Jeffery "Jeff" Cruce Sparks

Jeffery “Jeff” Cruce Sparks, 58, of Hamburg, met Jesus face to face on Friday, November 1, 2024 at CHI St. Vincent Hospital in Sherwood. He was born March 28, 1966, in Galax, Virginia. His early years were spent in North Carolina, Arizona, and Florida before settling in Marvell, Arkansas, where he graduated from Marvell High School in 1984. He was a born-again Christian and helped start Grace Cowboy Church in Ashley County, where he lived the last 20 years.

Acknowledged by his brothers as the brightest of the late Elmer A. and Claudie Cruce Sparks’ three sons, Jeff followed his passion over academia, leaving college after one semester to pursue a fulfilling career as a crop consultant. For over 30 years, he was affectionately known as Scout2, a trusted advisor and cherished friend to the finest farmers of the Arkansas Delta.  An avid hunter and skilled outdoorsman, Jeff was a talented gunsmith and bow and arrow maker. He once harvested two turkeys in a single day using only a longbow and handmade call. He took great pride in teaching and investing in the next generation of hunters, particularly bow hunters. He was a bow hunter before bow hunting was cool, a lifetime member of the NRA and Arkansas Bowhunters Association. Jeff embodied the spirit of a Great American, so much so that just a day before his passing, he cast his final vote for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

While his love for hunting was profound, it was only eclipsed by his deep love for family and friends. He celebrated everyone’s successes but cheered the loudest for his brothers: Chaplain Jay E. Sparks and wife, Rachel, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Jeremy Sparks and wife, Jamie, of Fayetteville, along with his six beloved nephews, Jonah Sparks, Jeremiah Sparks, Joseph Sparks, Kornel Sparks, Jett Sparks, and Jude Sparks.

A memorial service will be held soon, and details will be shared. In the meantime, “Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison.” – Gen. 27:3.