John Freeman Sponaugle, 94, a resident of Parsons, passed from this life in the early morning hours of Sunday, August 3, 2014 at home surrounded by family. John was born Saturday, May 29, 1920 in Gladwin, a son of the late John Alvin Sponaugle and Dessie Hedrick Sponaugle. On June 15, 1949 he married the former Ruby Mae Davis who preceded him in death in 2012. Left to cherish his memory are four daughters, Rosemary Petersen and husband Joseph, Melissa O’Brien and husband David, Valerie Sponaugle and Amelia Barmoy and husband Michael, two brothers, Berlin and Paul Sponaugle, two sisters, Louise Rutherford and Abbie Wamsley, seven grandchildren, Joseph M. Petersen, Stephanie Hobson, John Taylor, Joshua, Jared and Jefferson Barmoy and Christy Holloway and seven great grandchildren, Kyle Skinner, Maxwell, Margaret Mae and Jackson Arnold, Alexander and Benjamin Petersen and Azriel Hobson. Preceding him in death besides his parents and wife were three sisters, Ruth Stalnaker, Evelyn Parsons and Lorraine Hedrick. John was a graduate of Parsons High School. During WWII he worked in the shipyards in Baltimore, MD. He met Ruby in Akron, OH while working at Republic Steel and Timkin Roller Bearing. John retired from Kaiser Aluminum in Jackson County after twenty six year of service. John and Ruby moved back to Parsons in 2004. He was an active member of the Parsons Church of God and prior to that, was a member of the Drift Run Methodist Church in Jackson County for forty eight years. Visitation will be held at the Summerfield Funeral Home on Tuesday from 5 until 8PM. A funeral service will be conducted at the funeral home on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 at 11:00AM. Pastor David Snyder will officiate and interment will follow in Brights Chapel Cemetery in Dry Fork.
