See SQ p. 5439-40:

MEMORIES OF BESSIE (RODGERS) PETTUS

[Editor's Note: As we noted on page 5433 of the present issue of theQUARTERLY, it was Louise Pettus of
Rock Hill, South Carolina, who provided the family records enabling us tocompile the above article on Thomas Sparks (1816-1863) and many of hisdescendants. Ms. Pettus is a great-great-granddaughter of Thomas. Hermother, Bessie Katherine (Rodgers) Pettus, recorded some of her memoriesin February 1993. Ms. Pettus has shared these with the editor. As shownon page 5438, Bessie (Rodgers) Pettus was born in 1904. We believe thatour readers will find these memories to be interesting. We begin with hermemory of Camp Meetings at Belair Church in Lancaster, South Carolina.]

I first attended camp meeting at Belair Church, originally called MountArrarat, around 1910 or 1912. My
grandparents, Marion DeKalb and Adeline Josephine Rodgers, lived near thechurch.

My grandmother Rodgers said she helped to cook breakfast for forty peoplewho had come from her old home at Catawba in York County to camp meetingat Mount Arrarat. People would come in wagons with their children andstay overnight. The men would sleep in the wagons. These wagons wereloaded with chickens, eggs, food, quilts for the children, and feed forthe mules. Some that lived near enough would go home for the night,leaving their wagons and buggies at the church. They would unhitch theirmules from the wagons and tie them to trees in the woods.

Services were morning and afternoon. If they had a night service, theyhad to have lanterns in the trees to be able to see to get around outside.

We had a lemonade stand and sold it for 3 cents a cup. After camp meetingwas over my grandmother would sweep up corn spilled by the mules for hercheckens, and I would hunt for pennies in the sawdust where the lemonadestand had been. I have been a member at Belair for seventy-seven years[1993].

I also would ride the train to Catawba Junction with my grandmotherRodgers to visit the John Sparks family. We would stay a week during thesummer. They had a small store and house near the railroad track. CousinNannie would meet the train each day with lunch for the conductor,engineer, and fireman. I would help her carry the tea, sandwiches, friedchicken, and pies as the train stopped to pick up food. Seeing the trainsdaily, you learned to love the sound of the whistle, the rumble of thewheels, and the men as they waved each day to us children.

Marion DeKalb Rodgers was in the Civil War. He slept in the snow inVirginia. When he woke up he was
covered with snow and there would be a little hole where he breathed.When I knew him, Grandfather had a beard. He had a little short beard inhis earlier years. Later he had a large beard. He was of small to mediumheight and had pretty blue eyes. Josephine [Bessie's grandmother] wasprobably about 5' 2". She had brown hair and brown eyes. She wore herhair twisted in a bun on top of her head.

Once, Grandfather Rodgers said he was going to spank me. I hid underGrandmother Josephine's apron. I had laughed out loud and he told me tobe quiet. I laughed again, and when he started after me, I ran to thekitchen where Grand mother was making bread. The next day they took mehome in the wagon. When they left, I was back in the wagon.

Pat Rodgers Murphy has M. D. and Josephine's Bible. Each night I read theBible Grandmother Josephine gave me. She asked me what did I want thatbelonged to her. I replied, "Your Bible." This was said to Grandmotherafter M.D. 's death (after she moved in with us up on the hill). She saidshe wanted her son, James Mitchell Rodgers, to have the Bible. She gaveme $5 .00 to buy a Bible which I have today. I bought the Bible from amail order firm in 1921.

**********

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 2756, for a photograph of Drusy EleanorSparks taken on Mother's Day, 1984, shortly prior to her death.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 2753, for the wedding picture of John Brooksand Hortense T. (Rogers) Landers. See p. 2754: "They were buried atMenard, Texas."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1985, Whole No. 126, p. 2752 forinformation on the following named children of James Carroll andElizabeth (Sparks) Rogers:

1. Sarah A. E. Rogers;
2. Mary Lou Rogers;
3. Columbus Alexander Rogers;
4. L. F. Rogers;
5. William A. Rogers;
6. J. C. Rogers;
7 . Thomas Pitts Rogers;
8. John Howard Rogers;
9. Edgar Ernest Rogers ;
10. Margaret Lee "Maggie" Rogers;
11. Charles Bennett Rogers;
12. unnamed son who died at birth;
13. Samuel Everett Rogers;
14. (same as 12);
15. Archie D. Rogers;
16. Bertie Milam Rogers.

James F. Rogers and his wife Ina Eula Lee (Burney) Rogers are buried inAbiline, Taylor County, TX.

SQ pg 2754:

"They were the parents of nine children:

1. Joseph Webber Rogers;
2. James William Rogers;
3. Mary Alice Rogers;
4. Rucker Arthur Rogers;
5. Linnie Rogers;
6. Samuel Rogers;
7. Drusy Eleanor Rogers;
8. Josie Ford Rogers;
9. Leland Stanford Rogers.

NOTE: There appears a photograph of John Marion Rogers and Lavinia Jane(Smith) Rogers on page 2755 of THE SPARKS QUARTERLY.

SQ pg 2754:

"After the death of his mother, he apparently went to live with hisuncle Stephen Franklin Sparks. He served in the Confederate States Armyand after the war ended, he served as a Texas Ranger. He and Susie hadthree children:

1. Washington Tillman Rogers;
2. Mattie J. Rogers;
3. Eula Bess Rogers."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1985, Whole No. 130, p. 2756:

"Mary Ann Elizabeth Rogers, daughter of Sam and Elizabeth (Sparks)Rogers, was born about 1850, and her mother died shortly after herbirth. The only record we have found of her is on the 1860 census ofMcLennan County, Texas. She was then eleven years of age and was livingin the household of her uncle, Stephen Franklin Sparks."

SQ pg 2754: "He was killed in 1864 while serving in the ConfederateStates Army."

SQ pg 2753:

"He was living with his uncle, James Hawkins Sparks, when the 1860census was taken of McLennan County. He served as a lieutenant in theConfederate States Army. Rogers was a rancher/merchant; he attended theBaptist Church. They were the parents of nine children:

1 . Hortense Telefious Rogers;
2. William Arelius Rogers;
3. Samuel M . Rogers;
4. Linton G. Rogers;
5. Walter Everett Rogers;
6. Harvey Ernese Rogers;
7. Otto H. Rogers;
8. Charles Ward Rogers;
9. Mary Minnie Rogers.

SQ p. 5601: His name was Harris or Horace Rootes. He was a nephew ofJefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America and wasliving with him in the 1830s.

Information on the mother of Dorcas Ross and of her maternalgrandparents was supplied by Renee Carlson on 29 Aug, 1999, Wog & Nae"wognae@@compu-ad.net" with no substantiation provided.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3897: They had five children: Daniel, Martha, David, Elber t,and Phoebe Bailey.

Estal Ross was killed in World War II.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3898: They had at least one child: Jesse Ross.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY for March, 1970, Whole No. 69, at p. 1307:

DEATHTAKES SIDNEY ROSSITER

We have been informed by Roy Sparks of Omaha, Nebr., that Sidney Rossiterof Dewitt, Nebr., the husband of Mrs. Luala (Sparks) Rossiter, passedaway on July 27, 1969, aged 100 years, 9 months, and 11 days. Mr.Rossiter was mentioned in the article on Calvin and Mahala
(Carmichael) Sparks which appeared in the QUARTERLY of March 1969 (Vol.XVII, No. 1, Whole No. 65, p. 1207).

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg. 3202: They had six children: Retha H., Ruth B., Derrill L .,
Merrill E., John W., and James R. Royall.

.
!NOTES:
SQ 3201: Etta Royall was born in 1887. She died sometime durin g the
1970's. She married (1st) Amos McCoy and (2nd) Roy Morris. She had
three children by her first marriage: Mildred P., Retha I., and Dor a E.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3201: They had four children: Lawrence, Camilla, Esther an dRoland.