Charles A. Sparks was born on April 15, 1886. He lived near Morehead allof his life. He was married twice. His first marriage was to BerthaStewart. She had been born on September 27, 1887. She died on October 19,1910. She and Charles had three children: Marie Sparks, John Crit Sparks,and Betty Sparks.

Charles Sparks was married, second, to Amelia Fletcher on October 13,1913. She had been born on May 29, 1889, and was a daughter of Jerry andSarah (Alderson) Fletcher. Amelia died at Morehead on February 3, 1980,and Charles died there on Septem ber 27, 1980. They were buried in theLee Cemetery at Morehead. They had six children: Edna Sparks, EdithSparks, Ivan Sparks, Elmer Sparks, Virgil Sparks, and Pauline Sparks.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June, 1973, Whole No. 82, pg 1564:
Charles B. Sparks, born about 1840. He was a private in Company I,83rd Regiment Indiana Infantry. He died in Larson Hospital, St. Louis,Missouri, in 1863, of anemia.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1997, Whole No. 180, p. 4903 for theobituary of Charles Bonner Sparks taken from the WESTERN CHRISTIANADVOCATE, a Methodist publication:

Charles Bonner Sparks, Died April 14, 1863 [Issue dated June 10, 1863,p. 183, col. 1]

"[Died] in the Hospital at St. Louis, Missouri, April 14th, CharlesBonner Sparks. He was born March 18, 1840. He belonged to Company 1,83d Indiana Regiment, and was a good soldier. He was converted a fewyears since, and was a member of the Church at the time of his death. Hewas an affectionate son and brother. A friend who conversed with him afew hours before his death informs us that he was trusting in Jesus ashis only hope. This assurance comforts his friends, who were notpermitted to minister to his wants in his last hour. Another familycircle is broken, another offering of priceless value is laid upon ourcountry's altar. We believe that he rests in Jesus.
W. R. GOODWIN

"[Editorial Note:] Charles Bonner Sparks was a son of Hamlet andElizabeth T. (Chrisman) Sparks. (Elizabeth's middle name was Toplis; hersurname was spelled, also, as Chesman and Cheeseman.) A sketch of thelife and family of Hamlet Sparks appeared in the QUARTERLY of June 1973,Whole No. 82, beginning on page 1563. Hamlet's obituary also appeared inthe Western Christian Advocate in 1876 and is reproduced beginning on P.4913 of the present issue of the QUARTERLY. Charles Bonner Sparksappeared on the 1850 and 1860 censuses of Dearborn County, Indiana, inhis parents' household, age 10 and 20, respectively. The cause of hisdeath in the Larson Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, was reported at thetime as "anemia."

!NOTES:
SQ pg 2924 states: "Charles Calvin Sparks was born on October 30 ,1892.
He died on July 25, 1921. He never married. He was a Pennsylvania S tate
Trooper at the time of his death."

SQ pg 2749:

"Charles D. F. Sparks, son of James Hawkins and Elizabeth (McKight)Sparks, was born about 1851. He married Fannie Robertson, probably about1874. She was born about 1858. Charles died on December 2, 1903, in anaccident and was buried at Bosqueville, Texas. According to censusrecords and to information given by a descendant, he and Fannie had sixchildren.

(1) Charles D. Sparks, Jr. b.ca. 1875. He lived in California;
(2) John Edward Sparks b.ca. 1878, he married in Waco, Texas ;
(3) Earle Evans Sparks b.ca. 1881, he was a policeman and was killedin the line of duty in Waco on March 25, 1910;
(4) Lillie Sparks married a man named Dial and lived in Houston;
(5) Ethel Sparks married a man named Lester;
(6) Fannie ("Fan") Sparks married Willie Bert Daniels."

SQ p. 1977:
Charles Flanigan Sparks, son of Joseph and Caroline (Flanegan) Sparks,was born about 1856, in Berrien County, Michigan. He died in Valentine,Nebraska. During the early 1900's he started the Valentine State Bank,became its president, and kept that position until his death. His wifewas Minna Ray, one of the children of another early pioneer family inValentine. they had two children, LaVerne Sparks, who died when a child,and Dorothy Grace Sparks. The latter married Harold Gearin and wasliving in Los Angeles in 1969. She and her husband had seven children.

DEATH CLAIMS CHARLES F. SPARKS (1885-1969)
On December 20, 1969, death claimed Charles F. Sparks of Martha,Kentucky, a great-great-great- grandson of John Sparks (1753-1840/41)whose life was sketched in the QUARTERLY of December 1955 (Vol. III, No.4, Whole No. 12, pp. 94-105). His descent from John Sparks was throughthe following line:

The eldest son of John and Sarah (Shores) Sparks was Levi Sparks., bornOct. 2., 1778., in Surry Co., North Carolina, died Oct. 21, 1851, inLawrence Co., Kentucky. Levi Sparks married twice, first to ----- Walshin 1801, and second to Sarah Lyon. By his first wife, Levi Sparks had ason named Jarrett Sparks (also spelled Garried)., who was born Sept. 15.,1802., and died Sept. 1, 1873, in Lawrence County. Jarrett Sparksmarried Elizabeth Boggs in 1825 in Virginia and they were the parents ofLevi J. Sparks, M.D., born Feb. 19,, 1831, died Jan. 14,, 1897; hemarried Mary (Polly) Gambill and they were the parents of Laban T.Sparks, born Nov. 29, 186o, died 1941. Laban Sparks was married twice,first to Emily Lyon on Dec. 9., 1880, and second to Trinville Lester.Laban and Emily (Lyon) Sparks were the parents of Charles F. Sparks, whowas born on April 18, 1885, and died on Dec. 20, 1969. Charles F. Sparksmarried Virgie T. Sparks in 1905; she was born March 9, 1889, and diedApril 20, 1934. Her parents were John Calvin Sparks and Mary Elizabeth(Green) Sparks. She was also a descendant of John and Sarah (Shores)Sparks.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1970, Whole No. 69, p. 1306, for thefollowing article:

DEATH CLAIMS CHARLES F. SPARKS (1885-1969)

"On December 20, 1969, death claimed Charles F. Sparks of Martha,Kentucky, a great-great-great-grandson of John Sparks (1753-1840/41)whose life was sketched in the QUARTERLY of December 1955 (Vol. III, No.4, Whole No. 12, pp. 94-105). His descent from John Sparks was throughthe following line:

"The eldest son of John and Sarah (Shores) Sparks was Levi Sparks.,born Oct. 2., 1778, in Surry Co., North Carolina, died Oct. 21, 1851, inLawrence Co., Kentucky. Levi Sparks married twice, first to ----- Walshin 1801, and second to Sarah Lyon. By his first wife, Levi Sparks had ason named Jarrett Sparks (also spelled Garried), who was born Sept. 15,1802, and died Sept. 1, 1873, in Lawrence County. Jarrett Sparks marriedElizabeth Boggs in 1825 in Virginia and they were the parents of Levi J.Sparks, M.D., born Feb. 19, 1831, died Jan. 14, 1897; he married Mary(Polly) Gambill and they were the parents of Laban T. Sparks, born Nov.29, 1860, died 1941. Laban Sparks was married twice, first to Emily Lyonon Dec. 9, 1880, and second to Trinville Lester. Laban and Emily (Lyon)Sparks were the parents of Charles F. Sparks, who was born on April 18,1885, and died on Dec. 20, 1969. Charles F. Sparks married Virgie T.Sparks in 1905; she was born March 9, 1889, and died April 20, 1934. Herparents were John Calvin Sparks and Mary Elizabeth (Green) Sparks. Shewas also a descendant of John and Sarah (Shores) Sparks.

"Charles F. Sparks was a retired school teacher, a member of CentralChristian Church in Portsmouth, Ohio, a former supervisor at the Whitaker& Glessner Steel Corp. (now Detroit Steel) at Portsmouth, and a KentuckyColonel. During his years of teaching in the Lawrence County, Kentucky,school system he was rated among the top teachers, having made thehighest grade on the teacher examinations in 1920. After leaving theKentucky school system, he and his late wife, Virgie, moved toPortsmouth, Ohio, where he remained until retirement. Since that time hehad made his home with a daughter, Mrs. Otis (Tressie) Bailey at Martha,Kentucky. He had been in failing health for some time; however deathcame shortly after he entered a hospital at Paintsville, Kentucky, for acheck-up. He died on Dec. 20, 1969. Funeral services were conducted atthe Lewis-Ferguson Funeral Home at Sandy Hook, Kentucky, on December 23,1969, with the Rev. Charles Vansant officiating. Interment was in thefamily cemetery on the home place of his birth at Martha, Kentucky."

"Mr. Sparks is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Otis (Tressie) Baileyof Martha, Ky. and Mrs. M. A. (Maxine) Bilby of Vienna, Virginia; andfive sons: Bert L. Sparks of Akron, Ohio; William D. Sparks ofPortsmouth, Ohio; Russell V. Sparks of Sacramento, Calif.; Lowell H.Sparks of Huntsville, Alabama; and the Rev. Charles K. Sparks ofMuskegon, Michigan. He is also survived by thirteen grandchildren,nineteen great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild; two sisters,Mrs. 0. B. (Hattie) Kazee of Martha, Ky., and Mrs. Emory (Maude) Fannin,of Portsmouth; and two brothers, Paul Edison Sparks and Edward MortonSparks, both of Ashland, Ky.

"Information for this sketch was supplied by Bert L. Sparks, theeldest son of Charles F. Sparks. Photographs of Charles F. Sparks andmembers of his family appear on the following (p. 1307) page."

We are grateful for information as to the descendants of CharlesSparks which was received from his grandson James Russell Sparks, son ofRussell Vernon Sparks. James (email address James.Sparks2@@gte.net) is(as of 2000) a resident of San Francisco, California.

SQ 2777: "Charles Lawrence Sparks, son of Newell and Laura (Fetzer)Sparks, was born February 23, 1894. He was an elected official serving
as a tax assessor. He was married to Ethel Mae Barnes on April 28, 1919,at El Paso, Texas, and they had children named Laurine, Ruth and Mildred."

See a reproduction of his political card on p. 2777 and in his scrapbook.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY for March 1986, Whole No. 133, pp 2828-29:

HOW SPARKS, COLORADO, GOT ITS NAME

(Editor's Note: In the December 1954 issue of the QUARTERLY, Whole No. 8,there appeared an article about several places across the United Stateswhich were named for persons named SPARKS. Among these was Sparks,Colorado, located in Moffatt County in the northwest corner of thatstate. At that time we knew nothing of its origin. Here is how the postoffice got its name.)

Green River leaves Utah and enters north-western Colorado through theturbulent Red Canyon, just a few miles from the common boundary pointwhere Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming meet. It then heads slightly
south-eastward for about ten miles before turning south-westward forabout twenty miles, and it then turns westward quickly and reenters Utahthrough Lodore Canyon. During this time, the river flows throughrelatively flat land in a strip about six miles wide which is surroundedby mountains and plateaus, thereby creating a sheltered area eminentlysuited for cattle raising. It was to this area, commonly referred to asBrown's Park (or Brown's Hole as it was originally called) that twobrothers, Sam and George Spicer, of Wilkes County, North Carolina, wereattracted in 1873, and where they attempted to create a cattle ranch.

The Spicer boys had left a sister, Martha J. (Spicer) Sparks, inTraphill, North Carolina. She had married Lewis William Sparks about theclose of the Civil War, and they had ten children, including a son,Charles Lewis Sparks, who was born about 1867. After attaining manhood,Charley Sparks joined his maternal uncles in Brown's Park, and, althoughthe Spicer men failed in their attempt to establish a profitable ranchthere because of so much cattle rustling, Charley Sparks was finally ableto build a ranch on Talamantes Creek and on the road from Rock Springs,Wyoming, to Maybell, Colorado. It was here that the post office ofSPARKS, Colorado, was created.

The story of the settling of Brown's Park, including accounts of cattlebarons, sheepmen, range wars, long riders, cattle rustlers, paid killers,and other bad men, is told in a most entertaining and interesting mannerby John Rolfe Burroughs in a book entitled, Where the Old West StayedYoung. The book was published in 1962 by William Morrow & Company, NewYork. Of Charley Sparks, Burroughs wrote: "He was one of the very fewcompletely honest and absolutely fearless men in the Brown's Parkcountry."

Charles Lewis Sparks was married twice. His first marriage was to RosinaThumm about 1893. She had been born in Germany in 1877; she died in 1905.After her death on January 21, 1905, Charley married (second) Eva McMahonon September 17, 1906. He died on August 18, 1930, and Eva died onOctober 18, 1951. The children of Charley Sparks were:

1. Charles A. Sparks was born on June 7, 1895. He married CoraPhillips and they had two children,
Virginia Sparks and Rose Sparks.

2. Bessie L. Sparks was born on May 10, 1901. She married Harold A.McKay and they had four
children: Mary Jane McKay, Betty Rose McKay, Charles W. McKay, andBess Ann McKay.

3. Margaret Sparks was born on March 6, 1910. She married A. WrightDickinson and they had one
child, A. Wright Dickinson, III.

4. Martha Sparks was born on November 9, 1915. She married JayKenneth Buckley and they had
three children: Jay K. Buckley, Jr., Robert Buckley, and RichardBuckley.

(For further details of this branch of the SPARKS family, see theDecember 1955 issue of the QUARTERLY,
Whole No. 12.)

*********

See the note attached to his father's page.

SQ pg 4476: "He may have been named for his father's friend, Char leyGoodnight, a noted cattleman. Charles Sparks was crippled when h e was asmall boy after accidentally falling down a flight of steps w hile rollerskating. According to an account given by one of his fat her'scontemporaries, he was quite friendly and reliable. He is belie ved tohave become a professional gambler."

SQ 4601:
"Death Takes Charles Paul Sparks"

"It is with deep regret that we record the death of a longtime andgenerous member, Charles Paul Sparks, who passed away on October 16,1995, at Houston, Texas. He is survived by his wife, Jean Sparks, andtwo sons, Paul Edward Sparks, and Steven Douglas Sparks.

"Charles Paul Sparks was born on October 9, 1915, near Charley, a postoffice in southeastern Lawrence County, Kentucky. He was a son ofCharles Clarence and Fannie (France) Sparks and a grandson of Nelson andCalista (Ward) Sparks.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 2635:
Charles Paul Sparks was graduated from Purdue University and wa s aLieutenant in the U.S. Air Corps in World War II. He flew over G ermanyfrom Normandy more than seventy times before being killed in a ction in1944. He received a number of medals. He was married on No vember 4,1941 to June Wynkoff and they had a daughter, Lana Lee Spar ks, born in1943; she married Richard Baker.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY for December 1999, Whole No. 188, pp 5279-80 forthe following:

UNION SOLDIERSNAMED SPARKS -- PENSION APPLICATIONS

CHARLES THOMAS SPARKS was born on August 4, 1839; he died on June 8,1910. He served in Company H, 7th Regiment Tennessee Infantry, andCompany B, 1st Tennessee Light Artillery. File Designation: Inv. Cert.No. 791,913.

Charles T. Sparks apparently applied for an invalid pension in July 1890,for on August 4th of that year, David Stokes and J. J. Swanson, bothresidents of Chattanooga, Tennessee, made a joint affidavit to supporthis claim. They stated that Sparks, a man of temperate habits, wastotally disabled by reason of the loss of his left leg which wasamputated in 1811 because of injuries received while he was in themilitary service.

On March 24, 1891, Sparks, age 51, also made an affidavit. He stated thathe had Lived at St. Elmo, Hamilton County, Tennessee, since he had leftthe military service on July 10, 1865. Two months earlier, on May 29,189l, Sparks went into greater detail about his disability. He statedthat he had served in Company B, Ist Tennessee Light Artillery, andduring the winter of 1863, while on detached service with theQuartermaster Department at Lexington, Kentucky, he was kicked in theleft leg by a mule. At first the injury did not appear to be serious andhealed over, but in the fall of 1863, he hurt the same leg in a foragingexpedition by being hit accidentally by a gun. When he was discharged,the old injury seemed to be getting better, but it soon broke out in asore which gradually got worse until it became necessary to amputate hisleg.

The application of Charles T. Sparks was approved, and he was issued apension under Invalid certificate No. 797,913.

On March 30, 1910, Sparks applied for increased pension benefits underthe 1907 Act of Congress. He stated that he had been born on August 4,1839. On October 17, 1861, he had joined Company H, 7th RegimentTennessee Infantry, but subsequently he had been transferred to CompanyB, Ist Battalion Tennessee Light Artillery. He had continued to serve inthat organization until he was mustered out with his company on June 20,1865. He stated that he was now 70 years of age and Lived atSt. Elmo,Tennessee. J. M. Tiersing [?] and Charles Watson witnessed him make hismark on his application.

The Bureau of Pensions reissued a pension certificate to Sparks on April15, 1910, entitling him to a pension of $15.00 per month. He died twomonths later, on June 8, 1910.

On July 16, 1910, a sister of Charles T. Sparks, Mrs. F. L. Alread, whowas a widow, made application for reimbursement for expenses paid duringSparks's last illness and burial. She stated that Sparks had never beenmarried, He had a small paid-up insurance policy of 855.00. He left nomoney, real estate, or personal property. His funeral expenses were$131.00 and his physicians, Dr. J. H. Wood and Dr. George T. Prince, hadcharged $2.00 and $8.00, respectively. Sparks was buried in the NationalCemetery in Chattanooga.

[Editor's Note: Charles Thomas Sparks was probably the Charles Sparksshown on the 1850 census of Hamilton County, Tennessee (see the June 1975issue of the QUARTERLY, Whole No. 90, p.1745). This Charles Sparks wasshown as 12 years old and a member of the household headed by JamesSparks, age 39, a farmer who had been born in Virginia. James's wife wasLuvania Sparks., age 42 and a native of Kentucky. The nine childrenlisted in their household had all been horn in Tennessee. With theirages, these nine were: Martha, 17; Mary, 17; Andrew, 14; Jane, 13;Charles, 12; Celia, 10; Catherine, 8; Roda, 6; and Lucinda, 1.]

SQ 5316:

Charles W. Sparks was shown as 18 years old when the 1880 census wastaken of his parents' family in Kosciusko County, Indiana.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriage informationfrom Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822- 1865):
Charlotte Sparks & Andrew Cain, 1837. (Box 1)

SQ 3856: Charlotte Sparks, daughter of Joseph and Martha (Edwards )Sparks, was born about 1820. She was married to Andrew Cain in 1837 inLawrence County, KY.

SQ p. 3909:

"Charlotte ["Lotte"] Sparks, daughter of Daniel and Ellender(Caudial) Sparks, was born on May 4, 1868, in Lawrence County. It wasthere that she was married to Jesse James Caudill [or Cordial] on March4, 1886. He had been born on December 16, 1857, in Lawrence County andwas a son of the Rev. Jeremiah and Jane (Holbrook) Cordial. Lottie andJesse had four children before his death which occurred on June 24, 1894,at the age of 37 years.

"After the death of her first husband, Lottie was married two moretimes. Her second husband was Morse Griffin of Lawrence County. Thismarriage ended in divorce. Her third marriage was to Enoch Green. Shedied on September 25, 1910. She had four children, all by her firstmarriage.

a. Virgil Caudill was born on February 25, 1887. On November 22 ,1919, he
was married to Lillian S. Steele. She had been born on November29,
1896, and was a daughter of John and Geneva Bell (Pack) Steele .She
and Virgil had two children, Juanita and Marcella. Virgil diedabout
1968.
b. Monte Vernon Caudill was born on May 6, 1889. He was married toRuby
Margaret Perdue on June 6, 1914, in Boyd County, Kentucky. Shehad been
born on July 13, 1895, in Boyd County and was a daughter of DewittC.
and Augusta (Miller) Perdue. She died on March 20, 1957, and Monte
died on June 22, 1966. They were the parents of four children :Fred,
c. Cora Ethel Caudill was born on June 1, 1891. She was marriedtwice.
Her first marriage was to Frank Carroll on March 11, 1914. Theyhad
two children (Helen and Frank, Jr.) before the death of Frank ,Sr. in
February 1919. Cora was married (2nd) to John Boldman, and theyhad
two children, Jack and Ruth. Cora died in 1972 at South Point ,Ohio.
d. Charles Russell Hubert Caudill was born on March 11, 1893. He was
married to Ida Marie Bishop on December 23, 1931, at Ironton ,Ohio.
He died on March 26, 1976, in Boyd County. He and Ida had nochildren."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3403: They had 10 children: Otis, Earl, Lester, Mary, Susie,Debra, Dorothy, Bethel, and Arthur Sparks.

See SQ p. 2974:

"Chloe Sparks, youngest daughter of Joseph and Mary (McDaniel) Sparks,was born probably about 1770 in Maryland. She apparently never marriedand became the head of the household after her father died in 1809. Shewas co-executor of his estate, along with her brother, Joseph, and underthe terms of her father's will, she inherited all of his property whichwas not specified in his will. If she had any heirs, she could pass thisproperty on to them, but if she died without issue, the property was tobe sold and the proceeds were to be divided equally among the remainingheirs of her father.

"Chloe Sparks died in 1832 without a will. Joseph Sparks and JohnSparks, probably sons of her brother, Joseph, were appointed as heradministrators. The final settlement was made in 1847."

SQ p. 2921: She was buried in the Indian Springs Cemetery near Everett,PA.

SQ pg 3905: He served in the U.S. Army in the Spanish-American Warand died in the Philippine Islands while in the service on May 3, 1901.

SQ p. 751"

"Claire Lucille Sparks, daughter of Ernest S. and Marjorie E. (Tinker)Sparks, was born Nov. 19, 1919, at Parrish, Wisc. She mas married toHoward John Faultersack on March 9., 1943, at Merrill, Wisc. He was bornAugust 24, 1919. Claire was formerly a beautician, now a loving mother.Hovard works for Oscar Mayer at Madison, Wisc. They have three children:(1) John Howard Faultersack " born Aug. 2. 1946, at Merrill, -Wise.; (2)Nanoy Lee Faultersack, born Jan. 6. 1951, at Madison, Wisc., and (3)Mark Allen Faultersack., born June 28, 1953,, at Madison.

!NOTES:
SQ 3867: Clarence Sparks was married to Nora Lewis.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY for December, 1993, Whole No. 164, p. 4236:

DEATH CLAIMS CLARICE (SPARKS) BURRIS

We regret to report the death of a most helpful member of theAssociation, Clarice (Sparks) Burris, who passed away on March 29, 1993,at her home in Corpus Christi, Texas, at the age of eighty-four.

Clarice Sparks was born on September 11, 1908, at Sardis, Texas, and wasa daughter of Enoch Bonner and Ella (Reagan) Sparks. Her paternal grandparents were Newell Crane and Laura (Fetzer) Sparks, and her great-grandfather was Stephen Franklin Sparks, a pioneer settler of Texas who foughtthere in the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836 in the Texas-Mexican War.Clarice was predeceased by her husband. She is survived by a son, Ron A.Burns. We extend our deepest sympathy to her son and other familymembers.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3470: They lived in or around the general area of Parker, P aloPinto, and Falls County, Texas. We have no further information a boutthem. (Her husband's sister, Martha A. Erskine, married Clarind a'sbrother William, RIN 7304.)

SQ 3864: Clarinda "Sis" Sparks was born on January 23, 1864. She wasmarried twice. Her first marriage was to Leander C. "Brud" Sparks onJuly 19, 1882, in Elliott County. He had been born about 1851 and was ason of Nelson and Peggy (Mauk) Sparks. (See the June 1989 issue of SQ,Whole No. 46, pg 3396, for further details about the family of Nancy andPeggy). Sis and Brud Sparks had two children, Jane and Margaret, beforethey divorced. Sis was married (2nd) to Benjamin P. Cox. [JS Note: Sisand Brud were second cousins, having the same great-grandfather, ThomasSparks (536)].

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3905: They had at least three children: Diadema, Daniel andNora Wheeler.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY , March, 1966, Whole No. 53 pp. 958-9:

CLAUDE E. SPARKS

Editor andPublisher of The Franklin County Times

On the cover of this issue of the QUARTERLY we are privileged to publishthe pictures of three distinguished gentlemen, one of whom is Claude E.Sparks, Editor and Publisher of The Franklin County Times inRusseilville, Alabama. On February 11, 1966, at a meeting of the AlabamaPress Association in Birmingham, Fred LePell, Director of the PublicRelations Athninistration, of U.S. Steel, presented to Claude E. Sparksand Roswell Falkenberry (Editor and Publisher of The Selma Times-Journal)the "Journalist of the Year" Awards, This was the second time such awardshad been given. Sparks and Falkenberry were presented plaques inrecognition of their outstanding service to their communities, the state,and the nation.

A native of Jonesboro, Arkansas, Claude E. Sparks is a graduate of theUniversity of Missouri School of Journalism. He came to Russellville in1953 after working for the Jonesboro (Arkansas) Evening Sun, theBlytheville (Arkansas) Courier-News, and the Marshall (Texas)News-Messenger.

Without knowing it at the time, when Mr. Sparks came to Russellville in1953 he was actually returning to the home of his ancestors. He had knownthat his greatgrandfather had been born near Florence, Alabama, but noone in his family had maintained a family record. In 1964, Mr. Sparkslearned of the Sparks Family Association, joi.ned, and soon discoveredthat he was actually living within five miles of the spot where hisgreat-great- great-grandparents, John and Mollie Sparks, were buried. Thephotograph of the stone marking their graves in the Sparks FamilyCemetery near Russellville reproduced on page 962 was taken recently byMr. Sparks,

***************
-959-

as was also the stone of their son, William Sparks. (John and MollieSparks and their descendants are the subject of the article beginning onpage 960 of this issue of the QUARTERLY.)

Mr. Sparks's great-grandfather, Isaac Newton Sparks (called Newt), wasborn on June 17, 1848. In early boyhood he left Alabama and moved withhis widowed mother and brothers and sisters to Hardin County, Tennessee.Then in 1860, with his mother and brothers John, Jim, Joe, and Bob, hemoved to Arkansas by ox cart. Mr. Sparks has written as follows regardinghis great-grandfather:

"They stopped to live at Smithville in Lawrence County on Coopers Creekwhere they lived during the Civil War. All of the above-named brothersserved in the Confederate Army except Isaac Newton, who was too young.Bob was killed at Shiloh and Joe was shot in the shoulder atMurfreesboro, Tennessee. He returned home, developed gangrene and died atSmithville. He probably is buried at Old Bethel Cemetery near Denton,Arkansas. John was a cook in the Confederate Army.

"Left behind in Hardin County, Tennessee, was a sister who married a mannamed Hulen. His first name is not known in my family, but it is reportedthat her descendants still live near Savannah, Tennessee.

"Isaac Newton Sparks was married to Mary Street and moved to SharpCounty, Arkansas, near Poughkeepsie. They had one daughter, Mary, wholater was married to John Justice and then to W. G. Lewsaw. She hadchildren by both marriages. Mary Street Sparks died at the birth of herdaughter. Isaac Newton Sparks then married Charity Victoria Goff, who isbelieved to have been one-quarter Indian. She and Isaac Newton are buriedin the church cemetery near their home place. Photographs were baked intothe tombstones of both and the likeness is still good today.

"To Isaac Newton and Charity Victoria Sparks was born Joseph ColumbusSparks on February 16, 1880. I was the first grandson of Joseph Columbusand was born on his birthday, February 16, 1929. Joseph Columbus wasmarried to Etta Louella Miller, daughter of Henry Scott Miller of SharpCounty. They moved across the field, built a house at the communitysometimes called “Push,” and were quite active in the community asfarmers. He was a fine blacksmith and his shop was a delight to me inmy childhood.

"At one time in this community, Joseph Columbus Sparks and my fatheroperated the only repair service for automobiles in the area, sold thegasoline, served as carpenters and builders and performed a number ofservices. My father served as barber, both on occasion served as ruralundertaker in time of emergency and my grandmother operated thecommunity’s 'central' telephone system. My grandfather was known to pullteeth in this remote community, which was miles from a doctor or dentistduring many periods of time. I have witnessed my grandfather pull a toothwhile I was a child. He bid the sufferer 'be seated' in a cane-bottomchair by the fireplace, took his forceps from a small trunk and hauledout the aching tooth.

"This community is still very remote and the homeplace was sold whenJoseph Columbus died several years ago. He and my grandmother are buriednext to Isaac Newton and Charity. My grandfather acquired some hill landand cattle, but was not a particu larly good farmer. He liked saw millsand machinery. He lived his entire life in a house 500 yards from hisbirthplace."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 4078: He was married to Linda Anderson.

SQ 2568:

"Clinton C. Sparks, son of Elijah Sparks, was born abou t 1820 atChurch HIll. He married Susan Nabb on November 18, 1847, in Queen AnnesCounty, Maryland. He died on May 4, 1901, and Susan died on September12, 1905. Clinton and Susan moved west to Indiana where they settled inOrange County. They had at least one child, a son, Charles R. Sparks,born about 1864. Clinton served in the 49th Regiment Indiana Infantryduring the Civil War and received a pension for his service. See SQ pg2056, Whole No. 104 for an abstract of his pension file." (Reproducedbelow)

SQ 2056:

"CIVIL WAR PENSION APPLICATION OF CLINTON C.SPARKS

"CLINTON C. SPARKS, son of Elijah and Elizabeth (Davis) Sparks, wasborn about 1818. He died on May 4, 1901. He was married to Susan A.Nabb on November 18, 1847, in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. He servedin Co. G,཭th Regt. Indiana Infantry Volunteers. File Designation:Inv. Cert. No. 255,275 and Wid. Cert. No. 518,350.

"On April 4, 1877, Clinton C. Sparks, age 58 years, a resident ofOrange County, Indiana, made application for an invalid pension. Hestated that he had enlisted in Company G, 49th Regiment Infantry underthe command of Capt. John A. Ritter on November 8, 1861, and had serveduntil his discharge on November 29, 1864, at Indianapolis, Indiana. Atthe time of his enlistment he was 28 years of age; 5 feet, 5 inches tall;and he had dark hair, a dark complexion, and blue eyes. He was abridge-builder by occupation.

"Sparks said that in the latter part of December 1863 he washospitalized at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, for erysipelaswhich had left him permanently disabled so that he could not make aliving as a farmer. Joseph Duncan and William A. J. Jones witnessed hissignature and John R. Simpson, Orange County Circuit Court Clerk.,certified the application.

"The Adjutant General's Office confirmed the military service ofClinton C. Sparks on May 15, 1877. He had enlisted at Jeffersonville,Indiana, on November 8, 1861, to serve for three years. He was presentfor duty until March 9, 1863, when he was hospitalized at Milliken'sBend. He remained in the hospital until February 29, 1864. He wasmustered out with his company on November 29, 1864.

"Clinton C. Sparks was placed on the pension rolls. On November 4,1897, he was living at Huron, Lawrence County, Indiana, where heresponded to a questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions as follows: Hewas married to Susan Nabb on November 18, 1847, at Centreville, QueenAnne's County, Maryland. They had no living children.

"On May 23, 1901, Susan A. Sparks, age 81 years, a resident ofMitchell, Lawrence County, Indiana, made application for a widow'spension. She said that she was the widow of Clinton C. Sparks, a CivilWar veteran, who had died on May 4, 1901. Joseph Duncan and Alford T.McCoy, both residents of Mitchell, Indiana, attested to her statementswhich were notarized by James H. Crawford.

"Susan A. Sparks was issued a pension under Widow's Certificate No.518,350. When she died on September 12, 1905, she was receiving $8.00per month."

SQ p 2869: He lived at Callihan, Texas.

See SQ p.104: "Colby Sparks, son of John and Sarah (Shores) Sparks,was born about 1801, in Wilkes Co., N. C.; he died about 1869 in WilkesCounty. He went to Kentucky in the 1820's but returned to NorthCarolina. He was married in Wilkes County in 1822 (marriage bond datedDec. 28, 1822 ) to Sarah Pruitt, daughter of John Pruitt; she was bornabout 1804 in North Carolina. Colby Sparks was a Baptist preacher oflocal reputation.
Children of Colby and Sarah (Pruitt) Sparks:
a. Mahala ("Hulda") Sparks, born about 1824; married WillifordPrivett,
Jr. in 1848.
b. Irena R. ("Rena") Sparks, born about 1826; married JamesH. Billings
in 1860.
c. Christena Sparks; born about 1828.
d. Sarah ("Sallie") Sparks, born about 1830; married JohnDurham in 1851.
e. Nancy Sparks, born about 1833.
f. Leah Sparks, born about 1836.
g. Ruth Sparks, born about 1839.
h. Julia Sparks, born about 1842.
i. Naomi Sparks, born about 1846.
There was a son who died young."

See SQ p. 607, Whole No. 36, for this family in the census of 1850 forWilkes County, N.C. at p. 329, number 1169-1169.

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

SQ p. 2272: 11. Colby Sparks, born about 1801, died 1869; married SarahPruitt on December 28, 1822; appeared on the 1830, 184o, 1850, and 1860censuses of Wilkes County, North Carolina.

SQ p. 4754:

"Colby Sparks, son of George G. and Nancy (Short) Sparks, was bornabout 1842 in Lawrence County, Kentucky. He is undoubtedly named for hisfather's brother, Colby Sparks, who lived in Wilkes County, NorthCarolina. Young Colby was about sixteen years old when he wasaccidentally cut by an axe. The wound became infected, and he was takento a hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. He died there on February 27, 1858."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1996, Whole No. 176, p. 4729:

"Colby Sparks, son of Hugh and Nancy (Curnutte) Sparks, was born onSeptember 22, 1857, at Mount Savage, Kentucky. Many years later, hedictated an account of his boyhood, and from it most of what we knowabout him and his siblings has been learned. After his father failed toreturn home from the Civil War, he and his brothers and sister wentthrough the usual problems faced by orphaned children in that era. (Seepp. 3849-3853 of the September 1991 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No.156, for references to his boyhood and also a photograph of him and hiswife.) [JJS: For the article in its entirety, see notes for Colby'sfather, Hugh S. Sparks, written by Colby's grandson, Paul E. Sparks,President of the Sparks Family Association.]

"Cobe," as he was called, was a young man when he was hired to carrythe mail between the villages of Cannonsburg and Blaine in LawrenceCounty, a distance of about 25 miles. One of his stops was at Fallsburg,Kentucky, and this is probably where he met Martha Chaffin, asixteen-year-old daughter of George Washington ["Wash"] and Margaret(Short) Chaffin. Martha had been born near Fallsburg on February 24,1862. She and Colby were married on March 16, 1879, by her uncle, JimmyShort. Witnesses were George Short and Samuel Short, who were also heruncles.

"Cobe and Martha lived most of their lives on the farm they owned onMorgans Creek in Lawrence County. A major exception was their move toTexas in 1887. (See pp. 1242-1245 of the June 1969 issue of theQuarterly, Whole No. 66, for an account of their trip from Texas back toKentucky.) [JJS: See below] They were members of the Methodist Church.Martha died on April 4, 1929, and Cobe died on June 3, 1951. They wereburied in the family cemetery on Morgans Creek. They had seven children.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1969, Whole No. 66, pp. 1242-45:

COLBY SPARKS'S JOURNEY BY COVERED WAGON IN 1890 FROM TEXASTO KENTUCKY
AS HE REMEMBERED THE EVENTS FIFTYYEARS LATER

"Editor's Note: The following article appeared in 1939 in The BigSandy News, a weekly newspaper of Lawrence County, Kentucky. Its author,Coby Sparks, grandfather of the President of The Sparks FamilyAssociation, Dr. Paul E. Sparks, died in 1951 at the age of 93. ColbySparks was named for a great uncle, the Rev. Colby Sparks', who was aBaptist preacher of Wilkes County, North Carolina. (See page 104 of theQUARTERLY, Vol. III, No. 4, Whole No. 12, December, 1955.)

"Colby Sparks and his father-in-law, G. W. Chaffin, and their familiesmoved from Lawrence County, Kentucky, to Forney, Texas, in 1887 to becomecotton farmers. But the Texas climate caused Mrs. Sparks's health tofail, and this, coupled with two consecutive bad crop years, convincedMr. Sparks that he should return to Kentucky. A trip from Texas toKentucky in 1890 was no novelty, but Mrs. Sparks's doctors warned herhusband that she was too weak to change climates by train--thus thedecision to return by covered wagons drawn by Texas mules.

"In recounting the trip, Mr. Sparks made several geographical errors,but this is to be understood when we recall that he was rememberingevents at age 82 which had happened almost one-half century before.

"Only two members of the group of fourteen persons who made the tripalmost 80 years ago are now living. They are daughters of Colby Sparks,Miss Rose Sparks and Mrs. Flora (Sparks) Williams. Other members of thecavalcade were: George Washington and Margaret (Short) Chaffin andchildren: Bill Jim, Charlie, Tennessee, Emma, and Minnie; Colby andMartha (Chaffin) Sparks and otler children, James and Nora; and Mr.Sparks's mother, Nancy (Curnutte) Sparks.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"It was the twenty-second day of November, 1890, when we started thelong trek back to Kentucky in covered wagons drawn by four Texas mules,with a lead horse, a dog and some good trusty firearms. There were twofamilies of us, seven in each family, and a happier big family could nothave been found in all the west than we were when we left the little townof Forney, with its cotton gins and flat topped houses behind.

"The first four days travel brought us to the border (or boundaryline) between Texas and the Indian Territory. We crossed Red River atColbert Ferry into the Chocktaw Nation which is now Oklahoma. We campedthat night on the banks of Red River, and next morning I bid goodby tothe Lone Star State with my views of life greatly changed since enteringit. I was now willing to work hard for just the necessities of life ifGod would spare my wife to go through life with me, and this He did, forwe lived together fifty years before she left me to go to her EternalHome, where she is waiting for me today. I have traveled far along theuneven trail of life since that morning and like David of old, I havenever once been forsaken, or had to beg bread.

"We started next morning along dim trails, through deep forests of theIndian Territory, through which we traveled for thirteen days. At noonthe following day we made camp, cooked our dinners, fed our teams andrested. Soon we were happily on our way again. B. J. Chaffin (mybrother-in-law) and I decided we would walk awhile so we hit the trailand after walking for an hour or so we were quite a distance ahead of theteam. I thought while we were waiting for the wagons to catch up withus, I'd entertain B. J. by preaching him one of Reuben Powers' sermons.So I commenced, by text being: "We shall mount up as on wings ofeagles. We shall run and not worry; walk and not faint." After soaringwith this eagle through the blue ether until I had landed him safe in hishome above, and had started to give his famous exhortation, I was rudelybrought back to earth by a gruffy voice.. saying "feeling pretty goodsaren't you, boys?" We turned to face a man with two forty-fives buckledaround his waist and a Winchester (rifle) laying across his lap. Hesaid, "Where is your whiskey, boys." We told him we didn't have any, asthe ferryman had told us we were not to bring any whiskey into theTerritory. He smiled, and said, "So long, boys." He was one of UncleSam's mounted patrolman looking for whiskey pedlers and other violatersof the law, but I never preached so loud any more while I was in theIndian's land.

"Not far from here we crossed Big Blue River. It was the first riverwe had crossed since entering the Territory. It was a deep stream andthe water was as clear as crystal. We followed this river for manymiles, going through a dense "canebrake" where we saw some "razor backed"hogs which looked like wild animals more than hogs. We then came toMuddy Boggy River. Here I bought my first feed from the Indians. It wasrather difficult to trade with them as we could not understand eachother's language., but I showed them my sack, pointing to their corncrib, then to our teams. They sold us the corn. I asked what it wasworth. They smiled and said "we, no savy!" So I took a dollar bill andsome change in my hand and offered it to them. They accepted the bill,but refused the change.

"We didn't travel many miles from this place until we made camp forthe night. Next morning we came to Pony River. The bridge across it wasmade of round logs and was covered with water, which made it verydifficult to drive over. Two of my wagon's wheels ran off the bridge andwe had to get in water waist deep to lift it back to safety. We soonmade camp and had a good lunch. With dry clothes and a full stomach wewere ready to face the unknown trail again.

"There were very few trees missing from the great forests throughwhich we were traveling. There was plenty of game, such as turkey, deerand bear in the unexplored forest and plenty of fish in the broad deepstreams and today, I can say, I do not blame the Indians for fighting tokeep their land where they were born.

"We crossed the Caddo River and camped for the night, and next day wedrove through the country where the Little Missouri River flowed. Wecamped on the bank of the Little Missouri that night, and the next day wedrove to Atoka, an Indian village at that time.

"Here we saw the first railroad since leaving Texas. Atoka had onestore, a feed stable, a court house and a Government school building.Here we camped over the weekend. We had some repairs made on our wagonsand had our mules shod and Monday at noon we visited the school and sawone hundred Indian children, who were cared for by the Government. Theircourt house was a small boxed building. We were given permission to campin the court house yard and court was in session and all were Indiansexcept two white men. Many of the Indian men were wearing gold rings intheir ears, while the women wore all kinds of beads and flashy Jewelry.

"Our faithful old dog became very sick at this place, and we thoughtthe Indians had poisoned him, but he soon recovered and lived to be veryold. We left this Indian camp Monday afternoon and stopped about twomiles from town. It was not long after dark when a band of Indian womencame riding down the trail, and I had to lead their ponies past our campfirst, as they seemed to be afraid.

"We followed the old military trail to the town of Goodland. Herewe crossed the Kiamichi River and nearby stood the body of an oldchimney, the only sign of civilization except the dim trail we weretraveling. G. W. Chaffin remarked, "Here is where the old Indian waswhen he gave to the world that famous old fiddle tune 'the LostIndians'." A few miles from here, we came to where another dim trailcrossed the one we were traveling and where the trails crossed, there wasa large sign board. It looked to be very old, but carved in a neathand, was the picture of two hands, one pointing upward, said "To Heaven,five million miles." The other one pointed downward, said "To Hell, onehalf mile." That day we drove late wanting to get as far away from thelast named place as we could before we camped for the night.

"The next day we left the Territory and entered Arkansas at a smalltown called Whitehouse. Here we crossed Cush River by ferry, thendriving through Forest Grove to Cloteka Bay, where the Government had apublic ferry. From here we headed straight for Little Rock, Arkansas.After another hard day's driving we arrived in Little Rock. That nightwe camped in a livery stable. It was the first building that hadsheltered us since leaving Forney, Texas. Next morning we left LittleRock for Memphis, Tenn.

"We crossed the Arkansas River by bridge, and drove all day throughbeautiful virgin forests and late in the evening we crossed the EntwineRiver and camped close to the cabin of one of the early settlers. Thepeople were very friendly through this section of the country. Theylived in little log cabins with small plots of land cleared for gardensand corn. They only needed enough corn for their bread, as they hadplenty of meat and all it cost them was ammunition for their guns.

"We came to the Ouachita River which was a broad stream and very muddyat that time. We crossed it on a lumberman' s bridge. When we wereabout one-third the way across, we discovered the sign "condemned" andknowing we couldn't turn back we had all these folks to walk across andwhen they were safely over, we drivers led our teams, thinking if thebridge gave way, we would try to make it to safety ourselves and when wewere safe across we must have felt like the Pilgrim Fathers did when theMayflower landed them on American soil. We drove through the rain mostof the day and that evening we pitched our tents on the banks of LancerRiver and next morning to our dismay, our trail was under water. TheMississippi River had overflowed the lowlands. Here I got the greatestscare of my life. We crossed this river on a wooden bridge, the butts ofwhich at each end were very steep with no protection on either side. Itwas still raining and the bridge was very slick. As I started on thebridge I set my brakes very light and the wagon began to slip toward theedge. I saw that it was going over and there was only one thing for meto do, so I dropped my check lines and jumped to the bridge and picked upthe hind carriage of the wagon and carried it back to safety, saving myfamily. That was the one time I was proud of my strength!

"It was Christmas day, and we walked all morning in the water guidingthe wagons in the road and about eleven o'clock we landed in Windtown,Arkansas where the Missouri Pacific and B. Knob Railroads crossed. Herewe camped in the center of the little railroad town and many big heartedArkansans, both men and women, came to visit us that evening. The nextmorning high water was all in our way. I put the folks on the train forMemphis, Tenn. It was a distance of forty miles. I had to stay inWindtown until three o'clock that afternoon before I could get a car inwhich to ship our wagons and mules, etc. I heard many big "yarns" whilestanding around the camp fire after the folks had left. I noticed oneman in his shirt sleeves who didn't have much to say. I ask him if hewould like to have a drink. He replied "I would." We walked into asaloon, I ask him what he'd have, he said, "Straight whiskey." Welistened to a few more of their jokes and I ask the fellow what he wouldhave next. "Straight whiskey," he said, so I bought a pint and told himif he would help me take the wagons apart and put them in the box car hecould have the pint. It didn't take long to load the car. When it wasdone, I gave him the pint and the last I saw of him he was going towardthe camp fire singing, 'My Highland Mary."

"I rode the local (train) with our teams to the town of Hopefield,here I ferried the Mississippi 'River in the Tom Spurlock ferry boat.From here the shifter (local engine) ran me into Memphis, Tenn. Itwasn't long until we were all waiting at the wharfboat for the MissouriPacket, which would take us to Cincinnati. We were eight days and nightsby river reaching Cincinnati. Here we transferred to the steamboat BossTony which brought us to Ashland, Ky. We camped in the suburb of Ashlandthat night and next morning we drove over to Cannonsburg. There we metJohn McDyre, the first man we recognized after reaching Kentucky. Wecamped that night at the Hazel Schoolhouse on East Fork and next day wereached Long Branch and ate dinner with E. Dall, the first table we hadset down to since leaving Texas. We came by the way of Fallsburg(Lawrence Co., Ky.) and landed at Hardin Hulette's on January 8th, 1891,after one month and twenty days of travel. This is a true story, as Iremember and experienced it forty-nine years ago.

"I am 82 years old this was in 1939, and in a short time I am going onanother trip where there are no dim trails or disappointments, but wheremy mansion home is already prepared, and a host of friends waiting forme, and in all humility, I send my heartfelt thanks to Him who made allthis possible for me."

The following death notice appeared in The Sparks Quarterly for June,1966, Whole No. 54, at page 985:

DEATH TAKES COLBY SPARKS OFGATES, KENTUCKY

We regret to report that the Rev. Colby Sparks, aBaptist preacher who was born in
Elliott County, Kentucky, died at the age of 89on August 15, 1965. A son of Levi
H. and Nancy (Lawson) Sparks, Colby Sparks wasborn on February 23, 1876. His
father, Levi H. Sparks, had been born on May 31,1834, and had died on May 20, 1911.
(For a record of the Sparks ancestry of ColbySparks, see the QUARTERLY of
December, 1955, Vol. III, No. 4, Whole No. 12,pp. 97-102.)

Colby Sparks was married twice, first, onSeptember 26, 1898, to Nancy Belle Braum,
and, second, on July 1, 1905, to Julia Mauk whosurvives him. In addition to his wife,
Colby Sparks left four sons and five daughters to mourn hispassing: William Sparks of
Wheelersburg, Ohio; Levi Sparks and Andrew Sparksof Olive Hill, Kentucky, Ivan Sparks,
of Warner Robins, Georgia; Mrs. Lola Power ofMorehead, Kentucky; Mrs. Opal Gregory
of El Paso, Texas; Mrs. Bonnie Oney, of Hammond,Indiana; Mrs. Eva Oney, of Soldier,
Kentucky; and Mrs. Susan Sturgill, of Heath,Ohio. He also left 27 grandchildren and 56
great-grandchildren. Nancy Jane (Sparks) Skaggs,sister of Colby Sparks, died this
summer.

SQ p. 4747:
"...He was a farmer, a miner, and a Baptist preacher. He was crippledin a mining accident in West Virginia and walked with a noticeablelimp.....Colby Sparks died on August 15, 1965, at Gates, Kentucky, andwas buried in the New Sill Cemetery in Rowan County, Kentucky."

SQ p. 4727:

"Colby Jacob Sparks was born on October 15, 1878. He was a miner. Hewas described by a relative as a fiddler, dancer, and a good mixer. Theonly information we have about him has come from his obituary. He diedat the home of a daughter, Merlie King, in 1973. He was survived by hisdaughter and three sons, Cecil Sparks, Dewey Sparks, and Clyde Sparks."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 4068: She was married to Leon P. Smith on July 21, 1950, a tAnderson, Indiana. He had been born on July 1, 1921, and was a so n ofEarnest and Fannie (Miller) Smith. They had six children: Susie ,Ronald, Larry, Timothy, Darrell, and Cheryl. Susie Smith has bee n mosthelpful in the preparation of this article.

Marriage recorded in Carroll County, GA., Bk 1, page 516.

See 1900 US Census for Carroll Co., GA vol 9, e.d. 8, sheet 8, line 30.

SQ p. 4635:

"Cordelia Sparks was born on October 27, 1858, in Lawrence County. Shewas married there in 1880 to Fleming Rice. They went to Saskatchewan,Canada, where Flem (as he was called) practiced medi-cine. Cordelia diedthere in 1937. She and Flem had seven children: Chester A. Rice, MaryRice, Lilla Rice, Arba Rice, Homer Rice, Earl Rice, and Ernest Rice.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3470: They had five children: Arthur, Bernice, Clifford, E ulaMae, and Von.

!NOTES:
SQ 1702, 3230: Married Peter Alley prior to 1739; at least two children.

See SQ p. 807: This could be Cornelius. She (or he) married a Thornton.

SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1964, Whole No. 45, pp 790-807 commencing at 803:

"Cornelius Sparks, eldest son of David and Mary (Little) Sparks, wasborn in Rowan County, North Carolina, June 11, 1789; he died in BerrienCounty, Michigan, in August, 1862. He married in December, 1812, toSuzannah Stephens, in North Carolina, probably in Rowan County. [Yes, themarriage bond is on file in Salisbury, Rowan County dated Dec. 14, 1812]She was born Oct ober 28, 1794, and died in 1861. Apparently CorneliusSparks did not accompany his parents to Tennessee; it appears that evenbefore their departure from Rowan County that he and his wife and infantson had moved to Wayne County , Indiana, in the autumn of 1814. Thus itwas that Cornelius Sparks joined the great migration to the NorthwestTerritory from whence had come glowing reports of vast, rich farm landswaiting for the plow.

"There is a family tradition that Cornelius Sparks came north at leastin part because of his opposition to slavery. One version of the storywas recorded by a descendant, Mrs. Mary Park Wille, in 1938: "Hisfather was angered at a young slave boy who had grown up with him andbeen his constant companion. He had the boy tied up by his thumbs andwipped to death. " Since even the most cruel slave owner, and therewere not many of this type , would scarcely kill a young slave valued atseveral hundred dollars, a much more plausible version was written in1903 when a Buchanan, Michigan, news paper published an article on thefamily: " 'Members of this family relate that it was the brutal acts ofslaveholders that was chiefly responsible for the removal of the pioneersfrom Rowan County, North Carolina, forty-six years prior to the secessionof the state from the union. Cornelius Sparks was an accidental witnessto the act of a member of his uncle's family. A colored woman had reareda family of white children, after their own mother had died. She wascruelly knocked down with the butt of a whip because she was unable tosuppress her grief at the sale of her own son. That was the spark thatset the abolition spirit of Cornelius Sparks aflame. He had known of theservice of the negro woman to the unfortunate white children, and heresolved to leave the country that harbored such an institution.'

"According to this account written in 1903, which was copied for us byHelen Sparks of Los Angeles, a descendant of Cornelius, he and his familymade the journey to Indiana by ox team, camping in a tent at night anddriving their stock with them. Joseph Sparks, Cornelius' oldest son, wasa nine-month-old baby at the time (he was born January 24, 1814).According to this 1903 record: "On the way they stopped under the roofthat sheltered five generations of the babe's mother's family..."

"Cornelius Sparks remained in Wayne County, Indiana, until 1828, whenhe moved with his family to Berrien County, Michigan. There he and hiswife lived the rest of their lives."

**********

See also the SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1978, Whole No. 101, ANCESTORSAND DESCENDANTS OF CORNELIUS SPARKS, 1789-1862, pps 1965-1984. (JS: Thisarticle is more detailed and somewhat more up to date than the above.)

"The eldest child of David and Mary (Little) Sparks was namedCornelius Sparks; he was born in Rowan County, North Carolina, on June11, 1789, and died in Berrien Springs, Michigan, in August 1862. He wasmarried in December 1812 to Susannah Stevens. The marriage bond is onfile in Salisbury, Rowan County, and is dated December 14, 1812. AbrahamMarch was the bondsman while John March, Sr., was the witness. We mayassume that the marriage took place within a few days of the date of thebond. Hannah Stevens was born October 28, 1794, and died in 1861. Herfather was named Spencer Stevens while her mother's maiden name wasElizabeth Rupert or Robard. Spencer Stevens was a son of Sampson Stevens(or Stephens) of the Dutchman's Creek area of Rowan County. The spellingof the name differed among different members of the family, but SpencerStevens seems to have settled on the spelling Stevens for himself and hischildren, while his brother, William, used the spelling Stephens.

"Cornelius Sparks left North Carolina in 1814, a year prior to hisparent's departure. He, with is wife and infant son, moved withSusannah's parents, Spencer and Elizabeth Stevens, to Wayne County,Indiana. It is believed that several of Suzannah's brothers and sistersaccompanied them. According to an account of the Sparks family thatappeared in the CHICAGO TRIBUNE on March 29, 19O3, which was based on aninterview with Mary (Sparks) Park, eldest daughter of Cornelius andSusannah, ...Joseph Sparks, eldest child of Cornelius and Susannah hadbeen born on January 24, 1814, in North Carolina. According to familytradition, little Joseph was nine months old when the family moved toIndiana, which would mean that that made the journey in the autumn of1814. [Not copied is a repeat of some of the foregoing informationconcerning the reasons Cornelius left North Carolina and the move toMichigan. Article continues in middle of page 1969.]

"In October 1828, Cornelius Sparks moved with his family to the areawhich he had explored, settling in what would become Niles Township,Berrien County, "on the bend of the river near [Stephen] Salee on Section15." Whether all nine of the explorers of the previous August alsoreturned as settlers is not known. Joseph Stephens, who had married hiscousin, Arma Stevens,sister of Susannah, in 1822 is known to havefollowed Cornelius with his family in 1829.

"When the land on which Cornelius Sparks settled was surveyed in 1831,it was found that he had chosen what was designated as a "school section"which meant that he could not obtain a legal deed. He moved across theline from Niles Township to Buchanan Township where he lived for the restof his life. His brother-in-law, Joseph Stephens, who brought his familyto Michigan Territory the following year (1829) settled on Section 7 ofNiles Township, adjoining the land owned by Cornelius Sparks.

"On April 19, 1830, Susannah (Stevens) Sparks bore her 9th child,Wilson Sparks; he was the second white child born in Berrien County.(Berrien County was not actually created until 1831; when CorneliusSparks settled there in 1828 it was part of Lenawee County.) In abiographical sketch of Levi Sparks, who was the 6th child of Corneliusand Susannah, it was stated in 1878 that there were only three or fourwhite families in that section of Michigan when the Sparks family arrivedin 1828.

"Susannah's parents, Spencer and Elizabeth Stevens, remained in WayneCounty, Indiana, and it was there that Spencer Stevens died in 1839. Hiswill, dated November 8, 1839, is recorded in Wayne County (Will Book 2,pp. 200-01). In this will, the name is spelled Stevens throughout. Oneof the provisions made by Spencer Stevens was that three of his sons,Isam, Sampson, and Robert, who were to receive all of his property whentheir mother, Elizabeth, died, were directed to "pay to Susan Sparks,wife of Cornelius Sparks, one hundred and twenty five dollars" at suchtime as her mother might die.

"Mrs. Mary Park Vogel, mentioned earlier as a great-granddaughter ofCornelius and Susannah (Stevens) Sparks, owns two articles thatoriginally belonged to her greatgrandmother. One is a "bride's kettle"-- a small iron kettle which Susannah's mother gave her when she wasmarried to Cornelius. It was called a "bride's kettle" because it wastoo small to serve a family. The other article is a large sugar bowl inwhich Susannah's mother sent her some geranium slips when Corneliusvisited her. He made the journey by horseback and the sugar bowl, thetop of which had been broken, was tied to his saddle horn. We do notknow when it was the Cornelius made the journey.

"Mrs. Vogel also has a chest of drawers which Cornelius had made forhis daughter, Mary, when she was married in 1837. She also owns theoriginal daguerrotype from which the photograph of Cornelius Sparks wastaken that appears above. She also has one of Susannah, apparently takenat the same time, but it has faded to the point that her features can nolonger be seen with any degree of clarity.

"Susannah, wife of Cornelius Sparks, died in 1861, month and day notknown. Cornelius died on August 17, 1862. An obituary has been foundthat was published in a religious magazine called the Christian Record in1862. [Another reprint of this obituary is found in the QUARTERLY forMarch, 1968, Whole No. 61, p. 1134] It reads as follows:

"Died at the residence of his son Levi, Aug. 17, 1862, Bro.Cornelius Sparks, age 73 years. When over fifty years of age, under thelabors of Eld. John Martindale, Bro. Sparks embraced the Christianfaith, and for twenty years he was a faithful servant of our adorableRedeemer. He met death with composure, and closed his eyes upon thescenes of earth with a well grounded hope of a blissful immortalitybeyond the grave. His body rests in the narrow house appointed for allthe living, but his spirit in the bosom of God. Bro. Sparks left ninechildren and a large circle of friends to mourn his loss. We confidentlyexpect to meet and greet our departed brother in the fair climes ofimmortal day, where the smart of separation shall be felt and feared nomore forever.
(signed) William M. Roe, Buchanan, Mich., Aug. 26,1862.

"Cornelius Sparks was buried beside his wife in a family cemetery onhis home farm in Berrien County, near the town of Buchanan, Michigan. In1968, Loretta B. Bingham of Battle Creek talked to the present owners ofthe land, known now as the Chamberlin farm, and visited the "overgrownplot." She found Cornelius' grave stone, but it was lying flat and brokenin half. The owners of the land stated that they could recall Susannah'sstone that had stood beside that of Cornelius, but Mrs. Bingham could notfind it. The name of Cornelius Sparks below the words "Our Father" isclearly visible in a photograph which Mrs. Bingham took.

Cornelius and Susannah (Stevens) Sparks were the parents of elevenchildren:

1. Joseph Sparks, born January 24, 1814.
2. Spencer Sparks, born December 9. 1815.
3. David Sparks, born August 14, 1817.
4. Mary Sparks, born July 7, 1819.
5. Elizabeth Sparks, born July 26, 1821.
6. Levi Sparks, born October 3, 1823.
7. Anna Sparks, born September 30, 1825.
8. Ira Sparks, born October 30, 1827.
9. Wilson Sparks, born April 19, 1830.
10. Susannah Sparks (called Susan), born August 1,1832.
11. Cynthia Sparks, born August 27, 1834.

**********

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 2002, Whole No. 195, pp. 5563-65:

THE GRAVESTONES OF CORNELIUS AND SUSANNAH SPARKS

[Here appear two photographs, beside which isthe following caption:]

Photographs of the gravestones of
Cornelius and Susannah (Stevens)Sparks
in a burial plot on land onceowned by them in
Buchanan Township, BerrienCounty, Michigan.

In the SPARKS QUARTERLY of March 1978, Whole No.101, we publishedan article devoted to Cornelius and Susannah (Stevens) Sparks and theireleven children. Cornelius Sparks was born on June 11, 1789, the eldestchild of David and Mary (Little) Sparks, in Rowan County, North Carolina.The marriage bond for Cornelius and Susannah was issued in Rowan Countyon December 14, 1812, and we can be sure that they were married either onthat day or soon thereafter. Susannah, who had been born in Rowan Countyon October 28, 1794, was a daughter of Spencer Stevens (sometimes spelledStephens) and his wife, Elizabeth Robard (also spelled Rupert) . DavidSparks, father of Cornelius, had been born about 1768, a son of Jonas andElizabeth Sparks. Jonas Sparks, a son of Joseph and Mary Sparks ofFrederick County, Maryland, had migrated with other Sparks relatives tothe Forks of the Yadkin in North Carolina in 1754. Jonas was a grandsonof the English immigrant who died in Queen Annes County, Maryland, in1709.

Cornelius and Susannah Sparks left North Carolina by ox-cart in October1814 with their first child, nine-month-old Joseph Sparks, andaccompanied by Susannah'sparents and other Stevens family members.According to family tradition, the reason for Cornelius'migration northwas his objection to slavery . In 1828, by which time he and Susannahhad eight children, they moved again, this time to Michigan Territory,settling in what would become Niles Township in Berrien County . WhenSusannah bore her ninth child, Wilson Sparks, on April 19, 1830, he wasonly the second white child born in Berrien County.

Unfortunately, the tract of land on which Cornelius "squatted," with theexpectation that later he. could purchase It from the U. S. Government,proved to be part of a section designated as "school land," and he had tomove over the line into Buchanan Township, in 1831. It was there that heand Susannah spent the remainder of their lives .

They were the parents of eleven children, all of whom grew to adulthood,and five lived to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They were:

1. Joseph Sparks, born January 24, 1814.
2. Spencer Sparks, born December 9, 1815.
3. David Sparks, born August 14, 1817.
4. Mary Sparks, born July 7, 1819.
5. Elizabeth Sparks, born July 26, 1821.
6. Levi Sparks, born October 3, 1823.
7. Anna Sparks, born September 30, 1825.
8. Ira Sparks, born October 30, 1827.
9. Wilson Sparks, born April 19, 1830.
10. Susannah Sparks (called Susan), born August 1, 1832.
11. Cynthia Sparks, born August 27, 1834.

Susannah (Stevens) Sparks died in 1861. A great-great-granddaughter, JeanE. Sparks Ducey, has shared with us a short obituary of Susannahpreserved as a clipping from a local newspaper:

DIED, Mrs. Susanna Sparks, consort of Cornelius Sparks of thisVillage, on Thursday morning the
25th inst. The deceased was 67 years old and had lived with herhusband for almost fifty years. She
united with the Christian Church about twenty years since, of whichshe was a faithful member until
her death . She left a husband, nine children, and a large number offriends to mourn her loss. She
died with a well formed hope of blessed immortality beyond the grave.

Cornelius Sparks died on August 17, 1862. Both he and Susannah wereburied in a plot on their farm in Berrien County, near the town ofBuchanan, Michigan.

As noted in the QUARTERLY of March 1978, cited above, Loretta B . Binghamof Battle Creek, Michigan, then a member of our Association, recalledthat she had sought and had located the burial plot of Cornelius andSusannah on what was then called the Chamberlin Farm. She described it asovergrown and neglected, but that. she had found the gravestone ofCornelius "lying flat and broken in half." Althbugh the owners of thefarm In 1968 could recall once seeing Susannah's stone beside that ofCqrnelius, Ms. Blngham did not find it. A number of years later, sheshared with us a somewhat blurred photograph she had taken of Cornelius'stone, which we have reproduced on the previous page. The inscriptionreads:

Our Father
Cornelius Sparks
Died
Aug. 17,1862

Jean E. Sparks Ducey, whose great-grandfather was Levi Sparks(1823-1900), the sixth child of Cornelius and Susannah Sparks, recentlylocated the Sparks burial plot as had Ms . Bingham some thirty yearsearlier . While unable to find the stone for Cornelius, as Ms. Binghamhad done In 1968, Mrs. Ducey found that of Susannah and has provided uswith the photograph on page 5563. Part of the inscription on Susannah'sstone remains legible, as follows:

Our Mother
Sussanna Sparks
Wifeof
Cornelius Sparks

Account by Jean E. Sparks Ducey

Thirty years ago, my husband and I set out to find thegraves of Cornelius and
Susannah Sparks. I knew they were near a hill, perhapsbehind a large farm
house.
We saw a field in such a location, planted, except for astand of trees . We
asked at a nearby farm if there were graves within thosetrees. They were
pleased to find that someone in the family was interested .

We walked back and found that the iron fence mygrandmother, Mrs. Edwin
Sparks, (born January 21, 1867), had had erected wasmissing. The stone
for Cornelius was erect, but that of Susannah was brokenand leaning against
his . Unfortunately, we had no camera with us. Weintended to return, but
never did.

This past summer, when my sons were visiting, they weredetermined to help
me find the graves again . We saw a straggly bunch oftrees, but I was certain
this could not be the same lovely spot that I remembered.The boys insisted
that we go back, and we found the stone for Cornelius wasnow missing; only
that of Susannah remained, leaning against a tree trunk.

The large house nearby had belonged to Burton Jarvis,husband of Elizabeth
Sparks, daughter of Cornelius and Susannah, married onJanuary 2, 1840.
This is likely why those graves were behind the Jarvishome, on the hill, on
land once owned by Cornelius Sparks.

**********

On September 27, 2004, I received an email from Daundra Baker(Budblossum@@aol.com) as follows:
"Dear James,
I am Daundra Baker, not in the Sparks line but an interested partybecause of my relationship to David Sparks (1816-1861), son of Cornelius(1789-1862) and Susannah ( Stevens) Sparks (1794-1861). He marriedHarried Webster (1825-1897), daughter of Luke and Catherine (Hawkins)Webster, Nov. 23, 1843, here in Barrien County. This is where our familycomes in. Also I am the "cemetery lady" here and it is my mission torecord as many of the local cemeteries and burial sites as I can. Alsoam a local history nut!
To the data I have for you: We visited the site of Cornelius andSusannah (Stevens) Sparks buriels this last weekend. Sad to say it isstill in a sad state. The present owners of the property are more thanwilling to have famiy go in and clean the little patch. The county hadtold them to "just plow it up" because they have no records of theburials. The present property owners ask that we not publish their nameor the site of the burials. With a little detective work you could findout for yourself. Susannah's marker is leaning against a rotting stump.The engraving is still clear. "Our Mother, Susannah, wife of CorneliusSparks, died Oct. 25, 1861, age 66 years, 11 mo. 27 days. " We did notlocate Cornelius' marker. The area was so overgrown. I took picturesand will send them to you if you wish. If you would like moreinformation on David and Harriet (Webster) Sparks let me know."

**********

See The SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1978, Whole No. 101, p. 1979:

"Cornelius Sparks, born September 23, 1846, in Niles, Berrien County,Michigan; died on August 16, 1919, in California. He married MelissaEllen Easton on April 18, 1872 in Niles, Mich.; she died May 4, 1912. Heserved in the Union Army during the Civil War, enlisting at Niles on Feb.8, 1864, in Company A, 7th Michigan Cavalry, the same unit in whichhis half-brother, Spencer Newton Sparks, served. On March 10, 1866, hewas transferred to Company B of the lst Regiment, Michigan VeteransCavalry, at Salt Lake City, Utah. He resided in Marin County,California, for four years after his discharge, then returned to BerrienCounty, Mich., where he remained until 1902; then he moved to Lodi,California. Cornelius and Melissa Ellen (Easton) Sparks had twochildren:
(a) Lora May Sparks, born Sept. 15, 1873; she married ----- Waddel;and
(b) Cora Bell Sparks, born Sept. 3, 1876; she married ----- Linn.

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

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1992, Whole No. 157, pp. 3933-34:

CIVIL WAR PENSION APPLICATION OF CORNELUIS SPARKS;

CORNELIUS SPARKS, was born on September 23, 1846, at Niles, BerrienCounty, Michigan, and died on August 16, 1919, in California. He wasmarried to Melissa Ellen Easton on April 18, 1872. He served inCompany A, 7th Regiment Michigan Cavalry. File Designation: Inv. Cert.No. 441,767.

"On July 31, 1888, Cornelius Sparks, aged 42, a resident of BerrienCounty, Michigan, applied for an invalid pension. He said that he hadbeen enrolled on February 8, 1864, in Company A, 7th Regiment MichiganCavalry commanded by Capt. Fisher, and that he had been discharged atSalt Lake City, Utah, on March 10, 1866. He said that he was then 5feet, 9 inches tall; he had a light complexion, light hair, and blueeyes; and he was a farmer. In August 1864, near Shepardsville, WestVirginia, he contracted a disease of the stomach and bowels brought on byexposure to the rough army life. He had been treated at Patterson Park,Maryland, at Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, and at Camp Stone, Washington,D.C., but that he still suffered from the effects of the disease. Heappointed English, Bliss, and Chapman, St. Johns, Ohio, as hisattorneys. W. P. Harmon and Stephen Crane witnessed his signature.

"The War Department confirmed Sparks's military service on November30, 1888. He had been enrolled on February 13, 1864, at Niles, Michigan,in Company A, 7th Regiment Michigan Cavalry for three years. He had beenpresent for duty until April 3, 1864, when he had been admitted to thehospital. He had been reported as "absent-sick" in Washington, D.C., inAugust 1864; as "absent-sick" in November 1864 at Mower Hospital,Baltimore, Maryland; and as "absent-sick" in the hospital at Washington,D.C., in January 1865.

"The Bureau of Pensions issued Invalid Certificate No. 441,767 toSparks, and he was placed upon the pension roll. On August 9, 1889, heapplied for an increase in his pension benefits, claiming that he hadsuffered an increase in his disability. He said he was suffering from adisease of the stomach with a resulting dyspepsia. He appointed W. R.Bliss, St. Johns, Ohio, as his attorney. S. L. Randell and H. E.Trowbridge, both residents of Benton Harbor, Michigan, witnessed hissignature.

"On November 2, 1897, Sparks again applied for an increase in hispension and asked for a physical examination. He was supported in therequest by William G. Graham, aged 45, a resident of Buchanan, Michigan.Graham said that he had been a duty sergeant of Company A, 7th RegimentMichigan Cavalry and was well acquaint- ed with Sparks. Sometime inAugust 1864, while stationed near Shepherdstown, West Virginia, Sparkshad become so ill that he had had to be hospitalized for a considerableperiod of time, and when he returned to duty, he had been so disabledthat he had "not been mounted" during the rest of the war.

"On June 4, 1898, Sparks responded to a questionnaire from the Bureauof Pensions. He said that he had been married to Melissa Ellen Easton onApril 18, 1872, at Niles, Michigan, by the Rev. D. H. Ritter. It hadbeen the first marriage for both. They had two children: Lora MaySparks, born September 15, 1873, and Cora Bell Sparks, born September 3,1876.

"Sparks applied for increased pension benefits again on May 21, 1912.He was now 65 years of age and a resident of Lodi, California. He statedthat he had been born on September 23, 1846, at Niles, Michigan. Sinceleaving the service, he had lived in Marin County, California, from 1866to 1870; in Berrien County, Michigan, from 1870 to 1901; and since 1901he had lived at Lodi. S. W. Hopkins and M. W. Whittaker witnessed hissignature. Sparks answered another questionnaire from the Bureau ofPensions on March 22, 1915. He said his wife had died on May 4, 1912.His two daughters were now married. Lora May was now Mrs. Waddel, andCora Bell was now Mrs. Linn. When Cornelius Sparks died on August 16,1919, he was receiving a pension of $40.00 per month.

"[Editor's Note: Cornelius Sparks was a son of David and Harriet(Webster) Sparks and a grandson of Cornelius and Susannah (Stevens)Sparks. For further details about this family, see the March 1978 issueof the QUARTERLY, Whole No. 101, page 1979."