Kliss Anna Whitworth Sparks was born on Aug. 13, 1930, in Preston, Idaho. She was the first daughter born to John Milton Whitworth and Anna Shuldberg, joining an older sister Catherine. She grew up in the Downey and Malad, Idaho, area graduating from Malad High School early at the age of 16. She then attended Idaho State University and for two years, and then on a dare, she applied for a teaching position in Cokeville, Wyoming. She taught for two years and then met and married Elwyn Sparks on November 25, 1950, and made Cokeville her home for the next 65 years.

Kliss and Elwyn were blessed with three children: Boyd, Annabeth and Joann. After their children were gone, they raised their niece, Shirley, who remains a part of their family today. They spent many summers camping in the mountains with Elwyn as part of his employment.

She taught school for 32½ years spending the majority of her time in fourth grade. She retired from teaching in the summer of 1992. During her teaching career, she touched many lives and remained a loyal Panther fan throughout her life. She loved reading stories after lunch to her students and was teaching in the Spring of 1986 when the entire school was taken hostage in the Cokeville bombing. All of her alma maters colors were Orange and black. Her family would tease that her blood flowed orange and black.

She faithfully served in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in multiple positions. She served on community and civic boards such as: The American Legion Auxiliary, Bear Lake Valley Healthcare Foundation and the Lincoln County School District #2 Education Foundation.

During the last year of her life, Kliss lived with her daughter, Joann, in Pocatello, for medical reasons. Cokeville always remained her home and she always longed to be back in Cokeville until the very end.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Elwyn, and three siblings. She is survived by her children: Boyd Sparks, Cokeville, Wyoming; Annabeth (Kirk) Mitchell, Smoot, Wyoming; Joann (Marshall) Parker, Pocatello, Idaho; and Shirley (Bill) Johns, Smoot, Wyoming. She has eight grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings: Catherine Olsen, Dean Whitworth and Don Whitworth.