William Sparke

William L. Sparke, 86, of Fargo, ND, died Wednesday, February 11, 2009, at MeritCare Hospital, Fargo. William LeRoy Sparke was born December 14, 1922, in Mapleton, North Dakota, son of Paul Arnold and Florence E. (Armstrong) Sparke. He graduated from Mapleton High School. Bill served in the U.S. Army from November 1942 to November 1945, in the Africa and Italian Theater. Bill married Lorraine M. Schimelpfenig October 27, 1945, in Moorhead, Minnesota. Bill joined the Fargo Fire Department in November 1945, retiring in 1981 as Deputy Fire Chief. Bill is survived by his wife, Lorraine, Fargo, ND; a son, William P. Sparke, Fargo, ND; and a daughter, Carol Lynn Sullivan, Fargo, ND; one sister, Gladys Warnock, Redding, CA; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; five brothers and four sisters. Funeral Service: Friday, February 13, 2009, at 11:00 AM, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Fargo, ND. Visitation: Thursday, February 12, 2009, from 4-7 PM, at Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home, Fargo, ND. Burial: Sunset Memorial Gardens, Fargo, ND.