Desert Messenger

16 www.DesertMessenger.com April 3, 2019 In Memoriam Clifford Carl Sparks, Sr. Clifford Carl Sparks, Sr., 90, of Gardner, Kan passed away March 20, 2019. Clifford was born Sept. 19, 1928 in McClouth, Kan to James Arthur and Mable (Grant) Sparks. He grew up in McClouth. In his youth he jumped trains to escape the orphan- age. He enjoyed travel throughout his life. Clifford met Juanita Rose in the Lawrence-Eudora, Kan area and they married on Sept. 18, 1948. He later married Linda Carterman, his long-time companion. Clifford farmed for 70 years and also hauled milk on a milk route for 14 years. He was a member of Antioch Baptist Church and the Milk Haulers As- soc. Clifford helped start the Isaiah 58 Church in Quartzsite, Ariz whose ministry was feeding the homeless. He was very proud of his grandkids and great-grandkids accomplish- ments and their success and rodeo awards. He will be missed by family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife Juanita in 1989 and second wife Linda in 2014; brothers: Leonard, Charles, Wil- liam, Roy, Jesse and Milton Sparks; sisters: Kathryn Bidding and Cyn- thia Simpson. Clifford is survived by sons: Clifford Sparks, Jr. and wife Theresa, Garnett, Kan, David and wife Darlene Sparks, Ottawa, Kan and Gary Sparks, Gardner, Kan; sister, Mary Woodward, Win- chester, Kan; ten grandchildren: Michelle Sparks, Jennifer Pope, Clifford Sparks, Jr. III, Paul Sparks, Dave Sparks, Samuel Sparks, Mar- tha Sparks, Tammy Redel, Stacy Ashley and Lauren Galvin; many, many great-grandchildren and many great-great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Farley Boys Town in Nebraska. Condolences may be left at www.brucefuneralhome.com. Fay Gettig (1938 – 2019) Fay passed away on March 14, 2019 at Welcov Assisted Living, Ka- lispell, MT. She was 81. Fay was born February 3, 1938 in Minot, ND and was predeceased by Ted, her husband of 45 years. She is survived by her family, Ted (Linda), Sherry (John), Mark and Tami (Da- vid); 7 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren. Fay was a Quartzsite snowbird for many years and leaves a large and loving Winter Family. She held many fun gatherings at her home on N. Kitsap Avenue – Christmas, Thanksgiving, goodbye parties and musical jams. Fay was fun, spunky and loved by so many Snowbirds who gather in Arizona for the winters from all over. We are going to miss her lov- ing ways! Fay's Celebration of Life was held in Kalispell, MT on March 18, 2019. RIP Sweet Fay! Kenneth Gordon Matney Kenneth Gordon Matney died March 26, 2019 at 2:15 am. There will be a memorial service for him in Quartzite AZ on Thursday April 4, 2019 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Please contact Melinda Matney 928-916-9667 There are thousands of new scams every year, and you can't keep up with all of them (we know, we try!). But if you can just remember these TEN THINGS, you can avoid most scams and help protect yourself and your family. 1. Never send money to someone you have never met face-to-face. Se- riously, just don't ever do it. And re- ally, really don't do it if they ask you to use wire transfer, a prepaid debit card, or a gift card (those cannot be traced and are as good as cash). 2. Don't click on links or open at- tachments in unsolicited email. Links can download malware onto your computer and/or steal your identity. Be cautious even with email that looks familiar; it could be fake. 3. Don't believe everything you see. Scammers are great at mimicking official seals, fonts, and other de- tails. Just because a website or email looks official does not mean that it is. Even Caller ID can be faked. 4. Don't buy online unless the transaction is secure. Make sure the website has "https" in the URL (the extra s is for "secure") and a small lock icon on the address bar. Even then, the site could be shady. Check out the company first at bbb. org. Read reviews about the quality of the merchandise, and make sure you are not buying cheap and/or counterfeit goods. 5. Be extremely cautious when deal- ing with anyone you've met online. Scammers use dating websites, Craigslist, social media, and many other sites to reach potential tar- gets. They can quickly feel like a friend or even a romantic partner, but that is part of the con to get you to trust them. 6. Never share personally identi- fiable information with someone who has contacted you unsolicit- ed, whether it's over the phone, by email, on social media, even at your front door. This includes banking and credit card information, your birthdate, and Social Security/So- cial Insurance numbers. 7. Don't be pressured to act immedi- ately. Scammers typically try to make you think something is scarce or a limited time offer. They want to push you into action before you have time to think or to discuss it with a family member, friend, or financial advisor. High-pressure sales tactics are also used by some legitimate businesses, but it's never a good idea to make an important decision quickly. 8. Use secure, traceable transac- tions when making payments for goods, services, taxes, and debts. Do not pay by wire transfer, prepaid money card, gift card, or other non- traditional payment method. Say no to cash-only deals, high pressure sales tactics, high upfront payments, overpayments, and handshake deals without a contract. 9. Whenever possible, work with local businesses that have proper identification, licensing, and insur- ance, especially contractors who will be coming into your home or anyone dealing with your money or sensitive information. Check them out at bbb.org to see what other consumers have experienced. 10. Be cautious about what you share on social media and consider only connecting with people you al- ready know. Be sure to use privacy settings on all social media and online accounts. Imposters often get information about their targets from their online interactions, and can make themselves sound like a friend or family member because they know so much about you. 10 steps to avoid scams

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