Colette Sparby

Colette Sparby, 77, of Ortonville, MN, passed away on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at Ortonville Area Health Services in Ortonville. Colette was an adored grandmother, mother, sister, aunt and so much more.

Memorial service will be held at Living Hope Fellowship in Ortonville, MN, on April 18, 2026, at 1:00 pm. Colette will be missed with a ferocity that can only be assuaged by knowing she is reunited with her family.

Colette Ann (Homrighausen) Sparby was born in Graceville, MN, on October 14, 1948, to loving parents, Frank and Wanda Homrighausen. Her father was a farmer, and her mother was a homemaker. Colette had two older siblings, Janet and Gary, and a younger brother, David. Colette would often talk about the many pranks her brothers played on her which seemed to always include something scary, like snakes and spiders, and ended with the boys in trouble.

Colette celebrated her 4th birthday as a patient at the University of Minnesota hospital in Minneapolis, MN, while being treated for polio. Colette attended Clinton Public School and graduated as salutatorian in 1966.

After graduating, Colette and her dear friend Norma moved to Minneapolis and worked for Prudential Insurance Company. Wanting to get out of the metropolitan area, she moved back to Clinton in the summer of 1968 and worked at Ortonville Area Hospital as a transcriptionist. She met her former husband, Arlyn Sparby, in Clinton. They married on April 20, 1974, and shortly after moved to Gillette, WY, for Arlyn’s work. While in Gillette, Colette was a homemaker for their three children: Chad, Nikki and Shane. She also worked as a transcriptionist for the local hospital. Colette had a special interest in one particular animal, raccoons. She raised several raccoons from babies as house pets; her most beloved raccoon was named Bandit.

In November 1997, Colette moved back to Minnesota and worked at Frigo Cheese until December 1999, when she went to work at Prairie Correctional Facility. After her parents had both passed away, she moved back to Gillette in June 2003 to be closer to her children and grandchildren. She worked at the Council of Community Services in Gillette as an intake specialist for many years. In this role, she welcomed people from all walks of life into a warm and supportive environment that encouraged individuals to better themselves. She was referred to as the “shelter mom” because she accepted everyone and always had an open ear. She often volunteered at the soup kitchen, a local cooperative to feed the city’s homeless population. Colette retired in 2016 and spent the remainder of her life doing what she loved most: caring for her hamsters, growing houseplants, spending time with family, and enjoying Family Feud on GSN.

Her grandchild, Amara, shared some memories of Colette: “As a child, I remember my crazy grandma as a strong and self-reliant woman. She encouraged us grandkids to call her “Crazy Grandma” because she felt it described her perfectly. She was the best grandma. She played with us every chance she had, even if it meant we accidentally broke some of her prized glass horse figurines. She almost always let me win every board and card game we routinely played.”

Colette survived by her brothers: Gary (Marlys) Homrighausen and David (Jeri) Homrighausen; son, Shane (Andrea) Sparby; and grandchildren: Amara (Rodney) Thomas, Trypp Burtsfield, Brooklynn (Parker) Martinson, and Baylie Sparby.

Colette was preceded in death by her parents: Frank and Wanda Homrighausen; sister, Janet Weeding; sister-in-law, Florine Homrighausen; children: Chad Sparby and Nikki Burtsfield; and niece, Vicki Oakes.