See SQ p. 3951.

SPARKS QUARTERLY September 1984, No. 127; p. 2659:

MATTHEW J. SPARKS (1759-1841) AND HIS DESCENDANTS

"Elizabeth Traylor Sparks, daughter of John and Sarah (Brooks) Sparks,was born on March 5, 1813, in Georgia. She married Samuel Coleman onMarch 1, 1836, in Tallapoosa County, Alabama. We have found no furtherinformation regarding this couple."

See SQ p. 4669 for a photo of Ellen and three brothers.

The following appeared in the September, 1969 issue of the SPARKSQUARTERLY, Whole No. 67, at page 1255:

DEATH TAKES MRS. ELLA SPARKS NORRIS

The Sparks Family Association lost another charter member on July 6,1969, with the death of Mrs. Ella Sparks Norris, of Lake Charles,Louisiana. Mrs. Norris was a daughter of the late John Willis and AnnaMargaret (Meier) Sparks. She was a granddaughter of George Graham andElizabeth (Painter) Sparks, and a great-granddaughter of Hugh S. andNancy (Carnutte) Sparks. (See page 102 of the QUARTERLY.)

Mrs. Norris was born in Whitley County, Kentucky, on March 25, 1910. Shewas graduated from Berea College Hospital School of Nursing in 1931 andworked as a registered nurse all of her professional life. At her death,she was a supervisor at Charity Hospital at Lake Charles.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 2782: Ella May Sparks married Bill Davis.

.

SQ p393: By his second wife, Phoebe Jane, George W. Sparks had on echild:
Ellison George Sparks, born in Wells County on December 19, 1866. He
married Rosella Redding, Daughter of John and Sarah (Nicholson Redding),on
November 17, 1888. He died on November 27, 1946.

See SQ p. 408:

"Ellison George Sparks, son of George W. Sparks and his second wife,Phoebe Jane (Pouless) Sparks, was born December 19, 1866, in WellsCounty, Indiana, and died November 27, 1946, at Fort Wayne, Allen County,Indiana. He married Rosella Ellen Redding, daughter of John and Sarah(Nicholson) Redding, in Wells County, Indiana, on November 17 1888. Shewas born February 16, 1868, in Huntington County, Indiana, and died onJune 8,, 1954, at Bluffton, Wells County, Indiana. Ellison G. andRosella E. (Redding) Sparks were the parents of three children.

(1) Ninetta Leota Sparks, born Aug. 6, 1889; died Feb. 9, 1892.
(2) Fern Ada Sparks, born June 3, 1894; married, May 28, 1913, JohnHoward
Gordon.
(3) Ralph Kenneth Sparks, born Nov. 5. 1900; married June 17, 1922,
Josephine Bell.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 4557: He was married to Pearl C. ---.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September, 1982, Whole No. 119, p. 2444:

"Ellsberry Sparks, son of Absalom and Lydia (?) (Elsberry) Sparks, wasborn about 1791 in Georgia. He was undoubtedly named for his mother'sfamily. He was in military service during the war of 1812 for which hereceived bounty land. (See pages 501-502 of the September 1960 Issue ofTHE SPARKS QUARTERLY, Whole No. 31, for details. {Reproduced above})"He was married twice. His first wife was Polly ---, probably born about1795. His second wife was Olivia ---, born about 1810 in Tennessee.

"Elsberry Sparks was in Miller County, Arkansas, in 1821 when hejoined his father and brothers in petitioning the President and Congressto help them protect their property against the Indians. He also signeda similar petition in 1825. On July 31, 1828, he sold his "right to landentry " in Miller County to Chester Ashley. The deed was recorded inPulaski County, Arkansas, on May 26, 1830, but the transaction wasreconfirmed on November 4, 1831, when Sparks and his wife Polly Sparks,conveyed 284 acres to Ashley.

"According to the 1830 census of Sevier County, Arkansas, ElsberrySparks was the father of eight children, all born between 1810 and 1830.By 1850, all of his children had left home and he was living with hiswife, Olivia Sparks, in Crawford County, Arkansas. He was aged 58 andOlivia was aged 40. Living in the household were 2 youngsters, WilliamL. McCabe, 17, and Eleanor McCabe, 11. They may have been Elsberry'sgrandchildren or they may have been his step-children (i.e. children ofOlivia by an earlier marriage.)

"Elsberry Sparks was living in Scott County, Arkansas, when he soldhis share of the estate of his sister, Edy Sparks, for fifty dollars onNovember 27, 1851. His brother, Willoughby Sparks, and his nephew,William Tidwell, witnessed his signature. Shortly thereafter, Elsberrymoved to Falls County, Texas, where he joined his brother, WilloughbySparks, and his sister Lydia. Apparently, he was by himself. On August13, 1855, he was living in Johnson County, Texas, where he applied forbounty land for his service in the War of 1812 [see above]. He waslisted on the 1860 census of Johnson County , but we have found nofurther record of him; he may have died prior to 1870. We have notlearned the names of any of his children."

**********

(Details of his service appear on p. 501, SPARKS QUARTERLY, September,1960, Whole No. 31 as follows:

PENSION APPLICATION FILE, WAR OF 1812, ELSBERRYSPARKS:

"ELSBERRY SPARKS (also called Berry Sparks), born 1793-94, of ShawneyTown, Illinois, Sebastian County, Arkansas, and Johnson County ,Texas.
Bounty Land Warrant File 65 930-40-50 and 59237-160-55.

"The papers pertaining to Elsberry (or Berry) Sparks are in twoseparate files because his application of 1852 was made under the nameElsberry Sparks while in 1855 he signed his name as Berry Sparks.

"He made his first application on April 20, 1852, at which time he wasa resident of Sebastian County, Arkansas. He gave his age as 58 andstated that he had been a private in Capt. Trounsdale's company in theFirst Illinois Militial Regt. of Infantry commanded by Col. PhilipTrammell in the "War of 1812 with the Northern Indians;" that he wasdrafted "at or near Shawney town, Illinois" on or about the first day ofSeptember, 1813, for 6 months and served about 4 months; that he washonorably discharged at Shawney town on or about Jan. 1, 1814. He alsostated that his honorable discharge had been lost. He signed his name asElsberry Sparks.

"In a note made by the Pension Office, it stated that "Berry Sparks"was on record as having served in Capt. Trusdale's company from Sept. 5to Nov. 20, 1812. He was granted 40 acres.

"On Aug. 13, 1855, he again applied for bounty land under the newlaw. At this time he was a resident of Johnson County, Texas. He gavehis age as 62 years. He gave essentially the same information regardinghis service as he had in 1852, except that he was mustered into serviceat the "Saline or Salt works in the Territory of the now State ofIllinois in September 1812 and marched to Fort Edwards where he joinedthe main Army; "that he was drafted for 3 months and served 2 months andwas discharged at "the Saline or Salt works...on account of a treatybeing made with said Indians." He signed his name as Berry Sparks.Willis Sparks and T. G. Sorance, residence of Johnson County, Texas,sIgned as witnesses, the former by mark. It appears that he was granted160 acres of bounty land in 1855.

(Editor’s note: Elsberry (Berry) Sparks was probably the son of AbsolomSparks, who was a son of Matthew and Sarah Sparks (see the Quarterly ofDecember, 1956, Vol. IV No. 4, pp. 177-78, [Whole No. 16] for material onthe elder Matthew Sparks.) In the will of Benjamin Elsberry, dated Aug.21, 1789, probated Aug. 29, 1792, in Wilkes County, Ga., provision wasmade for Benjamin's wife and at her death his estate was to be divided"between all my daughters." When the estate was settled in 1808, AbsolomSparks and Nathan Sparks, both sons of Matthew and Sarah, received “theirpart in full. Without doubt, this means that Absolom and Nathan hadmarried daughters of Benjamin Elsberry. The marriage record of NathanSparks to Sally Elsberry, dated May 10, 1800, is on file in OglethorpeCounty, Ga., but that of Absolom has not been found. There seems littledoubt that Elsberry (Berry) Sparks was a son of Absolom, because bothAbsolom and Elsberry were in Miller County, Ark., between 1821 and 1825.In 1821 a petition was drawn up by a group of citizens of Post Arkansas,Arkansas Territory, who were concerned about the treaty of the UnitedStates with the chiefs of the Choctaw Nation of Indians. Among thesigners were Benjamin Sparks, Berry Sparks, Mat. Sparks, and AbsolemSparks. (Benjamin, Berry, and Mat, were probably all sons of Absolom.)Another petition was drawn up by a group of settlers in Miller County,Ark., in 1825 protesting that part of the county in which they owned"farms and improvements we have laboured for years to make" had beenceded to the to the Choctaw Indians. Among the signers were AbsolomSparks, Absolom Sparks Jnr., Elsberry Sparks, Mathew Sparks, and WilobeSparks; see Territorial Papers of the United States, ed. by ClarenceEdwin Carter, Vol. XIX, Arkansas Territory, 1819-1825, pp. 140-141.](End of Article on pp. 501-2.)

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3412: They had two children: Larry and Susan Crampton.

SQ 3193: "Emanuel Sparks, son of John and Elizabeth (Rose) Sparks,was born about 1816 in Wilkes County, North Carolina. He was undoubtedlynamed for his maternal grandfather, Emanuel Rose. He married Mary ---,probably about 1839. She was born about 1819 in North Carolina. Emanueldied sometime between 1870 and 1880. He and Mary had nine childrenaccording to census records."

See SQ p. 607 for the census records of Wilkes County, N.C. at census p.315, 964-964 for this family.

See her photograph on the cover of Whole No. 143 of the SPARKSQUARTERLY. See p. 3287 for:

"Emeline (or Emaline) Sparks, daughter of Thomas and Martha (Loveless)Sparks, was born in Colfax,
Indiana, on June 6, 1846, and died on January 20, 1917. She was marriedin Clinton County, Indiana, on
January 23, 1868, to Richard Moorhead who had been born in Ohio onOctober 28, 1839, and died on July 30, 1909. (They had moved toCentralia, Missouri, in 1906.) Richard Moorhead had served in the UnionArmy in the Civil War in Company H, 3rd Regiment Indiana Volunteers. Heserved under General Grant at Vicksburg, was with Sherman on his March tothe Sea, and paraded in Washington, D. C. , and on Michigan Avenue inChicago at the end of the war...."

SQ 393: Emerson Barber Sparks, born March 25, 1850. He married inShelbyville, Indiana, on July 27, 1823, Lovicy Gunn, daughter of Williamand Jane (Morford) Gunn. He died at Kalamazoo, Michigan, on December 6,1919.

See the notes for his brother William H. Sparks which appeared in THESPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1959, Whole No. 27, pp. 406-410 and theirphotograph which appeared on the cover and is reproduced in the scrapbookof William.

"Emerson Barber Sparks, to whom William H. Sparks addressed hisletters, was born in Warren, Huntington County, Indiana, on March 25,1850, and died at Kalamazoo, Michigan, on December 6., 1919. Althoughborn in Huntington County, he spent most of his life just over the countyline in Wells County, in Rockcreek Town- ship. On July 27, 1873, he wasmarried in Shelbyville, Indiana, to Lovicy Gunn, daughter of William andJane (Morford) Gunn. She was born December 14, 1854, in Hancock County,Indiana, and died on August 29, 1921, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. EmersonSparks was eleven years younger than his brother, William, and wassixteen years old when the letters were written. Without knowing thisfact, it would still be apparent from the tone of the letters thatWilliam was writing to his "kid brother." Emerson B. and Lovicy (Gunn)Sparks were the parents of the following children, all born in Indiana:

"Children of Emerson B. and Lovicy (Gunn) Sparks.
(1) Vernie Chester Sparks, born June 22, 1874, in Wells County, Ind.;died
Oct. 28, 1930; married July 28, 1898, Mary Adaline Plasterer.
(2) James Homer Sparks, born Dec. 13, 1877, in Wells Co., Ind.; diedAug. 15,
1939; married March 29, 1912, Jennie Brown.
(3) Lucion Otis Sparks, born June 6, 1879, in Hancock Co., Ind.; diedMar. 15,
1918; married June 27., 1900, Della May Wolfcale.
(4) Charles Reed Sparks, born Mar. 8, 1881, in Hancock Co., Ind.; diedMay 16,
1941 married Goldie ------
(5) Zantha Jane Sparks, born April 27, 1883, in Hancock Co., Ind.; diedJan.
27, 1943; married Alvin Kinder.
(6) Una May Sparks, born March 2, 1885, in Hancock Co., Ind.; married,lst,
October, 1908, Clarence William Hunt; 2d, May 20, 1922, Noel J.Pierce.
(7) William Everett Sparks, born June 17, 1888, in Wells Co., Ind.; diedJune
21, 1958; married Oct. 25, 1911, Nellie Boyd.
(8) Dessie Pearl Sparks, born April 18, 1894; married ----- Bodine.

.

!NOTES:
SQ 3193: Emery Sparks was born on August 18, 1882. He lived in Bo one,
Nebraska.

.

!NOTES:
SQ 3193: "Emily Sparks, daughter of Solomon and Malinda (Caudill )Sparks
was born about 1858 in Iowa. She married M. A. Baker. She died in 1926."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 4469: She was married to Clint R. Mckinney on June 6, 1957.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3937: They had one child, Joyce Humphrey.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3905: She had one child by her marriage to Elijah Brown: McGuire Brown.

SQ 2773: "Emma K. Sparks was born on August 22, 1868. She marriedPete Burch and they had a son and three daughters. She died on November15, 1929, and was buried at Palestine, Texas."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3413: They had one son, Joseph Augustineak, Jr.

SQ p. 4749:

"Emmaella Sparks, daughter of George and Nancy (Short) Sparks, wasborn on February 23, 1839. She was married to John B. Harper on January9, 1862, by J. Mauk. The license was issued on December 28, 1861, andthe witnesses were P. L. Reynolds and A. Whitt. John Harper was born onJune 16, 1839, in either Scott or Wise County, Virginia, and was a son ofAllen and Elizabeth (Boggs) Harper. John died on August 9, 1896, inElliott County, Kentucky, and Emmaella died on January 25, 1916. Theywere buried in the Harper Cemetery on Mauk Ridge."

SQ p. 1500:

Harriet Sparks, daughter of William and Catherine (Knox) Sparks, was bornNov. 2, 1833; she married William J. Inlow, son of Abraham and Susan(Sparks) Inlow. He died June 19, 1886, age 52. They had a son namedElliott Inlow, born Dec. 18, 1866. (This is from Bowen’s History ofMontgomery County, Indiana.)

The second son of William Sample Sparks of whom we have knowledge wasMatthew Sparks. We believe that he was born shortly before or shortlyafter his father moved from Queen Annes County to Frederick County,Maryland. He accompanied his father on the move to the Forks of theYadkin in or about 1754. According to the memory of a granddaughterwriting a century ago, his wife, Sarah, had the maiden name Thompson.Matthew was killed during an Indian raid in that part of Franklin County,Georgia, that is now Clarke County, in 1793. An article devoted toMatthew and his family appeared in the QUARTERLY of June 1961, WholeNo.34, pp.556-66. At the time of that publication, however, we believedthat Matthew had not moved to North Carolina until 1758 rather than about1754, and, while we knew that he was "closely related to William SampleSparks and to Solomon Sparks," later research has proven that WilliamSample Sparks was Matthrew's father, while Solomon Sparks was his firstcousin. Matthew and Sarah Sparks were the parents of eleven sons (all ofwhom had red hair according a descendant) and two daughters: John,Matthew, Jr., William, Eady, Ann, James, David, Absolum, Jesse, Nathan,Bailey, Isaac, and Hardy.

******************
-5461-

James Sparks, son of William Sample Sparks, was probably born after hisfather had moved from Queen Annes County to Frederick County, Maryland.He accompanied his father as a young man in the move to the Forks of theYadkin in North Carolina. He served on a jury during the May 1756 Courtin Salisbury, North Carolina, and he paid taxes in Rowan County in 1768until 1772, then in Surry County, North Carolina, in 1774 and 1776. Hisnephew, William Sparks (born April 3, 1761), son of Matthew and SarahSparks, recalled in his application for a Revolutionary War pension in1846 that while serving in Capt. John Cleveland's campaign against theCherokee Indians in 1778, after crossing the "French Broad River justabove the mouth of Swanono.. the foot company from Wilkes County [NorthCarolina] inwhich was my uncle James Sparks, and which marched behind us,built a station and remained to guard the frontier until our return fromthe Indian Country. Here I saw my uncle on my return." We have found nofurther information pertaining to James Sparks. He may have lost his lifein the Revolutionary War or simply moved to a different part of thecountry after the war.

George Sparks, son of William Sample Sparks, is believed to have beenborn after his father moved to North Carolina. He died in NewberryCounty, South Carolina, in 1796, leaving a will entrusting the rearing ofhis son, Reuben Sparks, to his sister,Rachel (Sparks) Bicknell, in NorthCarolina. (See the QUARTERLY of June 1997, Whole No. 178, pp.1809-14 .)

Rachel Sparks was the only daughter of William Sample Sparks whom we havebeen able to identify. She was born in 1757 and was married in SurryCounty, North Carolina, in 1774 to Thomas Bicknell. Still living in 1845,just nine days before her 88th birth day Rachel applied for a widow'spension based on her husband's service sixty years earlier. It was fromher pension file at the National Archives that we obtained theinformation that enabled us to tell of her interesting life and provideinformation regarding her family for the QUARTERLY of June 1997, WholeNo.178, pp.4409-26.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

SQ p 967:

"Enoch Sparks, son of John and Mary (Parmely) Sparks, was born inSeptember, 1791. He served in the War of 1812 from Greenville County,South Carolina, and received bounty land for this service in 1850 andagain in 1855. (See the QUARTERLY for September, 1960, Whole No. 31, p502 for abstracts of these bounty land papers, copied below.) He waslisted on the 1830 census of Greenville County, South Carolina, as livingnext to his father, John Sparks. Enoch's age was given as between 30 and40; his wife was listed in the same age bracket and living with them werethree males (probably sons); one male was under 5 years; one was aged 5to 10; and the third was between 10 and 15. There were also four females(probably daughters). One was under 5 years; one was between 5 and 10;one was between 10 and 15; and one was between 15 and 20. According tothe 1850 census, Enoch's wife was named Nancy and was born about 1792 inSouth Carolina. She had died by 1860, but Enoch was still livingaccording to the 1860 census of Franklin County. From census records andother scattered sources, we have been able to learn the names of onlyfour of Enoch Sparks's children. These were as follows:
(1) Samuel Magnus Sparks, born about 1818;
(2) John P. Sparks, born about 1829);
(3) Malinda Sparks, born about 1831; and
(4) Mary Sparks, born about 1833 (her name may have been Matilda)."

*******************************************

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September, 1960, Whole No. 31, p 502:

Abstract of Bounty Land Papers for Enoch Sparks

ENOCH SPARKS, born September, 1791, of Franklin County, Alabama. BountyLand Warrant File 22 360-80-55.

"On November 20, 1850, Enoch Sparks made application for bounty land.He was a resident of Franklin County, Alabama, and gave his age as 58years. He swore that he had been a soldier in the company commanded byCapt. John HOdge in the First Regiment of Volunteers commanded by Col.Reuben Nash; that he volunteered in Greenville District of South Carolinaabout )ct 1, 1812, for 6 months and was mustered into service aboutJanuary 1, 1814. He signed his name as Enoch Sparks. He was granted 80acres of bounty land.

"Submitted with his application was his discharge which reads asfollows:
"This is to certify that Enoch Sparks, Private, having faithfullyperformed his tour of duty of six months in the service of the UnitedStates, he is hereby honorably discharged, with the addition of five dayspay Returning home. July 20, 1814 (Signed) John Hodges, Capt.; R. Nash,Lt. Col."

"On April 27, 1855, Enoch Sparks again applied for bounty land. Hewas still a resident of Franklin County, Alabama, and gave his age as "64years next September." He described his service as he had in 1850,except that he added that he had sold the 80 acres he had received in1850 to W. H. Petty. He signed his name as he had in 1850; the witnesseswere John Wattress and James H. Tremble. He received 80 acres of land in1855."

"[Editor's Note: Enoch Sparks was a son of John and Mary (Parmely)Sparks. John Sparks was born in 1755 and died in 1831 (see the Quarterlyof December, 1959, Vol. VII, Whole No. 4, p. 333) and was a grandson ofMatthew and Sarah Sparks (see the Quarterly of December, 1956, Vol. IV,Whole No. 4, pp. 177-78.) Thus Enoch Sparks and Elsberry Sparks...werefirst cousins.]"

SQ 2776:

"Enoch Bonner ("Bon") Sparks, son of Newell Crane and Laura FetzerSparks, was born on November 13, 1883. He died in March 1969 . He wasmarried to Ella Regan in 1907. She and Bon had four children: Clarice,Natalie, Lucille and Bonnie." There is copy of their wedding picture onpage 2776.

SQ 2524:

"Enoch L. Sparks, son of George and Fanny (Lindsay) Sparks , was bornabout 1838. He was married on July 28, 1859, in Union County, Georgia,to Cynthia E. Collins. When the 1860 census was taken of Union County ,a four-year-old girl named Irena C. Sparks, born in Georgia, was livingwith Enoch and
Cynthia. He died on August 31, 1861 in a Richmond, Virginia, hospitalwhile serving in the Confederate States Army."

SPARKS QUARTERLY, UNPUBLISHED ARTICLE BY Paul Sparks; p.4:

"Ephriam Sparks, son of James Sparks, Senior, was born about 1781 inNorth Carolina. The earliest record we have found of him is the 1807personal property tax list of Washington County, Virginia. He continuedto pay taxes there until 1812, and he was also listed on the 1820 censusof that county. He apparently married about 1803. His wife's given namewas Charlotte, but we have not learned her maiden name. She was bornabout 1788 in North Carolina.

In 1813, Ephriam Sparks paid personal property taxes in Lee County ,Virginia, but when the 1820 census was taken, he was listed in ScottCounty, Virginia. (Scott County was formed in 1814 from portions ofWashington and Lee Counties.) By 1827, he was back in Lee County where hepaid taxes until 1831 and also was listed on the 1830 census of thatcounty.

Ephriam Sparks apparently left Lee County about 1832 and moved toKentucky where he settled in a portion of Perry County which became apart of Breathitt County in 1839. It was in Perry County that two of hissons were married, but when the 1840 census was taken, Ephraim wasenumerated in Breathitt County. Then, in 1843, when Owsley County wasformed, Ephriam Sparks was in that portion of Breathitt County whichbecame a part of Owsley. He paid taxes in Owsley County in 1844 and waslisted on the 1850 census there. His age in 1850 was given as 69 years,while his wife, Charlotte, was 62 years of age . They lived in House No.213, according to the census taker's numbering. Their daughter, Phoebe,lived in House No. 212; their son, Ephriam, Jr., lived in House No. 214;and another daughter, Mary Ann, lived in house No. 220.

Ephriam and Charlotte Sparks apparently died between 1850 and 1860 .They were the parents of eight children, three sons and five daughters,according to the census records and information given by descendants. Wehave been able to identify all of them except three daughters." (Seenotes of children)

********************

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY for March 1994, Whole No. 165, pp. 4269-70:

Ephraim Sparks, son of James Sparks, was born about 1781 in NorthCarolina. The earliest record we have found of him is the 1807 personalproperty tax list of Washington County, Virginia. He continued to paytaxes there until 1812, and he was also listed on the 1820 census of thatcounty. Apparently, he was married about 1803. His wife's given namewas Charlotte, but we have not learned her maiden name. She was bornabout 1788 in North Carolina.

In 1813, Ephraim Sparks paid personal property taxes in Lee County,Virginia, but when the 1820 census was taken, he was listed in ScottCounty, Virginia. (Scott County was formed in 1814 from portions ofWashington and Lee Counties.) By 1827, he was back in Lee County wherehe paid taxes until 1831 and also was listed on the 1830 census of thatcounty.

Ephraim Sparks apparently left Lee County about 1832 and moved toKentucky where he settled in a portion of Perry County which became partof Breathitt County in 1839. It was in Perry County that two of his sonswere married, but when the 1840 census was taken, Ephraim's household wasenumerated in Breathitt County. Then, in 1843, when Owsley County wasformed, Ephraim Sparks was in that portion of Breathitt County whichbecame a part of Owsley. He paid taxes in Owsley County in 1844 and waslisted on the 1850 census there. His age in 1850 was given as 69 years,while his wife, Charlotte, was 62 years of age. They lived in House No.213, according to the census taker's numbering. Their daughter, Phoebe,lived in House No. 212; their son, Ephraim, Jr., lived in House No. 214; and another daughter, Mary Ann, lived in House 220.

Ephraim and Charlotte Sparks apparently died between 1850 and 1860. Theywere the parents of eight children, three sons and five daughters,according to the census records and information given by descendants. Wehave been able to identify all of them except three daughters.

See SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 799:
"Ephraim Sparks, son of William Sparks, was born about 1793 in RowanCounty, North Carolina; he was still living in 1860, aged 67 according tothe census of Fayette County, Tennessee. Just prior to his family'sremoval from Rowan County, he was married to Sarah Douthit in 1811. Themarriage bond was dated August 10, 1811. On March 1, 1816, William andMourning Sparks sold part of their tract of land on Floyd's Creek inJefferson County (now Oldham County) to Ephraim. (See Jefferson CountyDeed Book K, p. 147) On October 20,, 1821, Ephraim sold this land toEllis Raney for $600 (Book T, p. 451) and moved to Alabama, where hisdaughter, Frances, was born about 1822. By 1830 he had moved to HardemanCounty, Termessee; by 1850 he was living in Tippah County, Mississippi,which adjoined Hardeman County, Tennessee, on the south. His occupationwas given as "carpenter" on the 1850 census; his age was given as57--that of his wife, Sarah, as 63. By 1860, he had moved to FayetteCounty, Tennessee, where he was listed in the census as an "overseer,"without property. Living with him was James Holland a "laborer" aged 17,born in Alabama; also Rebecca Overby, aged 13, born in Mississippi--shewas credited with $3,000 worth of personal property.

The following information was obtained by letter from Dr. Russell E.Bidlack dated November 24, 1990 incidental with my becoming a member ofthe Sparks Family Association. Ephriam was a nephew of my 2ndgreat-grandfather, Solomon Sparks, b. 1788. Ephriam's father William wasa brother of that Solomon.
**********
"This is the Ephraim in the 1850 Census of Washington Co, VA next toSolomon Sr. and Solomon Jr. who were his uncle and cousin respectively.The following is taken from SQ at page 2456: "Ephraim Sparks, son ofWilliam (192) and Rhoda (Pennington) Sparks, was born about 1809 inWashington County, Virginia. He accompanied his parents to White County,Tennessee, about 1825 and it was in that county that he was married about1835 to Elizabeth (260). She was born about 1810 and died about 1846.She and Ephraim had four children: James Sparks, Solomon Sparks, JosephSparks and Sarah Sparks. After her death, Ephraim married (2d) a widow,Lydia White (265), and to them one child was born, Henry Clay Sparks.Ephraim Sparks moved to Kansas following the Civil War, but returnedeastward about 1879, and when the 1880 census was taken, he was living inGrayson County, Kentucky. Lydia died in 1875; Ephraim apparently diedsometime after 1880."

I notice that the article did not reflect the fact that they wereliving in Washington County, VA in 1850 when Henry Clay Sparks was born.Ephriam's father William (192) was Solomon Sr.'s brother. Sol's broEphriam (191) was the father of still another Ephriam (226). So 3 sons ofJames (189), i.e. Ephriam (191), William (192) and Solomon Sr. (173) hadsons named Ephriam, i.e. (226 ), (228) and (183) respectively.

In a letter from Russell Bidlack dated November 24, 1990 he states"In 1954, Paul Sparks talked by telephone to a Lewis Pembrook Sparks,then 73 years old, who lived in Jefferson Co., KY. This man said thathis grandfather had been Ephriam Sparks who had been born in 1809 and hadmarried Elizabeth - - - and had lived in VA. He said his father had beenHenry Clay Sparks, born on April 4, 1850. Note that this was obviouslythe Henry Sparks shown as 4 months old on the 1850 Census, above. HenryClay Sparks had married Emma Josephine Paine and, according to LewisPembrook Sparks, went to Kansas, but when the grasshoppers ate up alltheir crops, he moved to Grayson Co. , KY.

Lewis Pembrook Sparks also stated in 1954 that his grandfather,Ephriam Sparks (after his first wife died) married, 2nd, a widow namedWhite and that she had 3 children by her previous husband who then livedwith Ephriam Sparks; their names were Wade White, Andrew White, andWilliam White. It seems apparent that they were shown as having the nameSparks on the 1850 census - - - probably a misunderstanding by the censustaker.

Thus, if we note that the William Sparks, age 12, the Andrew Sparks,age 17, and the Wade Sparks, age 9 were actually named White, not Sparks,we are left with James Sparks, age 12, Solomon, age 9, and Joseph age 7,as the only children of Ephriam by his first wife living with him in1850; 4 yr old Sarah and 4 month old Henry Clay were apparently childrenby his second wife Lydia.

Lewis Pembrook Sparks also remembered in 1954 that his father HenryClay Sparks, had two brothers, James Sparks who was a fiddler and waskilled in the Civil War, and Solomon Sparks who had also fought in theCivil War . He recalled the story of how James Sparks had been killed:"It was raining and James was behind a log and wanted to recharge his gunwith dry powder ; he raised up and was shot." Solomon survived the war,married 1st, Elizabeth Norton, and, 2nd, Mary - - - . By his first wife,Solomon had children named Charles, Jennie, Henry, John and William; byhis 2nd wife he had Anson, Palestine, Edith and Roy. Solomon died inIllinois and was buried near Champaign according to Lewis PembrookSparks, although he may have been mistaken about where in IL Solomonlived."

For mention of Ephriam (228), see also THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March1994, Whole No. 165, article entitled JAMES SPARKS (ca1762-ca1827) OFNORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, AND KENTUCKY, p. 4265 at page 4271.

CENSUS:
Found in the 1840 Census of Washington County, Virginia with one maleunder 5, one male 10 to 15, one male 30 to 40, one female less than 5,and one female 20 to 30.
Found in the 1850 Census of Washington County, Virginia.
Found in the Virginia 1840 Census Index published by PrecisionIndexing, P.O. Box 303, Bountiful, Utah, 84010:

"Sparks, Ephriam, 35, white, male, born Virginia; enumerated inAbingdon Post Office, Washington County, Series M593, Roll 1681, Page201."

The SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1994, Whole No. 165, at page 4270 states:
"Ephriam Sparks, Jr., son of Ephriam and Charolotte Sparks, was bornabout 1818 in Virginia. He was the father of at least four children:
Martha Ann, Nancy, Jeptha and Alvilda."
[JS: This Ephriam (226) is the son of Ephriam Sr. (191). Ephriam Sr.is the brother of Solomon Sr. (173) and William (192), both of whom hadsons
named Ephriam. Solomon's was (183) and William's was (228). Ephriam(228) son of William (192) was in Washington County in 1850 living nextto our Solomons Sr. and Jr.]

This family appears on the 1850 census of Owsley County, Kentucky, livingnext door to Ephram Sr. and Charlotte Sparks, his parents. He is shownas a farmer, age 30, born in Virginia, his wife Sarah, age 26, born inVirginia, and their two children, Ann, 11, and Nancy 8, both born inKentucky. See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, page 1011.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1994, Whole No. 165, p. 4273:

"Ephriam Sparks, son of Solomon and Susan Sparks, was born about 1835in North Carolina. He was married to Milly McNew, and they had at leastthree children: Susan, Rachel and Mary V."

[JS: In the opinion of Paul Sparks, this Ephriam is Solomon Jr.'sbrother married to Millie. He is not Solomon Jr.'s cousin Ephriam (228)who lived in Washington County, Virginia in 1850 (the son of William andRhoda Sparks) and who witnessed Solomon Sr.'s trust deed. See Paul'sletter to Dr. Russell Bidlack of 1 Dec, 1990.]

SQ p. 1342: "...We have found no further record of this couple. Theyprobably moved to Missouri."

But see SQ p. 1418:

"Another son of Caleb and Rebecca (Wilson) Sparks was Ephraim E.Sparks, born about 1815. He was married to Sallie Ann Reiley in LewisCounty, Kentucky, on August 6, 1837. Ephraim's father-in-law, Samuel J.Reiley, was his security for a marriage license and also gave his consentfor his daughter, Sallie (or Sarah), she being under 21 years of age.When we listed Ephraim Sparks as a son of Caleb and Rebecca (Wilson)Sparks in the QUARTERLY of September 1970, (p. 1342) we had no record ofhim following his marriage. We have since learned that he, like hisbrother Joseph, went from Kentucky to Scotland County, Missouri, Where hewas listed with his family on the 1860 census, living very near thefamily of his brother, Joseph. Their post office was Memphis, Missouri,in Johnson Township. The census was taken on August 2, and the familywas listed as follows: (The age given for his wife Sarah (or Sallie) A.Sparks is obviously in error -- she must have been nearly 40 years old in1860 rather than 30.)
Sparks, Ephraim E. 40 Kentucky Farmer $500 inproperty
Sparks, Sarah A. 30 "
Sparks, Caleb 20 " Farm laborer
Sparks, James 18 " Farm laborer
Sparks, Christina 17 " Domestic
Sparks, Rebecca 15 " Domestic
Sparks, Susannah 13 "
Sparks, E. W. (male) 10 "
Sparks, Nancy J. 7 "
Sparks, Joseph 2 "

********************************************

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1998, Whole No. 184, pp. 5098-5099 forthe Civil War Pension Application of Ephraim E. Sparks as follows:

EPHRAIM E. SPARKS, son of Caleb and Rebecca (Wilson) Sparks, wasborn about 1815, probably in Highland County, Ohio. On August 6, 1837,he was married to Sarah Ann Reilley in Lewis County, Kentucky. He servedin Company A, 146th Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry. FileDesignation: Inv. Cert. No. 387,466.

"Ephraim E. Sparks applied for an invalid pension in 1883. He was 68years of age and a resident of Ripley County, Indiana. He stated that hehad been enrolled in February 1865 in Company A, 146th Regiment IndianaVolunteers, commanded by Thomas P. Spillman, and had served until he hadbeen discharged on August 31, 1865, at Baltimore, Maryland. in March1864, he had been on a train with his company going from Indianapolis,Indiana, to Harpers Ferry, Virginia, when the train was derailed,throwing him against a bench and injuring his right breast. He statedthat he had never fully recovered from the injury.

"Sparks went on to state that, while moving from Stevenson, Virginia,to Baltimore, Maryland, in August 1865, he got a cinder in his right eyewhich injured the eye so severely that he eventually lost its sight. Hesaid that he had been treated by the Regimental Surgeon, but had not beenhospitalized. Since leaving the service, he had lived in Ripley County,Indiana. He appointed Hiram O'Connor, Jennings County, Indiana, as hisattorney. Newton Dickerson and Andrew B. Bulitt witnessed him make hismark.

"The War Department confirmed Ephraim Sparks's military service onNovember 23, 1883. He had been enrolled at Greensburg, Indiana, onFebruary 7, 1865, in Company A, 146th Regiment Indiana Infantry to servefor one year, and he had been present for duty until he was mustered outwith his company on August 30, 1865. The morning report showed that onMarch 5, 1865, while en-route from Indianapolis, Indiana, to HarpersFerry, Virginia, the train had run off the track near Hancock, andseveral members of the company had been injured, some severely.

"Sparks's application was supported by affidavits from two formercomrades, Jonathan Coon and John Laswell. Coon, age 53 and a resident ofOsgood, Indiana, stated that he too, had been present when Sparks wasinjured in the train wreck, and when he had gotten the cinder in hiseye. Laswell, age 41, a resident of Versailles, Indiana, gaveessentially the same testimony, stating that he had been an eyewitness tothe train wreck and knew firsthand of Sparks's injuries.

"On September 5, 1884, John Jackson, age 38, and Robert W. Loyd, age62, both residents of Versailles, Indiana, testified that they wereneighbors of Ephraim Sparks and had known him for nearly 30 years. Priorto his going into the military service, Sparks had been in good health,but he had returned from the service with the breast injury and theinjury to his eye.

"In spite of the affidavits, Sparks's claim was rejected on January18, 1886. On March 18, 1886, he asked for another physical examinationby another Board of Examiners. Apparently the examination was arranged,and his claim was then approved, for he was placed upon the pension rollat the rate of $17.00 per month.

"On August 19, 1889, and in November 1891, Sparks applied forincreased pension benefits, but both requests were denied. The lastdocument (in chronological order) in the "selected papers" provided bythe National Archives from his pension file, was dated June 3, 1895.Sparks, now age 78, a resident of Osgood, Indiana, asked for specialconsideration of his claim, stating that he was now partly dependent onthe charity of others for his care and maintenance. Mary A. Pickett andJohn H. Elsbery witnessed him make his mark, and the request was sworn tobefore Adrian V. Pickett, a notary public. Nothing among the "selectedpapers" indicates what action, if any, was taken on this request.

"[Editor's Note: Ephraim E. Sparks should not be confused with hisnephew, Ephraim Ellis Sparks, who also served in the Union Army duringthe Civil War. The latter served in Company I, 39th Regiment MissouriInfantry and also received a pension for his service. For furtherdetails of these families, see the September 1970 issue of the QUARTERLY,Whole No. 71, and the September 1971 issue, Whole No. 75.]"

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September, 1971, Whole No. 75, pp 4716-4718 foran article entitled
"Additional Notes on Caleb Sparks of Lewis County, Kentucky, and hisDescendants" which includes the following information on Ephraim EllisSparks and his descendants on pp 1417-18:

"A photograph of the three sons of Joseph and Isabella (Ellis) Sparks"[Ephriam Ellis, John Thomson, and Thomas Marshall Sparks] "appears on thecover of this issue of the QUARTERLY."

"Ephraim Ellis Sparks, oldest son of William and Isabella (Ellis)Sparks, was born in Lewis County, Kentucky, on May 6, 1835. He came withhis parents to Scotland County, Missouri, between 1850 and 1860. OnFebruary 16., 1860., he was married to Rebecca Frances Smith, by theRev. T. D. Boyle; the ceremony was held near Keokuk, in Lee County,Iowa. She was born January 22, 1838. They settled 5 1/2 miles north ofArbela in Scotland County, Missouri. The Civil War began shortly afterthey were married and Ephraim Ellis Sparks served first in the militiaand on August 8, 1864, he enlisted in Co. I, 39th Regiment of theMissouri Volunteer Infantry in which unit he was promoted to lstSergeant. He was discharged in St. Louis on March 25, 1865. He wasdescribed at the time of his enlistment as 29 years of age, a farmer byoccupation, with blue eyes, dark hair, a fair complexion, and 5 feet 8inches tall. In 1895 he applied for and received a pension for thisservice.

"Following the Civil War., Ephraim Ellis Sparks was elected arepresentative from Scotland County to the Missouri Legislature and at alater date was Judge of the County Court of Scotland County. In 1888 hetraded 320 acres of his home place in Scotland County for 640 acres inRush County, Kansas, near the little town of Bison. This trade was witha man named Peter Nelson.

"Ephraim Ellis Sparks died on January 4, 1901, and his wife Rebeccadied on April 11, 1920. Both are buried in the Lone Star Cemetery westof Bison, Kansas. All of their children except Jennie are also buriedthere. The children of Ephraim E. and Rebecca F. (Smith) Sparks were:"[See family group sheet. Additional language in the article relates totheir son, Ephriam E. Sparks and is included in his notes.]

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1997, Whole No. 178, pp. 4844-46:

UNION SOLDIERS NAMED SPARKS WHO APPLIED OR WHOSE HEIRSAPPLIED
FOR PENSIONS FOR SERVICE INTHE CIVIL WAR

"EPHRIAM ELLIS SPARKS, son of Joseph and Isabella (Ellis) Sparks, wasborn in Lewis County, Kentucky, on May 6, 1835. He was married toRebecca Frances Smith on February 16, 1860, in Lee County, Iowa. Heserved in Company 1, 39th Regiment Missouri Infantry. He died on January4, 1901. File Designations: Inv. Cert. No. 938,760; Wid. Cert. No.655,117.

"Ephraim E. Sparks, aged 60 years and a resident of Bison, Kansas,made application for an Invalid Pension on June 4, 1895. He stated thathe had been enrolled on August 8, 1864, in Company I, 39th RegimentMissouri Volunteer Infantry, at Hannibal, Missouri, to serve for sixmonths. He had served until he was mustered out with his company onMarch 25, 1865, at St. Louis, Missouri. When he entered the service, hehad been 29 years old; he had blue eyes, dark hair, and a faircomplexion; he was 5 feet, 8 inches in height; and he was a farmer. Hewas now (1895) suffering from asthma, a kidney disorder, and generaldebility that prevented him from earning his support by manual labor. Heappointed W. W. Dudley, Washington, D.C., as his attorney. Hisdeclaration was witnessed by H. L. Brown and James Nickel and was swornto before B. G. Lewis, a Probate Judge of Rush County, Kansas.

"On July 22, 1895, the War Department sent the Bureau of Pensions aconfirmation of Sparks's statements. He had served in Company I, 39thRegiment Missouri Infantry from August 8, 1864, until March 25, 1865, andwas carried on the company muster roll as a lst Sergeant. His medicalrecords, however, could not be found.

"Sparks made two affidavits in March 1897 to support his claim. Hestated that he had begun to have chronic asthma in 1867, and that itbecame "so violent that it prostrated him for days at a time." His doctorhad advised him to change climates, and he had moved to western Kansas in1889. He had also begun to have urinary problems about the same time.These diseases had become so debilitating that he was now unable to earnhis living by manual labor. The affidavits were sworn to before JudgeJohn Renner, who certified that Sparks's statements were "dictated byhimself and in his own handwriting."

"Invalid Certificate No. 938,760 was issued to Ephraim Sparks, and hewas placed upon the pension roll.

"On May 13, 1898, Sparks returned a questionnaire to the Bureau ofPensions. He stated that he had been married on February 16, 1860, toRebecca Frances Smith in Lee County, Iowa, by the Rev. T. D. Boyle. Ithad been the first marriage for both of them. Four children had beenborn to the union. They were:

Annie I. (Sparks) Timken, born February 5, 1861, and now dead.
Jennie C. (Sparks) Lupton, born April 3, 1865.
Joseph Sparks, born April 1, 1870.
Susie R. (sparks) Timken, born January 6, 1872.

"Ephraim E. Sparks died on January 4, 1901. He was receiving apension of $12.00 per month. Four months later, on May 31, 1901, hiswidow, Rebecca F. Sparks, applied for a Widow's Pension. She was 63years of age and a resident of Bison, Kansas. She stated that she andSparks had been married in Keokuk, Iowa, on February 16, 1860, by theRev. T. D. Boyle. The death of her husband had left her without anymeans of support except that of daily labor. She appointed W. W. Dudley,Washington, D.C., as her attorney. George Wilson and P. D. Thorpwitnessed her signature, and the declaration was sworn to before SamuelRothweiler, a notary public.

"A joint affidavit was made on May 2, 1908, to support RebeccaSparks's claim to a pension. John H. Timken, aged 49, and Henry Ahrens,aged 59, both residents of Bison, Kansas, swore that they had knownRebecca Sparks for nineteen years and knew that she had not remarriedafter the death of her husband.

"Widow Certificate No. 655,117 was issued to Rebecca F. Sparks, andshe was placed on the pension roll. When she died on April 11, 1920, shewas receiving a pension of $25.00 per month.

"[Editor's Note: The family of Joseph and Isabella (Ellis) Sparks,parents of Ephraim Ellis Sparks, was the subject of articles in twoearlier issues of the Sparks Quarterly. These can be found on page 1342of the September 1970 issue, Whole No. 71, and pages 1417-18 of theSeptember 1971 issue, Whole No. 75. It is interesting to note that, likeseveral of his cousins, Ephraim Ellis Sparks was probably named for hisgreat-grandfather, Ephraim Wilson, father of Rebecca Wilson, whosehusband was Caleb Sparks. Born in Sussex County, Delaware, on July 18,1756, Ephraim Wilson was living in that part of Yohogania County,Virginia that became Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1781. Heenlisted to serve in the Pennsylvania Line in the American Revolution,for which many years later, he received a pension. In 1795, he moved toKentucky, then, twenty-two years later, in Ripley County, Indiana, wherehe was living when he applied for a pension on May 13, 1833.]"

SQ p. 1339-40:
A photograph of a young Ephriam Wilson Sparks appears in the SparksQuarterly, Whole No. 71, pg. 1340.
Photographs of Ephraim Wilson Sparks and Elizabeth appear in the SparksQuarterly, Whole No. 72 on pg. 1353.

"Ephraim Wilson Sparks, son of Robert Thomas and Mary Ann(Wallingford) Sparks, was born on November 8, 1846, in Rockford,Kentucky, and died on November 5, 1926, in Brady, Texas. He was marriedin 1878 in Voca, Texas, to Elizabeth Antoinette Scott; she was born July5, 1851, at Lyons Station, Texas, and died on May 8, 1937, in Brady.Both are buried at Brady. According to an inscription scratched on theback of a faded tin-type photograph taken in 1865 (see page 1340),Ephraim Wilson Sparks enlisted in Company G, 58th Regiment IllinoisVolunteer Infantry on January 16, 1865, in Dallas City, Hancock County,Illinois, at the age of eighteen. An obituary of one of Ephraim'sdaughters written in 1955 states that Ephraim was a stone mason "andbuilt many of the old chimneys in Brady. The family home originally waslocated on the square where Townsend's Ben Franklin Store stands now.But in the early days the cowboys became so wild, riding down CommerceStreet, shooting, roping and pulling up the hitching posts, that Mr.Sparks decided it was time to move his family up on the hill, to get awayfrom the rowdy cowboys and to be near his lime kiln. After the house wasmoved, however, Mrs. Sparks was afraid to let the children get away fromthe house for fear the Indians would get them."

Ephraim Wilson and Elizabeth A. (Scott) Sparks were the parents of thefollowing children: (see their individual sheets.)

On SQ p. 1354:

The only son of Robert Thomas Sparks was Ephraim Wilson Sparks, born in1846, died 1926. We published a picture of Ephraim on page 1340 of theSeptember issue as a young Union soldier at the age of eighteen. Mrs.Prince has sent us photographs of Ephraim Wilson Sparks and his wife,Elizabeth A. (Scott) Sparks taken in their old age. These are reproducedin this issue on page 1353.

Since publishing data on Ephraim W. Sparks in the September issue, wehave obtained papers from his Civil War pension file at the NationalArchives. From these we learn that he was mustered into service inCompany G, 58th Regiment of Illinois Infantry on March 17, 1865, at theage of eighteen. He had blue eyes, auburn hair, a fair complexion, andwas five feet and six and one-half inches tall. He was discharged onMarch 16, 1866, in Montgomery, Alabama. He was married to ElizabethAntoinette Scott on August 25, 1878, in Brady, Texas. In answer to thequestion regarding his place of residence following the Civil War, hestated that he had lived in Dallas City, Illinois, until March 1873; hewas in Columbus, Texas, from March to September 1873, and was in BellCounty, Texas, in 1874 and 1875; he was in Llano County, Texas, in 1876;he lived in Brady, Texas, from 1876 to 1907 when he moved to Grady, CurryCounty, New Mexico, where he remained until sometime after 1915 when hereturned to Brady, Texas. He died there on November 5, 1926. His wifedied in Brady on May 8, 1937. When we published the sketch of his life inthe September issue we did not have dates of birth for his three youngestchildren. From the records which he and later his wife submitted toobtain pensions, we are able to supply those dates. The children ofEphraim W. and Elizabeth A. (Scott) Sparks were:

1. Anna Laura Sparks, born December 1, 1879.
2. Robert Thomas Sparks, born July 12, 1882.
3. Edna Nafania Sparks, born February 10, 1885.
4. Charles Francis Sparks, born June 20, 1886.
5. Ernest Wellington Sparks, born July 10, 1889.

On SQ p. 40:

"A granddaughter of Ephraim Wilson Sparks, Mrs. Eula Mae Prince,deposited a letter with the Sparks Family Association in 1956 which hadbeen written by a friend of Ephraim in 1925. Although the author of thisletter, Ed Fee, is in no way related to the Sparks family, we believe ithas enough historical interest to justify including it here.

" 'Dallas City, Ills.
Feb. 4, 1925

'Dear Old Yankee

'Just found out thro our friend Doctor Gay and glad to know yourstill living. As you and I are the only ones living out of our War bunchI was just saying the other day that if you was dead I would be the onlyone left but am glad to know you are still living. I am still feelingfine, have a good house and with my wife and one girl at home and I amabout on easy street, but still quite a lot of work yet at my trade as apainter and paper hanger. It was only a year ago that I was working onthe old Ed Mansforth place and up in the barn loft saw your name, E. W.Sparks, cut in one of the rafters. Do you remember when you did it?

'Well, Yank, the old timers is about all gone that was here when wewas boys. There is some of the Gilbreths around here. Your sister Mrs.Gil-breth is in the Soldiers Home at Quincey. I sometimes see Ben butnot often. Don't know where the rest of them are. I have 4 children,three married, one lives in Peoria, the boy and 2 girls lives in Dallas,one at home. I live in the east end of town, have a nice little housewith 5 lots and nothing to worry about. Well Yank, if you get thisletter and want to find out any thing, write me, I will be glad to tellyou anything I can. Will close for this time and glad I have got trackof you. Yours Ed Fee.' "

SQ p. 4050:

"Ernest Ray Sparks, only child of Walter Winfield Sparks was born onApril 4, 1886, at Vancouver. (His mother, Mary Elizabeth, was the secondwife of Walter Winfield Sparks.) Ernest Ray became a veterinariansurgeon. On August 18, 1909, he was married to Agnes M. Whetsell. Shehad been born on April 17, 1881, at Vancouver and was a daughter ofGeorge Henry and Mary Elizabeth (McCollum) Whitsell. She was a teacher.She and Ernest moved to Pomona, California, in 1920. There, Ernestengaged in veterinary practice until his retirement in 1948. Agnes diedat Pomona on April 21, 1941, as the result of an automobile accident.Ernest died at Upland, California, on March 28, 1949. They had onechild, Ernest Whetsell Sparks (Colonel, USMCR Retired), a long-timesustaining member of our Association."