Margie’ Shinlever Jarvis

Mrs. Marjorie “Margie” Shinlever Jarvis, 72, of Clemmons, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020, at Forsyth Medical Center. She was born April 28, 1948, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Jarvis loved to travel and meeting people. She was preceded in death by her parents, Katherine Justice Shinlever and Oscar Edward Shinlever and a son, Jeff Holt. Surviving are her husband, Tim Jarvis; one son, Howard Holt; three grandchildren, Brandon Robles, LeAnn Cowick and Hailie Holt; one sister, Teresa Kay Shinlever and one brother, Oscar Edward “Eddie” Shinlever Jr. A graveside service was held at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, at Gardens of Memory in Walkertown. Hayworth-Miller Silas Creek Chapel is assisting the Jarvis family.

Helen Madeleine Smoot Sparks

Mrs. Helen Madeleine Smoot Sparks, 95, of Farmington, died Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020, at the Joan and Howard Woltz Hospice House in Dobson, a casualty of COVID-19.

The youngest child of Mattie Eaton and Robert Lee Smoot, she was born July 30, 1925, at the headwaters of Bear Creek in northwest Davie County on the family tobacco farm, spending childhood summers plucking green worms off tobacco leaves by hand, suckering and priming. As a first-grader, she walked two miles to the bus stop. On rainy, muddy mornings, she rode astride the family mule led by her father.

At age 12, she was baptized in Bear Creek. She prayed each night on her knees. On her deathbed, she recited the 23rd Psalm and urged her family to memorize it.

She was a bright girl who graduated at the top of her class from Farmington High in 1942, and attended Appalachian State Teachers College, majoring in science and math, graduating in 1946. She taught at the old Mocksville and Farmington high schools and was the chemistry teacher at Davie High for 27 years.

She married Farmington classmate John F. Sparks in 1947, becoming a dairy farmer’s wife. They built a house, planted pecan trees and made the farm their home, rearing six children. Her husband died in 2002. They were married 55 years.

She was a member of Macedonia Moravian Church. Since college, she read the Bible from cover to cover every year. She followed Biblical instructions to feed, clothe and visit the hungry, needy and sick.

She was industrious, compassionate and had an encyclopedic memory. She baked and shared thousands of her signature oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies.  She had a green thumb and a large, flowering lawn. She commanded the wheel of her Cub Cadet mower, reluctantly yielding at age 92.

Also preceding her in death, son John Edwin Sparks; brothers, McKinley, Cedric, Lester and Johnnie; sons-in-law Robert “Bob” Segal and Freddy A. Young and daughters-in-law Mary B. Sparks and Carol W. Sparks. Survivors include children Helen S. Myers (Bobby), Nancy S. Miller (Michael), Dwight A. Sparks (Elizabeth), Teresa S. Phifer (John), and Alethea S. Segal; 15 grandchildren and six step-grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren and 16 step-great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law Hazel Smoot and Betty Sparks Todd.

Graveside funeral services were at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, with burial at the Macedonia Moravian Church’s God’s Acre.

Due to the pandemic, there was not be a formal visitation. Friends may pay their respects to Sparks by signing the register at Eaton Funeral Home.

Memorials are suggested to Farmington Vol. Fire Dept., 1880 Farmington Road, Mocksville, NC 27028.

Online condolences may be made at www.eatonfuneralservice.com .