.

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 (NicholsonRedding), 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, AllenCounty, Indiana. He married Rosella Ellen Redding, daughter of Johnand Sarah (Nicholson) Redding, in Wells County, Indiana, on November17 1888. She was born February 16, 1868, in Huntington County,Indiana, and died on June 8,, 1954, at Bluffton, Wells County,Indiana. Ellison G. and Rosella E. (Redding) Sparks were the parentsof 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 whichhe received bounty land. (See pages 501-502 of the September 1960Issue of THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, Whole No. 31, for details. {Reproducedabove}) "He was married twice. His first wife was Polly ---, probablyborn about 1795. His second wife was Olivia ---, born about 1810 inTennessee.

"Elsberry Sparks was in Miller County, Arkansas, in 1821 when hejoined his father and brothers in petitioning the President andCongress to help them protect their property against the Indians. Healso signed a similar petition in 1825. On July 31, 1828, he sold his"right to land entry " in Miller County to Chester Ashley. The deedwas recorded in Pulaski County, Arkansas, on May 26, 1830, but thetransaction was reconfirmed on November 4, 1831, when Sparks and hiswife 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 and1830. By 1850, all of his children had left home and he was livingwith his wife, Olivia Sparks, in Crawford County, Arkansas. He wasaged 58 and Olivia was aged 40. Living in the household were 2youngsters, William L. McCabe, 17, and Eleanor McCabe, 11. They mayhave been Elsberry's grandchildren or they may have been hisstep-children (i.e. children of Olivia 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 dollarson November 27, 1851. His brother, Willoughby Sparks, and his nephew,William Tidwell, witnessed his signature. Shortly thereafter,Elsberry moved to Falls County, Texas, where he joined his brother,Willoughby Sparks, and his sister Lydia. Apparently, he was byhimself. On August 13, 1855, he was living in Johnson County, Texas,where he applied for bounty land for his service in the War of 1812[see above]. He was listed on the 1860 census of Johnson County , butwe have found no further record of him; he may have died prior to1870. We have not learned 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, ELSBERRY SPARKS:

"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 dayof September, 1813, for 6 months and served about 4 months; that hewas honorably discharged at Shawney town on or about Jan. 1, 1814. Healso stated that his honorable discharge had been lost. He signed hisname as Elsberry 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.5 to Nov. 20, 1812. He was granted 40 acres.

"On Aug. 13, 1855, he again applied for bounty land under the new law. At this time he was a resident of Johnson County, Texas. He gavehis age as 62 years. He gave essentially the same informationregarding his service as he had in 1852, except that he was musteredinto service at the "Saline or Salt works in the Territory of the nowState of Illinois in September 1812 and marched to Fort Edwards wherehe joined the main Army; "that he was drafted for 3 months and served2 months and was discharged at "the Saline or Salt works...on accountof a treaty being made with said Indians." He signed his name asBerry Sparks. Willis Sparks and T. G. Sorance, residence of JohnsonCounty, Texas, sIgned as witnesses, the former by mark. It appearsthat he was granted 160 acres of bounty land in 1855.

(Editor?s note: Elsberry (Berry) Sparks was probably the son ofAbsolom Sparks, who was a son of Matthew and Sarah Sparks (see theQuarterly of December, 1956, Vol. IV No. 4, pp. 177-78, [Whole No. 16]for material on the elder Matthew Sparks.) In the will of BenjaminElsberry, dated Aug. 21, 1789, probated Aug. 29, 1792, in WilkesCounty, Ga., provision was made for Benjamin's wife and at her deathhis estate was to be divided "between all my daughters." When theestate was settled in 1808, Absolom Sparks and Nathan Sparks, bothsons of Matthew and Sarah, received ?their part in full. Withoutdoubt, this means that Absolom and Nathan had married daughters ofBenjamin Elsberry. The marriage record of Nathan Sparks to SallyElsberry, dated May 10, 1800, is on file in Oglethorpe County, Ga.,but that of Absolom has not been found. There seems little doubt thatElsberry (Berry) Sparks was a son of Absolom, because both Absolom andElsberry were in Miller County, Ark., between 1821 and 1825. In 1821 apetition 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, andWilobe Sparks; see Territorial Papers of the United States, ed. byClarence Edwin 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 wasundoubtedly named for his maternal grandfather, Emanuel Rose. Hemarried Mary ---, probably about 1839. She was born about 1819 inNorth Carolina. Emanuel died sometime between 1870 and 1880. He andMary had nine children according to census records."

See SQ p. 607 for the census records of Wilkes County, N.C. at censusp. 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 wasmarried in 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 theUnion Army in the Civil War in Company H, 3rd Regiment IndianaVolunteers. He served under General Grant at Vicksburg, was withSherman on his March to the Sea, and paraded in Washington, D. C. ,and on Michigan Avenue in Chicago 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 ofWilliam and Jane (Morford) Gunn. He died at Kalamazoo, Michigan, onDecember 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 thescrapbook of 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 thecounty line in Wells County, in Rockcreek Town- ship. On July 27,1873, he was married in Shelbyville, Indiana, to Lovicy Gunn, daughterof William and Jane (Morford) Gunn. She was born December 14, 1854,in Hancock County, Indiana, and died on August 29, 1921, in Kalamazoo,Michigan. Emerson Sparks was eleven years younger than his brother,William, and was sixteen years old when the letters were written.Without knowing this fact, it would still be apparent from the tone ofthe letters that William 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.;died May 16,
1941 married Goldie ------
(5) Zantha Jane Sparks, born April 27, 1883, in Hancock Co., Ind.;died Jan.
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.;died June
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 Boone,
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 onNovember 15, 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 onJanuary 9, 1862, by J. Mauk. The license was issued on December 28,1861, and the witnesses were P. L. Reynolds and A. Whitt. John Harperwas born on June 16, 1839, in either Scott or Wise County, Virginia,and was a son of Allen and Elizabeth (Boggs) Harper. John died onAugust 9, 1896, in Elliott County, Kentucky, and Emmaella died onJanuary 25, 1916. They were buried in the Harper Cemetery on MaukRidge."

SQ p. 1500:

Harriet Sparks, daughter of William and Catherine (Knox) Sparks, wasborn Nov. 2, 1833; she married William J. Inlow, son of Abraham andSusan (Sparks) Inlow. He died June 19, 1886, age 52. They had a sonnamed Elliott Inlow, born Dec. 18, 1866. (This is from Bowen?s Historyof Montgomery 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 FranklinCounty, Georgia, that is now Clarke County, in 1793. An articledevoted to Matthew and his family appeared in the QUARTERLY of June1961, Whole No.34, pp.556-66. At the time of that publication,however, we believed that Matthew had not moved to North Carolinauntil 1758 rather than about 1754, and, while we knew that he was"closely related to William Sample Sparks and to Solomon Sparks,"later research has proven that William Sample Sparks was Matthrew'sfather, while Solomon Sparks was his first cousin. Matthew and SarahSparks were the parents of eleven sons (all of whom had red hairaccording 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 afterhis father had moved from Queen Annes County to Frederick County,Maryland. He accompanied his father as a young man in the move to theForks of the Yadkin in North Carolina. He served on a jury during theMay 1756 Court in Salisbury, North Carolina, and he paid taxes inRowan County in 1768 until 1772, then in Surry County, North Carolina,in 1774 and 1776. His nephew, William Sparks (born April 3, 1761), sonof Matthew and Sarah Sparks, recalled in his application for aRevolutionary War pension in 1846 that while serving in Capt. JohnCleveland's campaign against the Cherokee Indians in 1778, aftercrossing the "French Broad River just above the mouth of Swanono.. thefoot company from Wilkes County [North Carolina] inwhich was my uncleJames Sparks, and which marched behind us, built a station andremained to guard the frontier until our return from the IndianCountry. Here I saw my uncle on my return." We have found no furtherinformation pertaining to James Sparks. He may have lost his life inthe 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 rearingof his son, Reuben Sparks, to his sister,Rachel (Sparks) Bicknell, inNorth Carolina. (See the QUARTERLY of June 1997, Whole No. 178,pp.1809-14 .)

Rachel Sparks was the only daughter of William Sample Sparks whom wehave been able to identify. She was born in 1757 and was married inSurry County, North Carolina, in 1774 to Thomas Bicknell. Still livingin 1845, just nine days before her 88th birth day Rachel applied for awidow's pension based on her husband's service sixty years earlier. Itwas from her pension file at the National Archives that we obtainedthe information that enabled us to tell of her interesting life andprovide information regarding her family for the QUARTERLY of June1997, Whole No.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,p 502 for abstracts of these bounty land papers, copied below.) Hewas listed on the 1830 census of Greenville County, South Carolina, asliving next to his father, John Sparks. Enoch's age was given asbetween 30 and 40; his wife was listed in the same age bracket andliving with them were three males (probably sons); one male was under5 years; one was aged 5 to 10; and the third was between 10 and 15.There were also four females (probably daughters). One was under 5years; one was between 5 and 10; one was between 10 and 15; and onewas between 15 and 20. According to the 1850 census, Enoch's wife wasnamed Nancy and was born about 1792 in South Carolina. She had diedby 1860, but Enoch was still living according to the 1860 census ofFranklin County. From census records and other scattered sources, wehave been able to learn the names of only four of Enoch Sparks'schildren. 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.Bounty Land 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 commandedby Capt. John HOdge in the First Regiment of Volunteers commanded byCol. Reuben Nash; that he volunteered in Greenville District of SouthCarolina about )ct 1, 1812, for 6 months and was mustered into serviceabout January 1, 1814. He signed his name as Enoch Sparks. He wasgranted 80 acres 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 fivedays pay 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"64 years next September." He described his service as he had in1850, except that he added that he had sold the 80 acres he hadreceived in 1850 to W. H. Petty. He signed his name as he had in1850; the witnesses were John Wattress and James H. Tremble. Hereceived 80 acres of land in 1855."

"[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 theQuarterly of December, 1959, Vol. VII, Whole No. 4, p. 333) and was agrandson of Matthew and Sarah Sparks (see the Quarterly of December,1956, Vol. IV, Whole No. 4, pp. 177-78.) Thus Enoch Sparks andElsberry Sparks...were first 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 . Hewas married to Ella Regan in 1907. She and Bon had four children:Clarice, Natalie, Lucille and Bonnie." There is copy of their weddingpicture on page 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 ofUnion County , a four-year-old girl named Irena C. Sparks, born inGeorgia, was living with 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. Hecontinued to pay taxes there until 1812, and he was also listed on the1820 census of that county. He apparently married about 1803. Hiswife's given name was Charlotte, but we have not learned her maidenname. She was born about 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 wherehe paid taxes until 1831 and also was listed on the 1830 census ofthat county.

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 ofhis sons 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 andwas listed on the 1850 census there. His age in 1850 was given as 69years, while his wife, Charlotte, was 62 years of age . They lived inHouse No. 213, according to the census taker's numbering. Theirdaughter, Phoebe, lived in House No. 212; their son, Ephriam, Jr.,lived in House No. 214; and another daughter, Mary Ann, lived in houseNo. 220.

Ephriam and Charlotte Sparks apparently died between 1850 and 1860 .They were the parents of eight children, three sons and fivedaughters, according to the census records and information given bydescendants. We have been able to identify all of them except threedaughters." (See notes 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 1807personal property tax list of Washington County, Virginia. Hecontinued to pay taxes there until 1812, and he was also listed on the1820 census of that county. Apparently, he was married about 1803.His wife's given name was Charlotte, but we have not learned hermaiden name. She was born about 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 Countywhere he paid taxes until 1831 and also was listed on the 1830 censusof that county.

Ephraim Sparks apparently left Lee County about 1832 and moved toKentucky where he settled in a portion of Perry County which becamepart of Breathitt County in 1839. It was in Perry County that two ofhis sons were married, but when the 1840 census was taken, Ephraim'shousehold was enumerated in Breathitt County. Then, in 1843, whenOwsley County was formed, Ephraim Sparks was in that portion ofBreathitt County which became a part of Owsley. He paid taxes inOwsley County in 1844 and was listed on the 1850 census there. Hisage in 1850 was given as 69 years, while his wife, Charlotte, was 62years of age. They lived in House No. 213, according to the censustaker'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.They were the parents of eight children, three sons and fivedaughters, according to the census records and information given bydescendants. We have been able to identify all of them except threedaughters.

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 accordingto the census of Fayette County, Tennessee. Just prior to hisfamily's removal from Rowan County, he was married to Sarah Douthit in1811. The marriage bond was dated August 10, 1811. On March 1, 1816,William and Mourning Sparks sold part of their tract of land onFloyd's Creek in Jefferson County (now Oldham County) to Ephraim. (SeeJefferson County Deed Book K, p. 147) On October 20,, 1821, Ephraimsold this land to Ellis Raney for $600 (Book T, p. 451) and moved toAlabama, where his daughter, Frances, was born about 1822. By 1830 hehad moved to Hardeman County, Termessee; by 1850 he was living inTippah County, Mississippi, which adjoined Hardeman County, Tennessee,on the south. His occupation was given as "carpenter" on the 1850census; his age was given as 57--that of his wife, Sarah, as 63. By1860, he had moved to Fayette County, Tennessee, where he was listedin the census as an "overseer," without property. Living with him wasJames Holland a "laborer" aged 17, born in Alabama; also RebeccaOverby, aged 13, born in Mississippi--she was credited with $3,000worth of personal property.

The following information was obtained by letter from Dr. Russell E.Bidlack dated November 24, 1990 incidental with my becoming a memberof the Sparks Family Association. Ephriam was a nephew of my 2ndgreat-grandfather, Solomon Sparks, b. 1788. Ephriam's father Williamwas a 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 cousinrespectively. The following is taken from SQ at page 2456: "EphraimSparks, son of William (192) and Rhoda (Pennington) Sparks, was bornabout 1809 in Washington County, Virginia. He accompanied his parentsto White County, Tennessee, about 1825 and it was in that county thathe was married about 1835 to Elizabeth (260). She was born about 1810and died about 1846. She and Ephraim had four children: James Sparks,Solomon Sparks, Joseph Sparks and Sarah Sparks. After her death,Ephraim married (2d) a widow, Lydia White (265), and to them one childwas born, Henry Clay Sparks. Ephraim Sparks moved to Kansas followingthe Civil War, but returned eastward about 1879, and when the 1880census was taken, he was living in Grayson County, Kentucky. Lydiadied in 1875; Ephraim apparently died sometime 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 wasborn. Ephriam's father William (192) was Solomon Sr.'s brother. Sol'sbro Ephriam (191) was the father of still another Ephriam (226). So 3sons of James (189), i.e. Ephriam (191), William (192) and Solomon Sr.(173) had sons named Ephriam, i.e. (226 ), (228) and (183)respectively.

In a letter from Russell Bidlack dated November 24, 1990 he states "In1954, Paul Sparks talked by telephone to a Lewis Pembrook Sparks, then73 years old, who lived in Jefferson Co., KY. This man said that hisgrandfather had been Ephriam Sparks who had been born in 1809 and hadmarried Elizabeth - - - and had lived in VA. He said his father hadbeen Henry Clay Sparks, born on April 4, 1850. Note that this wasobviously the Henry Sparks shown as 4 months old on the 1850 Census,above. Henry Clay Sparks had married Emma Josephine Paine and,according to Lewis Pembrook Sparks, went to Kansas, but when thegrasshoppers ate up all their 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 thenlived with Ephriam Sparks; their names were Wade White, Andrew White,and William White. It seems apparent that they were shown as havingthe name Sparks on the 1850 census - - - probably a misunderstandingby the census taker.

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, notSparks, we are left with James Sparks, age 12, Solomon, age 9, andJoseph age 7, as the only children of Ephriam by his first wife livingwith him in 1850; 4 yr old Sarah and 4 month old Henry Clay wereapparently children by 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 beenkilled: "It was raining and James was behind a log and wanted torecharge his gun with 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; by his 2nd wife he had Anson,Palestine, Edith and Roy. Solomon died in Illinois and was buriednear Champaign according to Lewis Pembrook Sparks, although he mayhave been mistaken about where in IL Solomon lived."

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 whomhad sons
named Ephriam. Solomon's was (183) and William's was (228). Ephriam(228) son of William (192) was in Washington County in 1850 livingnext to our Solomons Sr. and Jr.]

This family appears on the 1850 census of Owsley County, Kentucky,living next door to Ephram Sr. and Charlotte Sparks, his parents. Heis shown as a farmer, age 30, born in Virginia, his wife Sarah, age26, born in Virginia, and their two children, Ann, 11, and Nancy 8,both born in Kentucky. 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 atleast three 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 ofWilliam and Rhoda Sparks) and who witnessed Solomon Sr.'s trust deed.See Paul's letter 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, SamuelJ. Reiley, was his security for a marriage license and also gave hisconsent for his daughter, Sallie (or Sarah), she being under 21 yearsof age. When we listed Ephraim Sparks as a son of Caleb and Rebecca(Wilson) Sparks in the QUARTERLY of September 1970, (p. 1342) we hadno record of him following his marriage. We have since learned thathe, like his brother Joseph, went from Kentucky to Scotland County,Missouri, Where he was listed with his family on the 1860 census,living very near the family of his brother, Joseph. Their post officewas Memphis, Missouri, in Johnson Township. The census was taken onAugust 2, and the family was listed as follows: (The age given forhis wife Sarah (or Sallie) A. Sparks is obviously in error -- she musthave been nearly 40 years old in 1860 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. 5098-5099for the 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 served in Company A, 146th Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry.File Designation: 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 thathe had been enrolled in February 1865 in Company A, 146th RegimentIndiana Volunteers, commanded by Thomas P. Spillman, and had serveduntil he had been discharged on August 31, 1865, at Baltimore,Maryland. in March 1864, he had been on a train with his company goingfrom Indianapolis, Indiana, to Harpers Ferry, Virginia, when the trainwas derailed, throwing him against a bench and injuring his rightbreast. He stated that 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 righteye which injured the eye so severely that he eventually lost itssight. He said that he had been treated by the Regimental Surgeon,but had not been hospitalized. Since leaving the service, he hadlived in Ripley County, Indiana. He appointed Hiram O'Connor,Jennings County, Indiana, as his attorney. Newton Dickerson andAndrew B. Bulitt witnessed him make his mark.

"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 toserve for one year, and he had been present for duty until he wasmustered out with his company on August 30, 1865. The morning reportshowed that on March 5, 1865, while en-route from Indianapolis,Indiana, to Harpers Ferry, Virginia, the train had run off the tracknear Hancock, and several 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 residentof Osgood, Indiana, stated that he too, had been present when Sparkswas injured in the train wreck, and when he had gotten the cinder inhis eye. Laswell, age 41, a resident of Versailles, Indiana, gaveessentially the same testimony, stating that he had been an eyewitnessto the 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.Prior to his going into the military service, Sparks had been in goodhealth, but he had returned from the service with the breast injuryand the injury to his eye.

"In spite of the affidavits, Sparks's claim was rejected on January18, 1886. On March 18, 1886, he asked for another physicalexamination by another Board of Examiners. Apparently the examinationwas arranged, and his claim was then approved, for he was placed uponthe pension roll at 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 dependenton the charity of others for his care and maintenance. Mary A.Pickett and John H. Elsbery witnessed him make his mark, and therequest was sworn to before Adrian V. Pickett, a notary public.Nothing among the "selected papers" indicates what action, if any, wastaken 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 theQUARTERLY, Whole No. 71, and the September 1971 issue, Whole No. 75.]"

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September, 1971, Whole No. 75, pp 4716-4718for an 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 onthe cover 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 camewith his parents to Scotland County, Missouri, between 1850 and 1860.On February 16., 1860., he was married to Rebecca Frances Smith, bythe Rev. T. D. Boyle; the ceremony was held near Keokuk, in LeeCounty, Iowa. She was born January 22, 1838. They settled 5 1/2miles north of Arbela in Scotland County, Missouri. The Civil Warbegan shortly after they were married and Ephraim Ellis Sparks servedfirst in the militia and on August 8, 1864, he enlisted in Co. I, 39thRegiment of the Missouri Volunteer Infantry in which unit he waspromoted to lst Sergeant. He was discharged in St. Louis on March 25,1865. He was described at the time of his enlistment as 29 years ofage, a farmer by occupation, with blue eyes, dark hair, a faircomplexion, and 5 feet 8 inches tall. In 1895 he applied for andreceived a pension for this service.

"Following the Civil War., Ephraim Ellis Sparks was elected arepresentative from Scotland County to the Missouri Legislature and ata later date was Judge of the County Court of Scotland County. In1888 he traded 320 acres of his home place in Scotland County for 640acres in Rush County, Kansas, near the little town of Bison. Thistrade was with a 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 Cemeterywest of Bison, Kansas. All of their children except Jennie are alsoburied there. The children of Ephraim E. and Rebecca F. (Smith)Sparks were:" [See family group sheet. Additional language in thearticle relates to their son, Ephriam E. Sparks and is included in hisnotes.]

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

UNION SOLDIERS NAMED SPARKS WHO APPLIED OR WHOSE HEIRS APPLIED
FOR PENSIONS FOR SERVICE IN THE 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 onJanuary 4, 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 statedthat he had been enrolled on August 8, 1864, in Company I, 39thRegiment Missouri Volunteer Infantry, at Hannibal, Missouri, to servefor six months. He had served until he was mustered out with hiscompany on March 25, 1865, at St. Louis, Missouri. When he enteredthe service, he had been 29 years old; he had blue eyes, dark hair,and a fair complexion; he was 5 feet, 8 inches in height; and he was afarmer. He was now (1895) suffering from asthma, a kidney disorder,and general debility that prevented him from earning his support bymanual labor. He appointed W. W. Dudley, Washington, D.C., as hisattorney. His declaration was witnessed by H. L. Brown and JamesNickel and was sworn to before B. G. Lewis, a Probate Judge of RushCounty, 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,and was carried on the company muster roll as a lst Sergeant. Hismedical records, 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." Hisdoctor had advised him to change climates, and he had moved to westernKansas in 1889. He had also begun to have urinary problems about thesame time. These diseases had become so debilitating that he was nowunable to earn his living by manual labor. The affidavits were swornto before Judge John Renner, who certified that Sparks's statementswere "dictated by himself 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.It had been the first marriage for both of them. Four children hadbeen born 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.Thorp witnessed her signature, and the declaration was sworn to beforeSamuel Rothweiler, 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 HenryAhrens, aged 59, both residents of Bison, Kansas, swore that they hadknown Rebecca Sparks for nineteen years and knew that she had notremarried after 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,she was 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 page1342 of the September 1970 issue, Whole No. 71, and pages 1417-18 ofthe September 1971 issue, Whole No. 75. It is interesting to notethat, like several of his cousins, Ephraim Ellis Sparks was probablynamed for his great-grandfather, Ephraim Wilson, father of RebeccaWilson, whose husband was Caleb Sparks. Born in Sussex County,Delaware, on July 18, 1756, Ephraim Wilson was living in that part ofYohogania County, Virginia that became Washington County, Pennsylvaniain 1781. He enlisted to serve in the Pennsylvania Line in theAmerican Revolution, for which many years later, he received apension. In 1795, he moved to Kentucky, then, twenty-two years later,in Ripley County, Indiana, where he was living when he applied for apension 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 theSparks Quarterly, 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 wasmarried in 1878 in Voca, Texas, to Elizabeth Antoinette Scott; she wasborn July 5, 1851, at Lyons Station, Texas, and died on May 8, 1937,in Brady. Both are buried at Brady. According to an inscriptionscratched on the back of a faded tin-type photograph taken in 1865(see page 1340), Ephraim Wilson Sparks enlisted in Company G, 58thRegiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry on January 16, 1865, in DallasCity, Hancock County, Illinois, at the age of eighteen. An obituaryof one of Ephraim's daughters written in 1955 states that Ephraim wasa stone mason "and built many of the old chimneys in Brady. Thefamily home originally was located on the square where Townsend's BenFranklin Store stands now. But in the early days the cowboys became sowild, riding down Commerce Street, shooting, roping and pulling up thehitching posts, that Mr. Sparks decided it was time to move his familyup on the hill, to get away from the rowdy cowboys and to be near hislime kiln. After the house was moved, however, Mrs. Sparks was afraidto let the children get away from the house for fear the Indians wouldget 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, bornin 1846, died 1926. We published a picture of Ephraim on page 1340 ofthe September issue as a young Union soldier at the age of eighteen.Mrs. Prince has sent us photographs of Ephraim Wilson Sparks and hiswife, Elizabeth A. (Scott) Sparks taken in their old age. These arereproduced in 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, atthe age of eighteen. He had blue eyes, auburn hair, a fair complexion,and was five feet and six and one-half inches tall. He was dischargedon March 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;he was in Columbus, Texas, from March to September 1873, and was inBell County, 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 toGrady, Curry County, New Mexico, where he remained until sometimeafter 1915 when he returned to Brady, Texas. He died there on November5, 1926. His wife died in Brady on May 8, 1937. When we published thesketch of his life in the September issue we did not have dates ofbirth for his three youngest children. From the records which he andlater his wife submitted to obtain pensions, we are able to supplythose dates. The children of Ephraim 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 whichhad been written by a friend of Ephraim in 1925. Although the authorof this letter, Ed Fee, is in no way related to the Sparks family, webelieve it has enough historical interest to justify including ithere.

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

'Dear Old Yankee

'Just found out thro our friend Doctor Gay and glad to know your stillliving. As you and I are the only ones living out of our War bunch Iwas 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 asa painter and paper hanger. It was only a year ago that I was workingon the 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 didit?

'Well, Yank, the old timers is about all gone that was here when wewas boys. There is some of the Gilbreths around here. Your sisterMrs. Gil-breth is in the Soldiers Home at Quincey. I sometimes seeBen but not often. Don't know where the rest of them are. I have 4children, three married, one lives in Peoria, the boy and 2 girlslives in Dallas, one at home. I live in the east end of town, have anice little house with 5 lots and nothing to worry about. Well Yank,if you get this letter and want to find out any thing, write me, Iwill be glad to tell you anything I can. Will close for this time andglad I have got track of 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 thesecond wife of Walter Winfield Sparks.) Ernest Ray became aveterinarian surgeon. On August 18, 1909, he was married to Agnes M.Whetsell. She had been born on April 17, 1881, at Vancouver and was adaughter of George Henry and Mary Elizabeth (McCollum) Whitsell. Shewas a teacher. She and Ernest moved to Pomona, California, in 1920.There, Ernest engaged in veterinary practice until his retirement in1948. Agnes died at Pomona on April 21, 1941, as the result of anautomobile accident. Ernest died at Upland, California, on March 28,1949. They had one child, Ernest Whetsell Sparks (Colonel, USMCRRetired), a long-time sustaining member of our Association."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 2633: He was married to Montes Lavina Nice in 1919. She wa sborn March 26, 1899, and died on September 16, 1958. She and Este lhad two children, Annadell Sparks and Richard Glen Sparks.

SQ pg 796: "Esther Sparks, daughter of Jonas Sparks, was born in RowanCounty, North Carolina on March 20, 1770. She was married in RowanCounty, North Carolina, in 1787 to Jesse Caton (the Rowan CountyMarriage bond is dated January 20, 1787). Jesse Caton was born April20, 1762; he was the son of Jonas Caton and was doubtless a closerelative of the Anna Caton who married Jonas Sparks, Jr., brother ofEsther. They settled near Marthasville, Warren County, Missouri, in1811. They were the parents of the following children: (1) NoahCaton, married a Miss McDermid; (2) Jonas Caton; (3) Jesse Caton, Jr.,married Missouri Lamme, daughter of William T. and Frances (Callaway)Lamme; (4) Elizabeth Caton, born August 16, 1790, died September 20,1821; married February 22, 1809, John Boone Callaway, son of Flandersand Jemima (Boone) Callaway, and grandson of Daniel Boone. They hadchildren named Emaline, Verlinia, James and Octavia; (5) Nancy Caton,married Adam Zumwalt; (6) Jemima Mahala Caton, married John Carter;(7) Rebecca Caton, marrried --- McCutchen; (8) Fannie Caton, marriedDaniel Gillis; (9) Hester Caton, married H. C. Lynn."
Substantiation of the foregoing plus some additional informationconcerning the children of Jesse and Esther Sparks Caton was receivedfrom Margaret (Mrs. James) McCain, 4345 Rota Circle, Fort Worth, TX76133, over the internet in 1998. This information is included foreach child. No source information was provided by Margaret McCainhowever.

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

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December, 1973, Whole No. 84, p 1614:

THE FAMILY OF JESSE AND ESTHER (SPARKS) CATON

"In the QUARTERLY of March 1964 (Vol. XII, No. 1, Whole No. 45, pp.790-807) we published an article on Jonas Sparks (died 1805) of RowanCounty, North Carolina. One of the children of Jonas Sparks was EstherSparks who was born in Rowan County, North Carolina, on March 20,1770. We gave the information that we had available in 1964 pertainingto the children of Esther, but since that time Mrs. E. L. Mead, whodescends from Esther's daughter, Elizabeth (born 1790), has providedus with a more
detailed record.

Esther Sparks was married in Rowan County, North Carolina, in 1787 toJesse Caton (the Rowan County marriage bond is dated January 20,1787). Jesse Caton was born April 20, 1762; he was the son of JonasCaton and was doubtless a close relative of the Anna Caton who marriedJonas Sparks, Jr., brother of Esther. Jesse Caton was taxed in FayetteCounty, Kentucky, on May 19, 1789. In 1800 he was taxed in ClarkCounty, Kentucky, which had been formed from Fayette and BourbonCounty in 1792. About 1811, he settled with his family in WarrenCounty, Missouri, near the town of Marthasville. Their children were:

1. Noah Caton, born between 1780 and 1790; he married Fanny NcDermidon November 12, 1814, in St. Charles County, Missouri.
2. Jonas Caton, born between 1790 and 1800.
3. Jesse Caton, Jr., born in 1800 in Kentucky; he married MissouriLamme on February 23, 1841, in Warren County, Missouri.
4. Elizabeth Caton, born August 16, 1790; she married John BooneCalloway on February 22, 1809, in St. Charles County, Missouri; shedied on September 20, 1821, in St. Charles County.
5. Nancy Caton. She married Adam Zumwalt on May 6, 1813, in St.Charles County, Missouri.
6. Jemima Caton. She married John Carter on June 13, 1814, in St.Charles County, Missouri.
7. Rebecca Caton. She married (first) a Mr. McCutcheon; (second) DavidHoward.
8. Frances Caton. She married Daniel Gillis on March 28, 1833, inWarren County, Missouri.
9. Hester Ann Caton. She married Hines C. Linn on February 18, 1836.

According to some of these marriage dates, it would appear that thislist is not in order of birth. Jesse Caton died in 1856 in WarrenCounty, Missouri."

!NOTES:
SQ pg. 8O1: "Esther Sparks, daughter of William. She married Christian
Stipe in Rowan County, North Carolina, in 18O6 (marriage bond dated December 9,
18O6), before the family moved to Kentucky. She had apparently die dbefore
1865 for in the settlement of the estate of her brother, Hampton Sparks,
mention was made of her heirs."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3404: They had three children: Robert, Laura, and Nancy Sparks.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 2615: She was married twice. Her first marriage was to Charles Reed on July 25, 1903. They had three children: Hugh, Naomi, and Bernice. Ethel married (2nd) Erve Wyland in 1928.

SQ 4733: Ethel Sparks was born on April 2, 1891, at Peach Orchard,Kentucky. She was married to Claude Augustus Bowden. He had been bornin Georgia on June 16, 1881. He and Ethel lived at Hurst, Illinois,where they had eight children: Homer Bowden, Orville Bowden, MorganBowden, Ethel Bowden, Carl Bowden, Claude Augustus Bowden, Jr.,Lawrence Bowden, and James E. Bowden.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 4067: She was married to George Bulick and they had a son, Kenneth Bulick.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 2022: They had one child: Agatha.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriageinformation from Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822-1865):
Etheldred Sparks & Ella Gent, October 14, 1841. (Box 3) Bondsman:Robert Ross.

SQ 3855: "Etheldred Sparks, son of Joseph and Martha (Edwards) Sparks,was born about 1816 in Ashe County, North Carolina. He was married toEllen Gent (or Ghent) on October 14, 1841, in Lawrence County, KY.She was born about 1814 in Russell County, VA. Etheldred and Ellenlived most of their lives on Burning Fork of Raccoon Creek in PikeCounty, Kentucky, where he was a farmer. He apparently died about1865, and Ellen died sometime after 1880. They had five children."Here follows information on children (See their sheets).

See SQ p.2550-51:

"Eugene L. Sparks

Eugene L. Sparks, son of Frederick B. and Mary Elizabeth (Speer)Sparks, was born on August 26,
1859, in Oldham County, Kentucky. He was married once to a woman namedKate -----, I never knew
her maiden name. They had one or two children - - I do not know theirnames, nor their birth dates. I
heard once that they were living somewhere in Nebraska. Eugene L.Sparks lived several years at
Coldwater, Kansas, then moved to Hopewell, Kansas, where he made hishome with his sister, Rose Anderson, for a while, then with hisbrother, David Grove Sparks and his family. I always believed he was abachelor at heart, because he alsays liked to live alone, and the timecame when he was alone. He died in Kinsley, Kansas, between 1947 and1950. He is buried in the Hillside Cemetery at Kinsley."

.

!NOTES:
SQ 2783: "Eugene Marshall Sparks was born on February 19, 1882. He
married Hattie McMourrough. He died on November 7, 1959, and Hatti edied
on November 18, 1969. They were buried at Gholson, Texas. They hav efive
children: Eugene, Burton, Mary Elizabeth, Dorothy, and Harriet.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3407: They had six children: Alfred Gillespie, Jr., Robert ;Donna; Shirley; Joyce; and Earl Gillespie.

See SQ p. 5392 for the following notice:

DEATH TAKES EVA VIRGINIA (SPARKS) FIELDS

Dorothy Sparks Murphy, sister of the Association's late President,Paul E. Sparks, has written to tell us of the death of her and Paul'ssister, Eva Virginia (Sparks) Fields, on December 19, 1999. Mrs.Fields, daughter of James ["Jim"] William and Sarah Elizabeth (Conley)Sparks, had been born at Yatesville, Kentucky, on November 12, 1912.She had been married to Roy C. Fields on June 9, 1934, in Boyd County,Kentucky. In the QUARTERLY of December 1999, Whole No.188, wepublished, beginning on page 5270, an account Paul had written anumber of years ago, about his parents and siblings.

In her letter, Mrs. Murphy noted: "I am the only one left in myfamily. I miss talking on the phone to Paul, who died March 4, 1999.He would always tell me something amusing. I have three cousins andmyself left in our generation. I will be 78 next Monday, January 31,2000."

SQ 3872:

"Everett Donald Sparks was married to Bertha Riggs on February 27,1895, in Lewis County. They moved to Protsmouth, Ohio, in 1912, whereEverett became a streetcar motorman. He was a member of the BaptistChurch. He died on October 28, 1953. They had two children, Ola andWilburn."

See the following article in THE SPARKS QUARTERLY for June, 1989,Whole No. 146, p. 3424:

DEATH TAKES EVERETT L. SPARKS

"It is with deep regret that we report the death of Everett L. Sparkswho passed away on March 6, 1988, at Maryville, Illinois. He was amost ardent member of the Association and made many valuablecontributions to our knowledge of persons named SPARKS across America.He is survived by his wife, Muriel; a son, Denton; two daughters,Michelle Sparks and Leslie Mae Fincher; a brother, Grover; and threesisters, Nellie Sparks, Clara Backensto, and Thelma Crews.

"Everett was well-known for his knowledge of the history of earlysouthern Illinois, with its historic caves and legends of Indians andearly explorers. He was also a writer and had just completed a bookabout the legendary Piasa bird paintings on the bluffs overlooking theMississippi River. It will be published posthumously under the title,In Search of the Piasa Bird.

"Everett Lloyd Sparks was born on February 1, 1918, in Madison County,Illinois, and was a son of Uella Earl and Nellie (Brooker) Sparks. Hispaternal grandparents were William Martin and Frances R. (Burch)Sparks. William Martin Sparks was a son of William and Nancy (Tate)Sparks and a grandson of Hardy and Susannah (Brown) Sparks, natives ofNorth Carolina. (For further details of this branch of the family, seethe September 1955 and the March 1969 issues of the QUARTERLY, WholeNos. 11 and 65, respectively.)"

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1963, Whole No. 43, p. 749:

"Ezra Sparks was born on June 18, 1795, and died on January 14, 1862,at Winchester, Ohio. He was married at Winchester on July 14, 1820,by William Baldridge, M.D.V., to Mahala Shriver. She had been born onAugust 18, 1801, in Berkeley County, Virginia (now West Virginia); shedied on July 16, 1867, at Winchester, Ohio. Their children were:
a. Solomon Shriver Sparks, born July 1, 1821.
b. Rebecca Ann Sparks, born 1823.
c. John F. Sparks, born ca.1825.
d. Levi Sparks, born ca.1827.
e. Robert M. Sparks, born February 9, 1829.
f. Mary Ellen Sparks, born October 17, 1831
g. Catherine sparks, born ca. 1833
h. Kerrilla Sparks, born September 4, 1835
i. Ezra Sparks, Jr. born June 6, 1838.

(A record of this family appeared in the QUARTERLY of September 1963,Whole No. 43, pp. 749-756. See also SQ p. 4051)

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!NOTES:
SQ pg 3413: They had seven children: Esther, Ella, Loretta, Lawrence, Robert, Ronald, and Ernest Sparks.

SQ Whole No. 43, pg 764: JEFFERSON COUNTY, KENTUCKY, MARRIAGE BONDS(1780-1875):

Fanny Sparks & Isham Wilhoite, September 29, 1823. Said Fanny beingdaughter of William Sparks, dec?d., and of Mourning Sparks, his widow.Consent proven by John Browa. Married by James Ward. (Book I, page147)

SQ 2776:

"Felix Franklin Sparks, son of Newell Crane and Laura (Fetzer) Sparks,was born on October 24, 1891. He was married to Mary Estelle Ray onNovember 10, 1914, and they had five children: Lydell, Feliz Lawrence,Earl, Frances and Margaret. Felix died on September 24, 1971."

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!NOTES:
SQ pg 3696: He was married twice. His first marriage was to Florence McGuire by whom he had two children, Odie and Wanda. His secon dmarriage was to Gladys ---. He died about 1918.