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Valerie Gay Sparkman Merkel, age 57 of Columbia, TN went home to Heaven on Monday, January 16, 2017, surrounded by family.

The loving mother and wife was born August 3, 1959. She grew up in the Carter’s Creek community in Spring Hill. She loved the country and animals, especially dogs. She loved music, her favorite bands being The Eagles and The BeeGees.

She was a devoted mother, who loved to travel and watch her daughter play softball and golf. She was utmost intelligent, graduating Magna Cum Laude and ranked top of her class with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She had a distinguished career in business communications, and spent her last several years as a legal assistant most notably at Frost Brown Todd LLC and Stites & Harbison PLLC.
She is preceded by her father, Seth Sparkman; and her mother, Hazel Brown Sparkman.

She is survived by her daughter, Kelly Lee Merkel; her husband, Billy Merkel; her sisters Jennifer Usher and Ruth Zeber; her brothers, Skip and Lexie Sparkman; and many nieces and nephews.

The family will welcome friends on Monday, January 23, 2017 from 12:00 Noon to 1:00PM at Beech Grove Church of Christ, Columbia, TN where a celebration of life will be conducted at 1:00PM with Tommy Harrison officiating.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at www.nationalmssociety.org/donate in memory of Valerie Merkel.