SQ p. 4725:

"Cynthia Sparks, daughter of George and Nancy (Short) Sparks, was bornon July 16, 1827, in Lawrence County (KY). She was never married andlived with her parents until their deaths; she then made her home withher brother, Levi Sparks, until her death, which occurred on September 9,1889. She was buried in the Lawson-Sparks Cemetery near her parents."

!NOTES:
SQ 1984: "Cynthia Sparks, daughter of Cornelius and Susannah (Stevens)
Sparks, was born in Berrien County, Michigan, on August 27, 1834, anddied on
September 10, 1898. She never married. Her obituary appeared in theBuchanan
(Michigan) Record of September 15, 1898, and indicated that, following the
death of her parents, she had lived with her sister, Elizabeth (Sparks)
Jarvis."

SQ p. 4723:

"Cynthia A. Sparks, daughter of John W. and Almeda (Green) Sparks, wasborn aout 1849 in Carter County, Kentucky. It was there that she wasmarried to Arthur Prince on February 2, 1869, by David Maggard, a Baptistminister. Arthur had been born about 1846 in Carter County and was a sonof Thomas and Hannah (Terry) Prince. He was a veteran of the Civil War,and at his death, his children received a pension based on his service.When the 1880 census was taken of Elliott County, Cynthia Prince had diedjust a few years earlier, leaving Arthur with three children.

"Cynthia Anne Sparks was born on February 4, 1865. She was married toRobert Franklin Goodman in 1889 in Arkansas. He had been born in 1851 inIllinois and was a son of Joseph Goodman. Robert died on April 16, 1917,at Bethany City, Texas. Cynthia died on May 17, 1941, at Brawley,California. They had eight children: Vergie Goodman, Ruth Dell Goodman,Mary Goodman, Adelaide Goodman, Bexar Goodman, Lora Goodman, MarydeanGoodman, and Roberta Goodman. Lora Goodman was married to Otto J.Madsen, and they were the parents of Dr. Paul Madsen who has been animportant contributor to this compilation."

SQ p. 2159-60:

Cynthia M. Sparks, daughter of Samuel and Polly (Aaron) Sparks, was bornon June 27, 1845. On November 21, 1867, she was married to David F. Raganat the home of her brother, Rufus M. Sparks, in Adair County. ThomasAaron, probably her brother-in-law, acted as bondsman. David Ragan wasborn about 1847 in Greene County, Tennessee, and was probably a son ofDarby M. and Mary Ragan, both natives of Tennessee. When the 1870 censuswas taken of Russell County, Kentucky, Cynthia and David had twochildren, Mary M., aged one year, and Martha, aged one month. There mayhave been other children born to this marriage. Cynthia died in 1925.

Damon Pythias Sparks was born on March 27, 1908. He was killed in amining accident on July 13, 1927.

SQ pp. 687-8:

Daniel Sparks, born in 1740, died in Darlington Connty, South Carolina,about 1810. As noted earlier, he was apprenticed by his father to learnto be a carpenter in 1752. Soon after his twenty-first birthday, he movedto South Carolina and settled on the Pee Dee River. He married, first, a
Miss Stephens, in 1763; she died in 1774. He married, second, MarthaPearce. (A good deal of information concerning the descendants of DanielSparks can be found on pages 692 to 696 of the Quarterly.)

!NOTES:
SQ 804: "Daniel Sparks, son of David and Mary (Little) Sparks, wasborn about 18O2 in Rowan County, North Carolina. He accompanied hisparents to
Tennessee and his name appears on the tax lists of Madison County,Tennessee,
for 1824, 1825, and 1826. He was married in Madison County, Tennessee, on
September 17, 1827, to Mary (or Polly) Tull, the same day on which hisbrother,
David Sparks, Jr. (801) was married. He was listed on the 183O census of
Madison County and had one daughter prior to 183O. By 185O he was livingin
Henderson County, Tennessee, where his occupation was given as "miller";his
wife's age was given as 43 in 185O (born about 18O7) and her birthplacewas
Tennessee. By 1860, he was living in Hardeman County, Tennessee. Fromthese
two census records, it appears that Daniel and Mary (Tull) Sparks were the
parents of the following children:" [here lists]

SQ pg 2927:

"Daniel Sparks, son of James and Nancy (Rogers) Sparks, was born onSeptember 10, 1806. He married Catherine ------ probably about 1845, andwhen the 1850 census was taken of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, they werelisted in the West Providence Township. He was listed as 38 years of ageand Catherine as 34 years of age. When the 1870 census was taken, theywere living at Bloody Run, Pennsylvania. With them were three Baughmanchildren: Barbara, 30; John, 19; and James, 14.

"Daniel Sparks died on May 30, 1877, and his will was proven on June8, 1877. He specified that he was to be buried on the farm of PhilipSparks (his nephew) according to the rites of the Lutheran Church. Heleft his estate to his wife, Catherine, and to four Baughman childrenwhom he had reared. He did not specify his relationship to them.Catherine died on May 5, 1889. She, too, requested in her will thatshe be buried beside her husband in the graveyard recently owned byPhilip Sparks. Mentioned in her will were: Barbara Baughman; JaneBaughman, who married Charles Karns; and Simon Karns, her son; also hernieces, Mary Pee and Eliza Zembower, who married Josiah Zembower.

SQ pg 3360: "Daniel sparks, probable son of William Sparks, was born
about 1816 in Tennessee according to the 1850 census of NatchitochesParish,
Louisiana. Much of the information about him has been given to us by a
grandson, Oscar Sparks, who lives in Provencal, Louisiana. He wrote the
following in 1985:
"I know very little about my father's people. I was told that myGrandfather Sparks came from Tennessee. Rode horseback from there. Hisfirst name was Daniel and his job was overseeing a plantation worked byNegro slaves, approximately four miles north of where I now live onKisatchie Creek . He married a girl whose last name was Justice and theyhad five children , two girls, Frances and Melissa, and three boys, Tom,Jake, and Wesley. His first wife died and he married someone whose nameI don't know and they had three children, two girls, Luwie and Julia, andone boy, Hardy, my father."

"Uncle Tom had three sons, Ellic, Craf, and Math. Last two lived inand around Anacoco and Many, Louisiana, who did drift into east Texas . Inever did know Craf or Math, just heard of them. I was also told thatwhen Grandpa Sparks left Tennessee, he had a brother who also leftTennessee and settled
near Nacogdoches or San Augustine, Texas. Several years back, I met oneof the Sparks boys from other there and from what he said, I feel sureour grandpas were brothers."

"My father and mother had eight children, three sons and five girls.All are dead now except me. I was the youngest, born in 1904. We alllived near Natchitoches County all our lives."

This letter from Oscar Sparks, together with census records, helps usto form a family for Daniel Sparks. He was married twice. His firstmarriage was to Julia Justice about 1842. She was born about 1825 inlouisiana, and she died probably about 1853. Daniel's second marriagewas to a woman whose name we have not learned. Daniel is said to havedied in the late 1800s . He had eight children.

SQ 3202: "Daniel Sparks, son of John and Elizabeth (Rose) Sparks , wasborn about 1822 in Wilkes County, North Carolina. He married KizziahHolloway, probably about 1841. She had been born on June 17, 1822, andwas a daughter of Daniel and Mary (Woodruff) Holloway. (On hertombstone, the year of her birth appears as 1824.) On the 1850 census,Daniel and Kizziah were listed as residents of Wilkes County.

"Descendants say that Daniel and Kizziah went to Missouri about 1853,probably to join the family of Daniel's brother, Solomon Sparks, inMercer County. It was there that Daniel died, apparently about 1855, andKizziah returned to North Carolina. There she married Joel Brown,Probably about 1858. He was a widower with a large family of children.

"Joel and Kizziah Brown were listed on the 1860 census of YadkinCounty, North Carolina. They had two children of their own before Joeldied in 1866 at the age of 52. When the 1870 census was taken of YadkinCounty, Kizziah was living in the household of her son, William Sparks,and his wife Mary. With her were her two children by Joel Brown: JoelBrown, Jr., and Binam Brown.

"About 1871, Kizzah went to Texas to join the family of her daughter,Frances. It was there that she died on May 9, 1892, in CommancheCounty. She was buried in the DeLeon Cemetary. She and Daniel Sparkshad five children, all of whom were born in Wilkes County, North Carolina.

SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1994, Whole No. 165, p. 4276: Daniel Sparks,son of Jesse and Nancy Sparks, was born about 1828. We have no furtherinformation about him.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1991, Whole No. 156, pp 3873-74:

"Daniel Sparks, son of Allen and Elizabeth (Kozee) Sparks , was bornon January 13, 1829. He was married to Elizabeth Sparks (217) on June15, 1852, in Carter County, Kentucky. She was born in April 1833 and wasa daughter of Jesse (196) and Nancy (584) Sparks and a sister of ThomasSparks (212 ) who was married to Dianna Sparks (958). [i.e. William IV'sgreat-grandchildren through James and Jesse, i.e. Thomas and Elizabeth,brother and sister, married William IV's great-grandchildren throughThomas and Allen, Dianna and Daniel, sister and brother]. In 1863,Daniel enlisted in the 40th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry of theUnion Army. (See an abstract of this pension file beginning on page 3873of the present issue of the SPARKS QUARTERLY, reproduced below.)

"Daniel and Elizabeth (Sparks) Sparks had a family of ten children--six sons and four daughters. Four of the sons enjoyed a localreputation as songwriters and singers, according to a contemporary whohas given this account of their talents. "Their names were Eli, Doodle,Bruce and Jay. They could make songs and sing them as they went. Theycould make poems as well as they made songs. Anytime there was an eventin the community or some hardship , they would make a song or a poemabout it. It is said that they could not read or write, but they wereextremely smart and could do about everything."

"Daniel Sparks died on November 1, 1904, and Elizabeth died onNovember 12, 1918. They were buried in the Daniel Sparks Cemetery onGarris Road on Mauk Ridge in Elliott County, Kentucky."

CIVIL WAR PENSION APPLICATION

DANIEL SPARKS, son of Allen and Elizabeth (Kozee) Sparks, was born 13January, 1829 in Lawrence County, Kentucky, and died on November 1,1904. He was married to elizabeth Sparks on June 15, 1852. Heserved in Company E, 40th Regiment Kentucky Infantry Volunteers. FileDesignation: Inv. Cert. No. 566,794, and Wid. Cert. No. 587,903.

"On June 2, 1876, Daniel Sparks, age 48 years, a resident of ElliottCounty, Kentucky, made application for an invalid pension. He statedthat he had been
enrolled as a private in Company E, 40th Regiment Kentucky MountedInfantry Volunteers, commanded by Col. C. J. True, on August 31, 1863,and had been discharged at Catlettsburg, Kentucky, on December 30, 1864.He said that he was 6 feet, 3 inches tall; he had a dark complexion,brown hair, and hazel eyes at the time of his service. He was a farmerand had lived in Carter and Elliott Counties, Kentucky, all of his life.

"Sparks said that on June 7, 1863, he had been hospitalized at Mt.Sterling, Kentucky, with a fever caused by measles and mumps, and beforehe had fully recovered, he had been taken as a prisoner by General JohnMorgan and forced to march barefooted for six days causing these diseasesto settle to his legs and rendering him totally disabled and incapable ofdoing any manual labor. He said that he had been hospitalized duringJune, July, and August 1863 at Paris and Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. He hadbeen hospitalized again in the fall of 1863 and 1864, but the dates werenot remembered positively. He appointed Samuel V. Niles, Washington,D.C., as his attorney. He gave his post office as Sandy Hook, Kentucky.Joel Sparks and John J. Park witnessed him make his mark.

"A record of the military service of Daniel Sparks was sent to theBureau of Pensions by the Adjutant Generalls Office on July 20, 1876.Daniel Sparks, according to this record, had been enrolled on August 20,1863, at Grayson, Kentucky, in Company E, 40th Regiment Kentucky InfantryVolunteers for a term of one year. He had been mustered out on December30, 1864. He had no record of disability. He was sick at Olive Hill,Kentucky, on December 26, 1863, and a similar report was made for January1864. He was reported absent without leave in June and July 1864.

"The Adjutant Generalls Office made a supplemental report on theservice of Daniel Sparks on February 20, 1877. This report confirmed theinformation contained in the earlier one, but added a note: "Said Companywas not in service in June 1863.11 The Bureau of Pensions then requestedthat Prisoner of War records be searched to find the whereabouts ofSparks from May to August 1864 and received the reply: "Prisoner of Warrecords furnish no information."

"Daniel Sparks was granted a pension under Invalid Certificate No.566,794.

"On March 3, 1898, Daniel Sparks, now living at Gimlet, Kentucky,responded to a questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions as follows: Hehad been married on June 15, 1852, to Elizabeth Sparks in Carter County,Kentucky, by Rufus Humphrey. It was the first marriage for both. Theliving children of this marriage and their dates of birth were:

A. J. Sparks February 20, 1853 Eli Sparks June 6, 1863
N. J. Sparks April 22, 1855 S. E. Sparks June 23, 1865
R. B. Sparks April 14, 1857 J. H. Sparks June 30, 1867
R. M. Sparks August 15, 1861 H. S. Sparks March 25, 1869

"On November 4, 1904, Elizabeth Sparks, age 71 years, a resident ofGimlet, Kentucky, made application for a widow's pension. She declaredthat she was a widow of Daniel Sparks who had enlisted on August 31,1863, in Company E, 40th Regiment Kentucky Infantry and had beendischarged on December 30, 1864. She stated that Daniel had died onNovember 1, 1904. She and Sparks had been married on June 15, 1851, byRufus Humphrey at Jesse Sparks's under her maiden name of ElizabethSparks. She appointed W. W. Dudley, Washington, D.C., as her attorney.H. S. Sparks and Minta Sparks, both of Gimlet, Kentucky, witnessed hermake her mark, and the application was notarized by J. E. Sparks, anotary public of Elliott County, Kentucky. (JS: They are second cousins:He descends through William IV's son James [He is my 2nd cousin thriceremoved] and she descends through William IV's son Thomas.)

"The application was accompanied by a copy of the marriage certificatewhich verified the marriage of Daniel and Elizabeth on June 15, 1852, byR. Humphreys in the presence of John Sparks and Solomon Sparks.

"The application of Elizabeth Sparks was approved, and she was placedon the pension rolls. When she died on November 12, 1918, she wasreceiving a pension of $25.00 per month."

[JS Note:] The following was taken from the US Census for theTownship of Moccasin in Elliott County, Kentucky in 1870. Living nearbyare many Sparks families including several kin of Daniel, i.e.: Daniel(213), Jesse (218), Eli Alexander (220), and John (211). The census alsoconfirms the approximate birthdate of Daniel and reads as follows:

#85 Sparks, Daniel 43 KY
Elizabeth 37 KY
Allen 17 KY
Nancy 15 KY
Robert 13 KY
Rachel 8 KY
Ely 6 KY
Sarah 4 KY
James 2 KY

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1992, Whole No. 157, p 3902:

"Daniel Sparks, son of Matthew and Alsey (Osburn) Sparks, was born inJune 1847. He was married to Rebecca Susan Horton about 1871 . She hadbeen born in November 1851 and was a daughter of Reece Duff and Susan(Cox) Horton. Daniel and Rebecca were in Elliott County when the 1880census was taken, but by 1900 they had moved to Kenton County, Kentucky.Daniel died in 1929 and Rebecca died on May 2, 1930. They had ninechildren.
a. John H. Sparks was born about 1872. He was married to MollieOsburn.
He died in 1899.
b. Reece Duff Sparks was born about 1875. He was married toElizabeth
["Lizzie"] Elkins.
c. Jesse M. Sparks was born on March 6, 1876. He was married toNola
Gambill. He was a street-car motorman in Covington, Kentucky ,in 1900.
d. William Flanery Sparks was born on August 5, 1879. He wasliving in
a boarding house in Ashland Kentucky, when the 1900 census wastaken.
He was married to Goldie Lee Bowling sometime later. He diedin 1970.
e. James N. Sparks was born in October 1881. He was a street-ca rmotor-
man in Covington, Kentucky, when the 1900 census was taken.
f. Susan Alsey Sparks was born in July 1883. She was married toThomas
Baker, and they moved to Tacoma, Washington. She is said tohave had
no children.
g. Martha E. Sparks was born September 1886. She was married t oThomas Purdey, and they moved to the state of Washington.
h. Eliza S. Sparks was born in August 1889. She died when she wasonly
eighteen years old.
i. Virginia Sparks was born in November 1891. She was marriedtwice. Her first marriage was to Bernard Rankin in Spokane, Washington. Her second marriage was to Thomas Purdy. She died in 1918. Afterher death,
Thomas was married to her sister, Martha E. Sparks. (seeabove)"

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1997, Whole No. 180, p 4891:

"Daniel Sparks, son of Matthew and Alsey (Osburn) Sparks, was born onJune 11, 1846. He was married to Rebecca Susan Horton about 1871,probably in Johnson County, Kentucky. She had been born in November 1851in Carter County, Kentucky, and was a daughter of Reece Duff and Susan(Cox) HOrton. The first four children of Daniel and Rebecca Sparks wereborn in Johnson County but when the 1880 census was taken, the family wasin Elliott County, Kentucky. Sometime between 1880 and 1900, DanielSparks moved his family to Kenton County, Kentucky, where they wereenumerated in the 1900 census.
"Apparently, some members of Daniel's family became chronically ill.Having heard of some healing waters at Soap Lake in the state ofWashington, Daniel moved from Kentucky to Washington about 1907. He diedat Wenatchee, Washington, on December 8, 1927, and was buried in theBaird Cemetery, now known as the Highland Cemetery, located about sixmiles west of Coulee City, Washington. Rebecca died at Wenatchee on May2, 1930. They had nine children. " (Here article provides informationabout each child for which see their files.)

SQ 3204: "Daniel Sparks, Jr., son of Daniel and Kizziah (Holloway)Sparks, was born February 5, 1852, in North Carolina. He left home w henhe was still a young man. A descendant states that Daniel used the money($25.00) which he inherited from his grandfather, John Sparks, in 1868and went to the Dakota Territories. He was listed there on the 1880census in what is now Lawrence County, South Dakota. He remained thereunti l he was bout 45 years of age when he went to Texas, probably at thedeath of his mother.

"It was in Texas that Daniel Sparks met and courted Margaret Louis a(Fritts) Henson. She had been born on February 21, 1863, in Texas andwas a daughter of Claborn and Sarah (Lawson) Fritts. She was also thewidow of Z. T. Henson who had died in 1891 leaving her with one child.Daniel and Margaret were married on August 17, 1897. Daniel's cousin,John A. Bauguess, was his best man, and Margaret's sister, Savilla Mae(Fritts) Roberson, was her attendant . (See SQ p 3205 for the photographtaken at their wedding.)

"Daniel Sparks died on June 5, 1914, in Stephens County, Texas.Margaret died on February 14, 1938, in Comanche County, Texas. They hadthree children."

See SQ pp 4852-3:
"Daniel Sparks was born on October 9, 1865. He was married to MaryEllen Sparks about 1884. She had been born in March 1870 and was adaughter of Francis Marion and Almedia Frances (Wells) Sparks, thus sheand Daniel were second cousins. (See Item C, 7, a, below.) According torelatives and census records, they lived on Wallowhole Creek where theyreared eight children to maturity. They were: Cecil R. Sparks, FrancisMarion Sparks, Martin B. Sparks, Beverly Sparks, Stella Sparks, PearlieSparks, Sarah Sparks, and Alice Sparks.

See SQ p 4857:
Daniel "Dan" Reuben Sparks was born on November 4, 1898. He was shotand killed on June 21, 1921, near his home at Sarah, Kentucky. His14-year-old sister, Mary J. Sparks, was also killed at the same time. Ashanded down to relatives, the incident was described as follows:
"Dan Sparks had had some part in the destruction of a moonshinestill that was operating near his home. A few days later, he and hissister were part of a crowd returning home from a church service whenhe was shot by James Barker, probably the owner of the still. Marywas also shot, apparently by a relative of Barker. Both died on thespot.

"The passage of the 18th Amendment to the Federal Constitution mayhave played a part in this tragic incident. (Enforcement of theamendment, the prohibition of the making or using of alcohol, began in1921, and many small, but licensed, distilleries were dismantled ordestroyed. Before the amendment was repealed in 1933, many persons losttheir lives in trying to enforce this unpopular law.)

SQ 3205: Daniel Francis "Frank" Sparks, son of Daniel Jr. andMargaret (Fritts) Sparks, was born on January 29, 1905. He was marriedto Velma Fern Williams on Septermber 3, 1941. He died on December 21,1963.

SQ pp. 3550-1:
"He served in the 48th Regiment Tennessee Infantry, Confederate StatesArmy. Daniel built a log house for his bride which is still standing (asof 1990) and is occupied by a grandson, Will Sparks Stringer, who hasmade a restoration of the structure.
"Rebecca (Blackwell) Sparks died during a typhoid fever epidemic in1877. Three of her daughters also died at the same time."

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, pg 1977:
"Daniel Ludwig Sparks, son of Levi Carlton Sparks and Bertha C.(Ludwig) Sparks, was born in Valentine, Nebraska; he died in 1969. Hewas married in 1935 to Mary Jane Morris and they had two children: JamesMorris Sparks and Helen Margaret Sparks. The latter married BruceKabella in 1968 and they had a son named David Wayne Kabella."

.
!NOTES:
SQ 3280: Daniel W. Sparks, son of William russell and Sarah (Wilcoxson)
Sparks, was born about 1825. He married Mary L. Walker in February 1843, in
Wilkes County, North Carolina, with his brother-in-law, William Vanno y,as his
bondsman. (The marriage bond was dated February 16, 1843, and we ca nassume
the marriage took place shortly thereafter.) Daniel died four month slater, on
June 11, 1843, at the untimely age of eighteen years.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3901: When the 1900 census was taken of Magoffin County, Minnie and Daniel were shown with three children; it is quite likely th atthey had other children born to them later. These three childre n were:Virgil, Ida, and Adam Sparks.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriage informationfrom Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822- 1865):
Daniel Sparks & Sarah Jayne, July 31, 1834. (Book I, p. 112)

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriage informationfrom Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822- 1865):
Daniel Sparks & Eleanor Cordial, May 5, 1859. (Box 3) He born in SurryCounty, North Carolina, age 46 years, 2nd marriage. She born in LawrenceCounty, Kentucky, age 32 years, 1st marriage. Married by Enoch Green,Baptist minister.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1991, Whole No. 154, p. 3797:

"He was married (1st) to Sarah Jayne in 1834; she died in 1854. He wasmarried (2nd) to Ellender Caudill (or Cordial) in 1859 ; she died ca.1880. He was married (3rd) to Martha Hardy, a widow . He died in October1900.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1992, Whole No. 157, p. 3903:

"Daniel Wilcox Sparks, son of Thomas and Dinah (Wilcox) Sparks, wasborn on October 27, 1806, in Surry County, North Carolina , and was ateenage lad when he accompanied his parents to Lawrence County Kentucky.It was there that he grew to manhood, and it was there that he wasmarried three times. His first marriage was to Sarah Jayne on July 31,1834. She had been born about 1813 and was a daughter of William andDorcas (Ramey) Jayne. (See his sister Sarah Sparks (544) above whomarried Henry Jayne (2369), a brother of Sarah Jayne.) Daniel and Sarahlived on a 300 acre farm on Hood Creek, a tributary of Big Blaine Creek.There they had eight children before Sarah died on June 27, 1854.

"Daniel was married (2nd) to Ellender Cordial (or Cordell) on May 5 ,1859. He was 46 years old, and it was his second marriage. Ellender was32 years old and it was her first marriage. They were married by EnochGreen, a Baptist preacher. Ellender was a daughter of William and Jane(Wheeler) Cordle (or Caudill). When the 1880 census was taken ofLawrence County, Daniel and Ellender had four children in theirhousehold. She apparently died between June 1880 and the early part of1881.

"(In the early records of Lawrence County, the surnames of Caudill ,Caudle, Cordial, Cordell, and Cordle were frequently interchanged. Evenwithin the same family, some members preferred one spelling to another.We have tried to use these names with the spellings that have beenfurnished to us.)

"The third marriage of Daniel Sparks was to Martha Hardy on December5, 1881. She had been born in March 1855 in Virginia and was a widowwith a three-year old son, Robert Hardy. Relatives say that her maidenname was Spriggs. She and Daniel had four children before his death,which occurred in October 1900. He was buried in the family cemetery onhis farm on Hood Creek. Descendants say he carved his own headstone,using a stone which is about four feet tall. He was the father of sixteenchildren."

Danny is an engineer for Exxon Corporation.

In March, 2001, Darrell Sparks sent by email substantial data as to thedescendants of John Merritt Sparks for which we are extremely grateful.Darrell's email address is dcsparks@@msn.com

Darrell E. Sparks was a radio technician for the State of Ohio Departmentof Natural Resources. He was a veteran of World War II.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1992, Whole No. 160, pp. 4041-42:

"David Sparks, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Kelley) Sparks, was bornon August 1, 1737, and was baptized on August 18, 1737, according to theregister of St. Lukes Parish in Queen Annes County. He was married toMary Tippins on February 20, 1759, in St. Lukes Church at Church Hill,Maryland. The marriage was of short duration for (as set forth, above).David died just three years later, in early 1762.
As we have noted above, the death of David Sparks presented a minor legalproblem to the Queen Annes County Court, since his own estate had to beaccounted for in addition to completing the administration of hisfather's estate. The court solved the problem by appointing John Pinderas the administrator of both estates. Again, Benjamin Gould and AbnerDudley took an inventory, this time of the estate of David Sparks. Thereturn was made to the court on March 19, 1792. Here is the inventory asit was recorded on page 52 of Queen Annes County Inventory Book 78.

A just and true Inventory of the Goods & Chattles of David Sparks, lateof Queen Annes County, deceased, taken and appraised in current money onMarch 29, 1762.

Item Pounds Shillings Pence

His wearing apparel 1 0 0
One bed, with old tick, bolster, pillow,
rug, bedstead, cord 2 10 0
One small old chest 0 3 0
One old frying pan, broken 0 1 0
One old broken poplar table 0 1 0
One quart bottle 0 0 0
One old pail and piggin 0 1 0
One black horse, aged about twenty
years 0 10 0
One sorrel mare, aged about
fourteen years 2 10 0
One bay mare colt, aged about
two years 3 0 0
Two small breeding sows and five pigs 0 15 0
Two small hogs about ten months
old @@ 4s. 0 8 0
Two small hogs about seven
months old @@ 2s 6d 0 5 0
One yearling 0 12 0
One small heifer about three years old 1 7 6
Six lbs. of old pewter @@ l sh 0 6 0
One pair pot hooks 0 2 0
One old plow with share, colter and
single tree irons 0 12 6
One small old spyglass, broken 0 0 6
One old and sorry sickle 0 0 2
One old man's saddle 0 5 0
61 bushels of wheat seeded in
ground @@ 7s 6d 2 8 9
42 lbs. sorry pot metal @@ 2s 0 7 0
2 1/2 lbs. of old iron @@ 2s 0 0 41
3 old knives and 4 old forks 0 1 6
23 lbs of salt pork @@ 8s 0 5 9
One small parcel of old lumber 0 1 0

Total 17 14 101

Joseph Sparks seal Benjn. Gould seal
Arthur Sparks his mark Abner Dudley seal

"The final account of the estate of David Sparks was made by JohnPinder on February 9, 1764. Included in the return were two pounds"Pencilvania currency" which were due David Sparks as his share of theestate of his father, Joseph Sparks. Also included were five pounds"Maryland currency" belonging to the estate of Joseph Sparks which werein the possession of David Sparks at the time of his death. The totalamount of the estate of David Sparks was nearly twenty pounds.

"We have found no evidence that David and Mary (Tippins) Sparks had achild, although there was a David Sparks, born 1755-1774, who was marriedto Milly Vickers in Kent County, Maryland, in 1793. There is apossibility that he was a son of David and Mary."

For record of birth and marriage see IGI for Maryland, 1992, pg 12,451as follows:

David, son of Joseph and Elizabeth Sparks, born 18 Aug 1737, QueenAnnes, Chruch Hill, Saint Lukes Protestant Episcopal Parish, C507671/0307
David, son of Joseph and Elizabeth Sparks, born 18 Aug 1738, QueenAnnes, Church Hill, 7230711/8
David Sparks married Marry Tippins 20 Feb 1759, Churchill, QueenAnnes, 5025471/47.

The first article mentioning David is on page 802 of the SQ and statesin part "David Sparks, son of Jonas Sparks, was born about 1768 in RowanCounty, North Carolina. He was still living in 185O, but is believed tohad died soon after that date. According to family tradition, DavidSparks, when a young man about eighteen years old, objected strongly tohis father's second marriage, largely because the woman was of Germanextraction. Later , however, David Sparks married his step-mother'spretty daughter, Mary Little . A grandson of David and Mary (Little)Sparks remembered that Mary herself always spoke with a German accent.

"Our earliest record of David Sparks's purchasing land in RowanCounty, North Carolina, is a deed dated September 15, 1798 (Rowan CountyDeed Book 16, p. 422), by which he purchased from Jacob Course for 240pounds a tract of 241 acres "on the east side of Dutchman Creek and bothsides of Buffelow Creek." (See article for additional land purchases)"The reason David Sparks sold his land early in 1815 was that he waspreparing to leave Rowan County. He moved west into Tennessee and by1820 was living in Lincoln County in that state. Most, perhaps all, ofDavid and Mary's children had been born prior to their removal from RowanCounty. Whether all the twelve children accompanied them is not known."

"By 183O, David Sparks was living in Madison County, Tennessee. Twosons and two daughters were still at home. His son Daniel was alsolisted on the 1830 census of Madison County. By 1840, David Sparks hadmoved to Hardeman County in the same state and was still living there in1850. Earlier he may have lived for awhile in McNairy County.

"David Sparks's wife, Mary, died sometime between 1840 and 1850 .David was listed as 82 years of age on the 185O census of HardemanCounty. Living with him at that time was his son, Minus Sparks(sometimes written as Miner, also Minnie), aged 39. Living next to Davidand his son was a 36-year-old widow named Julia Birkhead. In allprobability, Julia was David's youngest daughter.

"Apparently David Sparks did not leave a will, and no record of thesettlement of his estate has been found. According to records preservedby descendants of David's eldest son, Cornelius Sparks, David and Mary (Little) Sparks were the parents of the following children:" (here lists12 children)

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March, 1978, Whole No. 101, pg 1966:
"According to family tradition, Jonas Sparks's son, David Sparks,objected to his father's marrying the widow, Mary Little Eakel.Descendants recall that she was called a "Dutch woman" and that grand-children who remembered her said that she had a German accent. Like herfirst husband Daniel Little, she was probably "Pennsylvania Dutch," andwe can speculate that she was the daughter or grand- daughter of anotherimmigrant to Pennsylvania from Germany who, like Daniel Little's father,moved on to North Carolina. David Sparks was about eighteen years oldwhen his father married the "Dutch woman." Despite his objection, notmany years passed before David Sparks married his step-mother's onlydaughter, Mary Little. (A brother of Mary Little, Lewis Little, marriedTolitha Sparks and moved with his family to Lincoln County, NorthCarolina., about 1808. We have not been able to identify this TolithaSparks. It may prove significant, however, that on August 17, 1804, ayear before his death, Jonas Sparks sold to Lewis Little for 100 pounds a100-acre tract of land in Rowan County.)

"We believe that David Sparks, son of Jonas, was born about 1768 andthat he was probably about 21 years old when his and Mary (Little)Sparks's first child, Cornelius Sparks, was born on June 11, 1789. About1815, David Sparks moved with his wife and children, with the exceptionof his oldest son, Cornelius, from North Carolina to Tennessee. When the1820 census was taken, David Sparks was living in Lincoln County,Tennessee; when the census was taken in 1830 he was in Madison County. By1840 he had moved to Hardeman County, Tennessee, where he was also livingin 1850. Mary (Little) Sparks, wife of David Sparks, died between 1840and 1850, and David Sparks died shortly after 1850.
David and Mary (Little) Sparks were the parents of twelve children:

1. Cornelius Sparks, born June 11, 1789.
2. Joseph Sparks, born in the 1790's. He was probably theJoseph Sparks who married Febey Hinkle in Rowan County, NorthCarolina, in 1811 (marriage bond dated January 28, 1811).
3. John Sparks, born in the 1790's, He was probably the JohnSparks who married Kitty Harwood, daughter of Henry Harwood,of Rowan County. (See the QUARTERLY of March 1964, p. 804.)
4. Jonas Sparks, born about 1800. He married Rebecca -----and was living in Tippah County, Mississippi, in 1850 atwhich time they had six children. (See the QUARTERLY of March1964, p.,804.)
5. Daniel Sparks, born about 1802. He married Mary Tull inMadison County, Tennessee, in 1827. They are known to havehad at least eight children. (See the QUARTERLY of March 1964,p. 805.)
6. William Sparks, born about 1808. He married (first)EmilineMoore and (second) a widow, Mrs. Lucinda Davis. Hedied in Prairie County, Arkansas, in 1860. He had at leastsix children by his first wife. (See the QUARTERLY of March1959, pp. 373-4.)
7. David Sparks, Jr., born about 1808. He married in MadisonCounty, Tennessee, on September 17, 1827, Comfort Moffett.They are known to have had at least ten children and wereliving in Prairie County, Arkansas in 1860. (See the QUARTERLYof March 1964, p. 805.)
8. Minus Lafayette Sparks (also spelled Miner and Minnie),born bout 1811 and died April 23, 1889, in Hardeman County,Tennessee. He married Sarah Cherry and had at least sevenchildren. (See the QUARTERLY of March 1964, pp. 806-07.)
9. Elizabeth Sparks. She married a man named Jarvis.
10. Mary Sparks (called Polly) born February 11,1797, died November 30, 1877, in McNairy County, Tennessee.She married James D. Hunter and they had ten children. (See[above] the QUARTERLY of March 1964, pp. 806-07, along withher portrait.)
11. Sarah Sparks. No further information.
12. Juliana (or Julie) Sparks, born about 1814. Sheis believed to have married a man named Birkhead and tohave had at least four children. (See the QUARTERLY of March1964, p. 807.)

"Descendants of David Sparks should find interesting a new serialpublication called The Little Bit, volume one, number one of whichappeared in January 1978. This publication is devoted to tracing thedescendants of Captain Daniel Little and is edited by Lawrence L. Little,P.O. Box 607, Portales, New Mexico (88130). The subscription price is$5.00 per year. The first issue contains a biographical sketch ofCaptain Little which will interest all descendants of Captain Little'sgrandson, Cornelius Sparks. Captain Little was a prominent citizen ofSalisbury, North Carolina, for many years prior to his death in 1775; heoperated a tavern and was an extensive land owner. He held a number ofpolitical posts, including Constable, Public Gaoler, Town Commissioner,High Sheriff, and Justice of the Peace. He was able to read and writeboth German and English."

See also SQ 2759-60 where his daughter Sarah may be identified.

SQ p 501:

PENSIONAPPLICATION FILE, WAR OF 1812, FOR DAVID SPARKS:

DAVID SPARKS, born1794, of Morgan County, Ga., and Talladega County, Ala.
BountyLand Warrant File 22 513-80-55.

"On Nov. 1. 1850, David Sparks, aged 56 years, applied for bounty landunder the act of 1850. At the time of his application he was a residentof Talladega County, Ala. He stated that he had been a private in avolunteer rifle company commanded by Capt-. H. Lane in the VolunteerGeorgia Rifle Battalion commanded by Col. Jones in the War of 1812; thathe had volunteered in Morgan Co., Ga., on or about Nov. 1, 1814 for 6months and was honorably discharged at Ft. Hawkins, Ga., on or about May11, 1815; he did not receive a written discharge. He signed hisapplication by mark. He was granted 80 &acres of bounty land.

"David Sparks obtained a sworn statement regarding his service by hisformer captain, Henry Lane. Lane was living in Newton County, Ga., whenhe made this declaration on Aug. 24, 1850. He gave essentially the sameinformation as had David Sparks in his application.

"On April 3, 1855, David Sparks applied for additional bounty land inaccordance with the act of March 3, 1855. He gave his age as 61 and wasstill a resident of Talladega County, Ala. He gave essentially the sameinformation about his service as he had in 1850. He signed by mark. Thewitnesses to this application were John B. Kidd and John C. Smith ofTalladega County. David Sparks apparently received 160 acres ofadditional bounty land.

"(Editor's note: David Sparks appears on the 1850 census of TalladegaCounty, Ala. (see page 378 of the March, 1959, issue of the Quarteru). Hegave his age as 56 in 1850 and his birthplace as North Carolina. hiswife's name was Milly, age 59, born in South Carolina. Living with himwas Abel Sparks, probably a son, aged 22, born in Georgia; also a16-year-old girl d Matilda Rice, born in Georgia. In his application,David Sparks stated that he had enlisted in Morgan County, Ga., in 1814.Our only record of him in Morgan County is in the 1820 census. He andhis wife were listed as between 26 and 45 years of age, with two malesunder 10 and one female under 10. He was not listed in the Morgan Countycensus of 1830 but was probably the David Sparks listed on the 1830census of Campbell County, Ga. He and his wife were listed there asbetween 30 and 40, with 2 males between 10 and 15, one male under 5., 1female between 10 and 15, and 2 females between 5 and 10.)"

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See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1969, Whole No. 67, p 1257-8:

DAVID SPARKS(BORN MAY 19, 1794, DIED NOVEMBER 10, 1862)

OF MORGAN COUNTY, GEORGIA,AND TALLADEGA COUNTY, ALABAMA

In the September 1960 issue of the QUARTERLY (Vol. VIII, No. 3, Whole No.31, page 501) we published an abstract of the application of David Sparksfor bounty land based on his service in the War of 1812. Thanks to adescendant of David Sparks, Mrs. Ellene McKay Mars, 716 Southwood Drive,Uniontown, Ohio, we are now able to give more precise informationregarding David Sparks and his family based upon family records in thepossession of Mrs. Mars.

David Sparks was born on May 19, 1794, and died on November 10, 1862. Wecannot be sure where he was born. When the1850 census was taken, he gavehis birth place as North Carolina, but the 1860 census gives his birthplace as South Carolina. He died in what is now Clay County, Alabama,although at the time of his death in 1862 this area was still part ofTalladega County.

From his bounty land application made in 1850, we know that David Sparksserved as a private in the War of 1812 in a volunteer rifle company fromMorgan County, Georgia, commanded by Captain Henry Lane. He volunteeredin Morgan County on November 1, 1814, and served until May 1, 1815, whenhe was discharged at Fort Hawkins, Georgia. He was listed on the 1820census of Morgan County and from the enumeration of his household itappears that he had two sons and one daughter under 10 years of age in1820. Apparently he lived in that part of Morgan County which was cut offto form Newton County in 1821. By 1830, David Sparks had left MorganCounty, Georgia. He was probably the David Sparks who was living inCampbell County, Georgia, when the 1830 census was taken. He was livingin Carroll County, Georgia, in 1840.

It is quite probable that David Sparks was closely related, probably abrother, to Uriah Sparks who volunteered for service in the War of 1812in Morgan County, Georgia, on the same day (November 1, 1814) and in thesame company as David Sparks. (See the QUARTERLY of September 1964, Vol.XII, No, 3, Whole No. 47, pp. 842-43, for data on Uriah Sparks.)

David Sparks was married to Permelia Medlock on December 15, 1811, inMorgan County, Georgia. Her nickname was Milly. She was born on February15, 1791, in South Carolina, and died on December 3, 1876, in Delta, ClayCounty, Alabama.

As yet we have succeeded in identifying positively only two of thechildren of David and Permelia (Medlock) Sparks. We know there was adaughter named Malinda who married Jesse Jackson Dempsey and a son namedAbel Tomlin Sparks. From early census records, it is apparent that therewere other children. Furthermore, a grandson of David Sparks oncerecalled that David Sparks had a son named Uriah and another son namedDave (nickname for David). There is a considerable amount ofcircumstantial evidence that Harris Sparks, who was born on July 3, 1818,and died on March 9, 1910, may also have been a son. There was also aJoseph Sparks who married Elizabeth Williams, daughter of ShepherdWilliams of Carroll County, Georgia, who may have been another son ofDavid Sparks.

Following are additional data on the two children of David and Permelia(Medlock) Sparks for whom we have definite proof of descent.

I Malinda Sparks, daughter of David and Permelia (Medlock) Sparks,was born sometime between 1812 and 1820; she married Jesse JacksonDempsey, who was born about 1812. They were the parents of seven children:
A. Francis Marion Dempsey, born Oct. 21, 1842, in CaveSprings, Floyd County, Georgia, and died on April 19, 1932, in ClayCounty, Alabama. He married Julia Clark.
B. Elizabeth Manilla Dempsey, born Sept. 18, 1844; diedJuly 23, 1895; she married Jesse Franklin Clark.
C. Sara Jane Dempsey, married John Butterworth.
D. Wiley Dempsey, married Maggie Rowe.
E. Annetter Dempsey, married David Crockett Smith.
F. Evelyn Dempsey, married Elijah Roberts.
G. Monroe Dempsey, died as a young man in Dallas County,Alabama.

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

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1992, Whole No. 160, pp. 4020-22:

"David Sparks, a great-grandfather of these six Clark children [thesix Clark children shown in the photograph on the cover of the aboveissue], was born on May 19, 1794, and died on November 10, 1862. AnAbstract of David Sparks's application for bounty land, based on hisservice in the war of 1812, appeared in the QUARTERLY of September 1960,(Whole No. 31) [see above]. These two children were (1) Malinda MinevaSparks, born in 1822; and (2) Abel Tomlin Sparks, born November 10, 1827,died January 20, 1896. Until Mrs. Sundie sent us the photograph ofMalinda Minerva's tombstone (seen on page 4021) we had been able only toguess at the year of her birth. While her and her husband's stone isobviously newer than a stone of the 1860s, we assume that the familymembers who placed it on their graves were correct in giving her date ofbirth as 1822. From this and other family records, it appears thatMalinda Minerva Sparks was known by her middle name, Minerva.

"David Sparks served as a private in a volunteer rifle company fromMorgan County, Georgia, in the War of 1812. He volunteered in MorganCounty on November 1, 1814, and was discharged at Fort Hawkins, Georgia,on May 1, 1815. A brother of David, Uriah Sparks, served in the samecompany for exactely the same length of time, as did also the Abel Sparkswhom we are convinced was the father of David and Uriah. Abel Sparks wasthen 47 years old, and we can speculate that he may have enlisted withhis sons in order to look after them.

"David Sparks was living in Morgan County, Georgia, when the 1820census was taken. He was married to Permilia "Milly" Medlock who hadbeen born on February 15, 1791, in South Carolina; she died on December3, 1876, in Delta, Clay County, Alabama. David Sparks died therefourteen years earlier on November 10, 1862. (These dates have beenpreserved among the family records in the possession of Mrs. Ellene McKayMars; she was living in Uniontown, Ohio, in 1969.)"

SQ pg 2927:

"David Sparks, son of James and Nancy (Rogers) Sparks, was born about1809. He married Sarah Ann ------ probably about 1840. She was born onDecember 31, 1816. She and David had at least three children. He diedin July 1869, and his will was proven on July 21, 1869. He stipulatedthat he was to be buried in the graveyard on his farm according to therites of the Presbyterian Church. Named as his heirs were: his wife,Sarah Ann Sparks, and his sons, Wilson Sparks and Philip Sparks. SarahAnn Sparks died on April 27, 1872."

.

"See The SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 1979:
"David Sparks, son of Cornelius and Susannah (Stevens) Sparks, wasborn in Wayne County, Indiana, on August 14, 1817, and died in BerrienCounty, Michigan, in February 1861. He was married (first) to EvalineHunter; she died on February 3, 1842. He then married (second) HarrietWebster on November 23, 1843. She was born in Virginia about 1825according to census records.

"By his first wife, Evaline (Hunter) Sparks, David Sparks had oneson. By his second wife, Harriet (Webster) Sparks, David Sparks had theten children."

SQ p. 817: Marriage record of David Sparks and Elezabeth Evans,February 24, 1868, Johnson County, KY.

!NOTES:
SQ 3857: David Sparks was born in December 1869. He was marrie d toRosa B.
(---) about 1895. She had been born in May 1874. When the 1900 cens uswas
taken of Pike County, KY., David and Rosa had a son, Trimble Sparks.

.
!NOTES:
See SQ pg 3403.

SQ 8O1:
"David Sparks, son of William Sparks, was born about 18O7 in RowanCounty, North Carolina. He married Mary B. --- (or perhaps her maidenname began with "B") prior to 183O. When the 183O census was taken, hewas living in Oldham County, Kentucky, formerly a part of JeffersonCounty, and had one son under five years of age. There are a number ofdeeds on record in Oldham County recording his purchase and sale ofland. He was still living in 1865 when his brother, Hampton's, estatewas settled. From census records , we know that David and Mary B. Sparkshad the following children, all born in Kentucky-- perhaps others:
(a) W. G. Sparks, born about 1827; probably the George WashingtonSparks who married Edmondia Blakemore in Oldham County on November 3,1854;
(b) Lucy Sparks, born about 1834;
(c) Frederick Sparks, born about 1836; he married Mary --- and by186O had children named Sarah , Ida, and Eugene;
(d) Elizabeth Sparks, born about 1838;
(e) John F. (or Frank ) Sparks, born about 1843;
(f) A. M. (or Mitchell) Sparks, born about 1846; he married MaggieRagsdale in Oldham County, Kentucky, December 24, 1868."

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See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1983, Whole No. 123, p. 2548:

THE FAMILY OF FREDERICK BRYANT AND MARY E. (SPEER) SPARKS

By Flossie M. Welsch

(Editor's Note: A number of years ago, Mrs. Flossie M. Welsch ofFlorence, Colorado, wrote a history of her branch of the Sparks family, acopy of which was sent to the Association by her brother, H. ErwynSparks. It is a lengthy document, filled with interesting detail. We havenot felt that we could publish it in full in the QUARTERLY, but we dowant to share a portion of it with our readers. We plan to present aportion of the manuscript in installments over more than one issue. Mrs.Welsch's personal style, along with her memories of most of theindividuals about whom she has written, will be retained. We shall notattempt to number the generations as we usually do for the QUARTERLY - -we shall simply let Mrs. Welsch tell her story in her own words.

It should be pointed out that Frederick Bryant Sparks (born 1833, died1919) was a son of David Sparks who was born about 1807 in Rowan County,North Carolina. David Sparks married Mary B. ----- and is known to havehad six children; he was a son of William Sparks and a grandson of JonasSparks. An article on Jonas Sparks and many of his descendants appearedin the QUARTERLY of March 1964, Whole No. 45, pages 790-807. The will ofWilliam Sparks, father of David Sparks, appears there (pages 797-99)along with other biographical data. Our knowledge of David Sparks (bornabout 1807), father of Frederick Bryant Sparks, remains limited. On page801 of the QUARTERLY, we presented the limited information that we haveregard
ing David, including a reference to his son, Frederick Bryant Sparks.Now, thanks to Mrs. Welsch, we are able to provide much more regardingthis one son, but we still know little regarding his brothers andsisters. We know that they were all born in Oldham County, Kentucky.Frederick's oldest brother, William C. Sparks, was born on February 1,1829, and died on September 2, 1852--we do not believe he ever married.Another brother was named John F. Sparks (he may have been called"Frank") and he was born about 1843--we do not know what became of him.Still another brother was A. M. Sparks, born about 1846; he appears tohave been called "Mitchell Sparks," and he married Maggie Ragsdale inOldham County, Kentucky, on December 24, 1868. Frederick Bryant Sparksalso had two sisters, Lucy Sparks who was born about 1834 and ElizabethSparks who was born about 1838. Should any reader have knowledge of anyof these children of David and Mary B. Sparks, we would be delighted tohave and to publish such information.)

(JS: For continuation of this article, see the notes for FrederickBryant Sparks.)

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See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June, 1973, Whole No. 82, pp. 1566-7:

"David E. Sparks, oldest son of Norval and Jane (Johnston) Sparks, wasborn at Lawrenceburgh, Indiana, in 1828. He died on June 17, 1901 inLawrenceburgh. In 1857, he established a business for himself afterclerking in a store for a few years. On April 18, 1861, he enlisted inthe Union Army as a Quartermaster in the 7th Regiment of IndianaVolunteers and was honorably discharged on August 24, 1861. He became aclerk in the Quartermaster's Department of the U. S. Navy in 1862,serving until 1865. He applied for a pension in 1890 on the basis ofhaving "contracted chronic diarrhea and resulting blood poisoning fromexposure incident to the service." There are a great many documents inhis pension file in the National Archives because of the confusionresulting from his civilian service from 1862 to 1865. (See Application748,127 and 744.018 and Certificates 791,318 and WC 529,670) His pensionwas eventually approved. His brother John, wrote on his behalf, as didhis sister, Ann E. Sparks. She stated on May 5, 1890, that she had been"the housekeeper of our family since the death of our mother in 1855."

"Following the death of David E. Sparks, his widow applied for apension. Among the documents submitted was a sworn statement datedSeptember 5, 1901, by Luther E. Abbot, pastor of the Trinity LutheranChurch of Germantown, Penna., that the following marriage record is onfile in that church: "Married on the 29th of October, 1863 Mr. David E.Sparks of Lawrenceburg, Dearborn Co., Indiana to MIss Josephine Beckel ofGermantown, PA." The biography of David E. Sparks appearing in theHISTORY OF DEABORN, etc. states that she was a daughter of Professor J.C. Beckel, a music publisher and teacher, and his wife, the formerCharlotte Eicholz, of Philadelphia. In one of Josephine Sparks's lettersin the pension file, dated October 7, 1926, she stated that shortly aftertheir marriage, "My husband was sent to Nashville, Tenn.; he had someclerical work to do. As we were on our way to Church one Sunday, myHusband saw a man on the sidewalk on the other side of the street. Hecalled my attention to him, he said it was General Grant in from hisheadquarters." Josephine (Beckel) Sparks died in Hartwell, Ohio, onDecember 27, 1926. There were no children.

"In his will, dated February 25, 1901, a copy of which is in thepension file, David E. Sparks divided his household goods between hiswife and his sister, Ann E. Sparks, as well as his interest "in the storeowned by my brother John W. Sparks and myself, and carried on in the oldhomestead on High Street, Lawrenceburg."

- - - - -

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1996, Whole No. 173, pp. 4628-30:

CIVIL WAR PENSION APPLICATION OF DAVID E. SPARKS

DAVID E. SPARKS, son of Norval and Eliza (Johnston) Sparks, was born onJuly 27, 1828, in Dearborn County, Indiana. On October 29, 1863, he wasmarried to Josephine Beckel. He served in the 7th Regiment IndianaVolunteers, and in the U.S.Quartermaster Corps. File Designations: Inv.Cert. No. 791,318; Wid. Cert. No. 529,670.

"On January 2, 1889, David E. Sparks, aged 62, a resident ofLawrenceburg, Indiana, applied for an invalid pension. He stated that hehad been enrolled on April 18, 1861, in the Quartermaster Company, 7thRegiment Indiana Infantry, and had served until he had been discharged atIndianapolis, Indiana, in August 1861. At that time he was 5 feet, 9inches tall; he had a dark complexion, black hair and black eyes, and hewas a merchant. While stationed at Garricks Ford, Virginia, on July 13,1861, he had contracted chronic diarrhea which resulted in bloodpoisoning; however, he had not been treated in a hospital. He statedfurther that from the spring of 1862 until the spring of 1865, he hadbeen in the Quartermaster Department of the U.S. Naval Service. Heappointed Charles F. Hayes, Lawrenceburg, Indiana, as his attorney.Charles W. Stapp and Hezron Hayes witnessed his signature.

"On May 2, 1890, the War Department confirmed Sparks's militaryservice. He had served in the 7th Regiment Indiana Volunteers from April27, 1861, until August 2, 1861, as Quartermaster. No other record couldbe found.

"Sparks made an affidavit on March 2, 1892, to support his pensionclaim. He said that in the latter part of April 1862, he had reported toCapt. E. Greene Durbin, attached to General Shield's Division atAlexandria, Virginia. About a month later, they had been ordered to St.Louis, Missouri, where they had remained about four weeks, and then theyhad been ordered to Helena, Arkansas. From Helena they had been orderedto Memphis, Tennessee, on a Government Transport, but had spent severaldays aground in the Mississippi River below Memphis before returning toHelena. On September 1, 1862, he had been appointed Master ofTransportation in charge of dispatching boats, coal boats, etc., and hadserved until January 1, 1863, when he had again been ordered to St.Louis. There he had been attached to General Eugene A. Carr's 14thDivision of General John A. McClernand's 13th Corps.

"From St. Louis, they had been ordered to Lake Providence, Louisiana,where they had remained a short time before going on to Millikens Bend,Louisiana. They had then gone to Youngs Point where they had remaineduntil the army began to advance to surround Vicksburg. Sparks had thengone to Jackson, Mississippi, Champion Hills, Mississippi, and finally tonear Vicksburg where he had stayed until the fall of that city. AboutJuly 15, 1863, he had returned to St. Louis with a requisition for horsesand mules upon General Parsons. On September 1, 1863, he had reported toCapt. John Stewart, Department of U.S. Military R.R., Nashville,Tennessee, where he had stayed until the spring of 1864 when he had beentransferred to Capt. W. A. Wainwright in charge of Quartermastersupplies. There he had remained until March 1865 when he had returnedhome. Sparks's affidavit was sworn to before John H. Russe, clerk ofDearborn County [Indiana] Circuit Court.

"David E. Sparks was issued Invalid Certificate No. 791,318, and hewas placed upon the pension roll. When he died on June 17, 1901, he wasreceiving a pension of $17.00 per month.

"On June 22, 1901, Josephine Sparks, aged 60, a resident ofLawrenceburg, Indiana, applied for a widow's pension. She said that shehad been married to David E. Sparks on October 29, 1863, at Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, by the Rev. L. E. Albert. It had been the first marriagefor both. She had been married under her maiden name of JosephineBeckel. She appointed Charles F. Hayes as her attorney. Elizabeth Givanand Ellen C. Miller witnessed her signature.

"Dr. A. T. Fagaly, secretary of the Dearborn County Board of Health,sent a copy of the death certificate of David E. Sparks to the Bureau ofPensions on July 10, 1901. Sparks had died on June 17, 1901, at the ageof 72 years, 10 months, and 20 days. He was a son of Norval Sparks, bornin Kentucky, and Eliza Johnston, born in New York. David E. Sparks hadbeen buried in the Greendale Cemetery.

"On September 5, 1901, the Rev. Luther E. Albert, aged 73 years,pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Germantown, Pennsylvania, sent a copyof the marriage record of David E. Sparks and Miss Josephine Beckel tothe Bureau of Pensions. They had been married on October 29, 1863.

"Widow Certificate No. 529,670 was issued to Josephine Sparks, and shewas placed upon the pension roll. When she died in the Hamilton County[Ohio] Home, Hartwell, Ohio, on December 27, 1926, she was receiving apension of $30.00 per month.

"[Editor's Note: David E. Sparks (1828-1901) was a son of Norval andJane (Johnston) Sparks and a grandson of Elijah and Elizabeth (Weaver)Sparks. A photograph of Elizabeth (Weaver) Sparks appeared on the coverpage of the June 1973 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 82. Biographicaldata for Elijah Sparks (ca.1770-1815) were also included in that issue,pp. 1556-1563, and for Norval Sparks (1800-1877) on page 1566. We alsoincluded biographical data for David E. Sparks (1828-1901), pp. 1566-1567.

"[A biographical sketch of David E. Sparks appeared in the History ofDearborn and Ohio Counties, Indiana ... published by F. E. Weakley & Co.in hicago in 1885, pp. 915-91 . In this sketch, appears the statementthat his wife was "Miss Josephine Beckel of Philadelphia, daughter ofProf. J. C. Beckel, a music publisher and teacher for many years in thatcity, where he still lives. Her mother was Charlotte Eicholz ... DavidE. and Josephine (Beckel) Sparks had no children. "

On Jan 16 2000 I received an email from Mary Lou Finch, a descendant ofDavid Francis Sparks and Mary Louisa Bryan. Her address wasjsfinch@@bigfoot.com. She will send me information on their descendants.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1983, Whole No. 123, for an articlecommencing on page 2551 written by Flossie Marie (Sparks) Welsch, (seechild e below):

David Grove Sparks

"David Grove Sparks, son of Frederick Bryant Sparks and Mary Elizabeth(Speer) Sparks, was born on August 2, 1861, in Oldham County, Kentucky;he died in 1951. On October 13, 1898, he was married in Kinsley, Kansas,to Rosa Adell (Minton) Mathes, who was born on September 18, 1873, inRussell County, Kansas. She was a daughter of Mahlon Homer and ClimenaJennet (Tripp) Minton. To this union were born seven children:"

(a) Elizabeth Sparks, born February 23, 1900, died on the same day.
(b) Nina Leona Sparks, born September 12, 1901.
(c) Maudie Elizabeth Sparks, born August 12, 1902, died October 30,1904.
(d) Frederick Mahlon Sparks, born January 4, 1904.
(e) Flossie Marie Sparks, born August 23, 1905, author of thisarticle.
(f) Lola Lorena Sparks, born August 26, 1908.
(g) Henry Erwyn Sparks, born May 9, 1911.

"My father, DAVID GROVE SPARKS, was a house-mover by trade. He built hisown trucks that he used, also the wheels to move the houses on longtimbers that were placed on the trucks for the houses to rest on, so theycould be moved from town to town. Sometimes he would be away from homeseveral days at a time. They used horses in those days to pull thetrucks. Sometimes it would be pretty slow work, but my father alwaysfinished what he started, and he was very particular in all of hisdealings. He was never one to slight his work. He loved to play hisviolin every night before he went to bed. I remember very well one piecethat he played--it was called "Bonaparte's Retreat," he could play bothparts on his violin by himself. He played such pieces as "Turkey in theStraw," "The Devil's Dream," "My Darling Clemintine," "Under the DoubleEagle," "Comin' Thru the Rye," "Old Black Joe," and "Home Sweet Home." Healso played for dances in his younger days, and the old fashioned squaredances. He played by ear, and he seemed to know every song by heart. Ican almost see him in my mind's eye, sitting in his rocking chair,playing his violin, the songs he knew so well. He still had his violinwhen he died in 1951."

"David G. Sparks also raised horses - - he had a mare that we calledDaisy, and she raised some very fine colts. There was one called Babe,others were called Dixie, Bettie, Jack, and others that I do notremember. There was an incident that I will never forget. We were livingat my Grandfather Minton's house (my mother's father, whose name wasMahlon Homer Minton). I believe the year was between 1914 and 1918. MyGrandfather Minton's place was located at Kinsley, Kansas, where the oldswimming pool is now, in the north end of town across from the railroadtracks. In 1916 it was a pasture, there we pastured our horses, and atthe north-west corner there stood a red barn where my father sometimeskept his horses. One day when we older children were in school, the firewhistle blew. Naturally, we left our desks to look out of the window andwe could see the fire from the school house window. When school was out,I ran all the way home. Sure enough, the red barn was on fire, and in that
barn were two of our horses tied to the mangers. My mother went into thatburning barn and untied those horses and led them out to safety while allaround outside the neighbors kept telling her she would be burned alive.My mother was a brave woman--she loved horses. She always said she likedto ride fast horses - - the faster the better."

"My Grandfather Minton's house had two stories - - there were threebedrooms upstairs where we all slept and downstairs there was anotherbedroom, a sitting room and a large kitchen; there were also two frontrooms. There was a porch that ran from the east side of the kitchen door,clear around to the west side of the house. There was also a porchupstairs, about the same distance as the one downstairs, but it had abanister around it so we could not fall off. The house was painted alight yellow, and the barn was painted gray--the one that was destroyedby fire was painted red."

"The large kitchen had three doors leading outside, one was in the east,one in the north, and one in the south. It was in the kitchen that we ateour meals - - the same kitchen in which my grandmother had served mealsto her boarders. It had a large Majestic coal range stove that my mothercooked all of our meals on. There was a large cabinet and a smallercabinet that held our supplies, dishes, etc. It had a sink cabinet thathad a pump when we had to pump our water. We had to heat our water towash dishes and wash our clothes. In other words, the house was notmodern. But I loved that old house, to me it was home. I wish to inserthere that I have a picture of the old home place before the kitchen wasbuilt on. There was a cellar under the house with the stairs leading downto it from the kitchen; it was located in the south-west corner of thekitchen, and that was where my mother stored all of her fruits andvegetables that she canned for the winter months ahead, and she used todo a lot of canning in those days. In the sand-hills there were a lot ofwild plums that a lot of people would gather and can, also to make wildplum jelly and plum butter. When it was time to go pick plums in the latesummer, the expression used was "we are going plumming," and "a plumming"we would go."

"I remember one particular Sunday. My mother packed a picnic lunch, myfather hitched up the team of horses to the wagon, and my older brother,my younger brother and sister, and myself all piled into the wagon, alongwith the baskets and buckets that we would put the plums in. I thoughtthe older children had brought the lunch along, and I thought my motherhad it; anyway, none of us thought about it, we all were too excited. Wegot to the sand-hills and we picked quite a few plums. About noon, we allbrought our buckets to the wagon to empty the plums into the baskets, sowe decided to eat lunch and pick some more plums, but to and behold,there was no lunch - - no one had thought to bring it. Well, we
picked our plums anyway and filled our baskets, then headed home. Onreaching home, the first thing we saw on the table was our lunch--so weate our lunch at home. I never forgot that Sunday - - I was about 12years old at that time. My older sister had stayed home, she did not careto pick plums."

"It was in the sitting room that we all gathered in the evening aftersupper. It was not a large room, I would guess it was about 10 by 12feet, or something like that. In the north-east corner stood a dresserwith a mirror; in the north-west corner stood an organ where my oldersister would play a chord while my father would play his violin. In thesouth-east corner of the room stood a china cabinet where my mother kepther best china and in the south-west corner stood a small stove that weused in the winter time. My mother's sewing machine stood between thedresser and the organ, and you can be very sure that we children were notallowed to play around my mother's machine. My mother bought her sewingmachine
in 1911 and she made all of our clothes with it. It was a Singer and wasstill like new when she died on October 8, 1946."

"On the west side of the sitting room was another door leading to theupstairs bedrooms; beyond this door, downstairs, was a back bedroom whereone night my cousin, Clarence Sparks, who was visiting us, was sleeping.During the night, while we were all asleep, someone stole into thekitchen and helped himself to our coffee, bacon, bread, eggs, tobacco,and several other things. The next morning, when we got up, severalthings were lying on the floor--the thief had not bothered to put themback. Clarence never heard a noise that night, and the thief got away. Wedid not have any coffee for breakfast that morning, either."

"There were pear trees and a hedge of currant and gooseberries. We madecurrant jelly and canned the gooseberries to make pies in the wintertime. I remember, too, that there was a cave where we stored outpotatoes, etc. It was also used for a storm cellar when any bad stormheaded our way, and we had plenty."

"I remember another incident that happened while we lived in myGrandfather Minton's house. One of my school-mates (her name was Sarah)came over to play one day, and she said she would like to ride our mare,Daisy. Well, we thought it would be all right, but there was one thing wedid not consider, and that was Daisy's colt which was in the far cornerof the pasture. But Sarah got on Daisy and was riding along prettypeaceful when all at once the colt gave out a scream of terror. Daisyheard her cold and whirled around and galloped off at full speed to therescue of her colt, with Sarah still on her back, hanging on for dearlife. She was bouncing up and down, with her pig-tails flying. Theneighbor's stallion had gotten into the pasture and was trying to killthe colt. Daisy got there in time, ran the stallion off, and saved hercolt. Sarah never forgot that wild ride, nor did I. The stallion was avery mean horse and was responsible for the death of the neighbor's youngbrother. I think the horse was destroyed afterwards."

"Having mentioned my half-brother, Oscar E. Mathes, I wish to saysomething about him. His father was Elbert W. Mathes and was my mother'sfirst husband. Oscar was born on March 13, 1896, in Haviland, KiowaCounty, Kansas; he died on October 12, 1933, in Kinsley, Kansas, when hewas 37 years old. Oscar made his home part of the time with his motherand part of the time with Grandfather Minton. When a young man, he workedat the Electric Light Plant in Kinsley during the day, and at night hewould work as chief operator at the local theater. He worked many hourswith little rest. In his spare time, he worked on motorcycles in hisshop, sometimes with the door closed. In time the fumes affected hislungs, and he developed T.B. of the bones as well as the lungs. He wasparalyzed in the last three years of his life. My mother took care ofhim, and so did I. He died at my mother's home on October 12, 1933. Henever complained about anything, and always had a smile for everyone. Henever married. He was buried at the foot of the grave of GrandfatherMinton in Hillside Cemetery in Kinsley, Kansas. "

(Editor's Note: this account of the family of Frederick Bryant and MaryE. (Speer) Sparks by Flossie M. Welsch will be continued in a futureissue of the QUARTERLY.)

SQ 805: "David Sparks, Jr., son of David and Mary (Little) Sparks ,was born about 18O8 in Rowan County, North Carolina. He accompanied hisparents to Tennessee and was married in Madison County, Tenness ee, onSeptember 17, 1827, to Comfort Moffett, daughter of John Moffett ofHardeman County, Tennessee. He was married on the same day as hisbrother Daniel (799). Comfort Moffett was born about 1810 in NorthCarolina. David Sparks, Jr., moved to Prairie County, Arkansas , withhis brother William (800) prior to 1860. From the census records, itappears that David Sparks, Jr., and his wife Comfort (Moffett ) Sparks,were the parents of the following children: [here lists 10 children]".

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriage informationfrom Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822-1865):
David L. Sparks & Thursa Curnutte, May 14, 1865. (Book 5, p. 83) Herfather, Reuben Curnutte. Bondsman: David G. Curnutte. Married by EnochGreen, Baptist minister.

SQ p. 4645:
"David Landford (or Lantford) Sparks, son of Garrett and Betsy (Boggs)Sparks, was born about 1844 in Lawrence County, Kentucky. On October 10,1861, he enlisted in Company B, 14th Regiment Kentucky Infantry, alongwith his brother, Walter 0. Sparks. (See Item 9, above.) He was musteredout with his company on January 21, 1865. He was married to ThursaCurnutte on May 14, 1865, in Lawrence County. She had been born about1844 and was a daughter of Reuben ["Bobby"] and Zilpha (Holbrook)Curnutte. David and Thursa had no children. They lived near Martinsburg(now Sandy Hook), Kentucky, where David died on October 16, 1878. He wasburied in the Sparks Cemetery at the Forks of Blaine. In 1893, his widowapplied for a Widow's Pension for his service. (See pp. 4663-4664 of thisissue of the QUARTERLY for an abstract of his pension file. ) [JS:Reproduced immediately below:]

"CIVIL WAR PENSION APPLICATION
"DAVID LANDFORD SPARKS, son of Parrett and Elizabeth (Boggs) Sparks, wasborn about 1844 in Lawrence County, Kentucky. There, on May 14, 1865,he was married to Thursa Curnutte. He served in Company B, 14th RegimentKentucky Infantry. File Designation: Wid. Appl. No. 573,006.

"On March 13, 1893, Thursa Breeding, aged 49, a resident of Leon,Carter County, Kentucky, applied for a widow's pension. She stated thatshe was the widow of David L. Sparks who had been a corporal in CompanyB, 14th Regiment Kentucky Infantry, commanded by Capt. G. W. Green. Shehad been married to Sparks on May 14, 1865, at Blaine, Kentucky, underher maiden name of Thursa Curnutte. Sparks had died at Martinsburgh,Kentucky, on October 16, 1878, of paralysis or heart trouble. She hadremained a widow until April 10, 1887, when she had re-married. Sheappointed C. D. Pennebaker, Washington, D.C., as her attorney. A copy ofthe marriage record of David L. Sparks and Thursa Curnutte, prepared byRobert Dixon, Lawrence County [Kentucky] Clerk, accompanied theapplication.

"J. H. Vansant, a resident of Elliott County, Kentucky, made anaffidavit on April 6, 1893, to support the application of ThursaBreeding. He said he had been well acquainted with David L. Sparks andThursa Curnutte and knew that they had been married and lived together asman and wife until October 16, 1878, when Sparks had died. After hisdeath, his widow had been married to Jasper Breeding.

"On April 7, 1893, Dr. J. C. Rabbe, aged 77, a resident of Stark,Kentucky, testified that he had been the family physician for David L.Sparks for several years, and that Sparks had had attacks of paralysisfor several years prior to his death.

"On the same day, J. M. Vansant, secretary of the Hepburn MasonicLodge No. 576 at Martinsburgh, Kentucky, certified that the lodge recordsshowed that the lodge was called into a special communication on October16, 1878, for the purpose of making arrangements for the funeral of DavidL. Sparks, late master of the lodge. The records further showed that thelodge was convened again on October 19, 1878, at the Forks of Blaine whenthe body of David L. Sparks was interred.

"The War Department confirmed Sparks's military service on February17, 1894. He had been enrolled on October 10, 1861, in Company B, 14thRegiment Kentucky Infantry and had served until he was mustered out withhis company on January 31, 1865. He was wounded in the left shoulder onAugust 6, 1864, and hospitalized near Marietta, Georgia, but had beenreturned to duty.

"On November 30, 1894, Joel Sparks, aged 53, a resident of Stephens,Kentucky, testified as follows: "I was well acquainted with David L.Sparks and was with him on business the day he died. I heard him saybefore he died that he was not right and that he felt numb all over. Iwas with him the day he died till a few minutes before he died and wasnear enough to him when he died to hear them hollowing at the house wherehe died. I got there a few minutes after he died, and the lady of thehouse that was present said he fell over dead off of his seat and that isthe general opinion of everybody that knows him that he died of heartfailure." The statement was witnessed by Lina Hillman and E. J. Sparks.

"On December 11, 1894, Dr. Levi J. Sparks, a resident of Blaine,Kentucky, (JS: and David's brother) prepared a Physician's Affidavit tosupport the application of Thursa Breeding. He said he had known DavidL. Sparks all of his life and was with him in the army. Prior to goinginto the service, David had been a stout, healthy young man, but in theautumn of 1878 he took with a fever and partial paralysis from which henever recovered. Dr. Sparks said he had practiced medicine fortwenty-nine years. He signed the affidavit as "late Hospital Steward,14th Kentucky Volunteers."

"Affidavits were made on July 9, 1895, by D. T. Curnutte, aged 60, andH. H. Gambill, aged 50, both residents of Blaine, Kentucky, in which bothmen stated that they knew David L. Sparks and Thursa Breeding, his widow,were never divorced and had lived together as man and wife until Sparks'sdeath in 1878.

"On November 5, 1896, Lewis R. Swan and Allen Sanders stated that theyhad served in the same military company with David L. Sparks and knew hehad been hospitalized for measles in November and December 1861 atLouisa, Kentucky, and at Catlettsburg, Kentucky. The measles had settledin Sparks's lungs and he developed a chronic cough.

"Despite the number of affidavits and the testimony, no widow'spension was ever granted to Thursa (Curnutte) Sparks Breeding."

"[Editor's Note: David Landford Sparks was a son of Garrett and Elizabeth(Boggs) Sparks and a grandson of Levi and - - - - (Walsh) Sparks. Seepage 100 of the December 1955 issue of the SPARKS QUARTERLY, Whole No.12, and page 4645 of the present issue of the QUARTERLY for additionalinformation about him and his family.]"

David Lilburn Sparks is the grandfather of James Joseph Sparks.

BIRTH:
The date of David's birth has been given in family records as 23September, 1865. No official record of his birth has been located but weare fairly certain that he was born in Glade Spring, Washington County,Virginia. Joseph J. Sparks's birth and death records state that Davidwas born in Kentucky. The 1900 Census cited below indicates Virginia ;the 1910 Census below indicates Virginia; the family record gives thebirthplace as Kentucky. David's entire family was found in the 1860Census in the Saltville area of Washington County, Virginia, five yearsbefore his birth. In the 1870 census, when David was 5, the family wasliving in Smyth County nearby.

David's brother Francis Marion Sparks, born 22 years prior to David in1843 was a veteran of the Civil War, after which he moved to UnionCounty, Kentucky and is shown there as a taxpayer in 1867. Francis wasbaptised there on July 18, 1867. David's father Solomon became ataxpayer in Union County in 1871 and, apparently the family moved thereat that time. In the 1870 census they were still in western Virginia.

MARRIAGE: Union County, KY; License records Book J, Pg 379, 17, Sept .,1886, FHL reel 562211, photocopy of Marriage License Dated 17 Sept , 1886between D. L. Sparks and Mamie T. Stone. Original Certified Statementfrom the pastor of St. Ann's Catholic Church Morganfield, K Y Francis J.Smith sealed and dated February 4, 1935; also from same source, certifieddocument being exact copy of marriage record on page 5 of church recordsin latin with translation into English; In possession of James J. Sparks,San Carlos, CA. Original of certified letter from John M. Syers, Clerkby Dara H. Wallace, D. C. (deputy clerk) dated 3O January 1939. Inpossession of James J. Sparks San Carlos, CA. Photo of Certificate dated18 Sept 1886 between D. L. Sparks and Mamie T. Stone witnessed by Chas.Walker and Julia C. Stone, signed by H. Jacob Kellenaers. In possessionof James J. Sparks, San Carlos, CA.

DEATH:
Added by jamesx219 on 19 Jun 2008 (on Ancestry.com) Copy of his deathcertificate is in the possession of James J. Sparks.

Death certificate shows his wife was still married to him in 1945 whenshe died. He died in Fulton, Calloway County, Missouri on July 20, 1946of chronic myocarditis from arterosclerosis. He was buried in HillcrestCemetery in Fulton, Missouri. He was a retired carpenter and his home wasin Burke City, St Louis County, Missouri. His date of birth is shown asSeptember 21, 1865.

TAX ROLLS:
Tax List for Union County, KY, 1884 (FHL 8539): "Sparks, Lilburn ;Morganfield; Also 1885 (FHL 8601); 1886 (FHL 162871); 1887 (FHL 162 995)"Enrolled in Militia, no assets."; 1888 (FHL 163126) Morganfield, 1 Horse$50, watch $5, $90 personal property, 1 voter, no children over 6 yearsof age; 1889 (FHL 163248) Morganfield, Lot (real property) $50, total $50.

DEEDS:
1887 deed from Winnie Johnson to D. L. Sparks, Book 38/Page 66, lot inMorganfield (FHL 562165). 1891 deed from D. L. and Mamie Sparks toTaylor, Book 42/Pg 527, lot in Morganfield (FHL 562169).

NOTES: Certificate of Marriage dated Feb 4, 1935 from Francis J .Smith, Pastor of St. Ann's Roman Catholic Church, Morganfield, KYstates: "According to the Matrimonial Register of St. Ann's Church ,Morganfield, KY. on the 18th day of September 1886, David LillburnSparks, son of Solomon Sparks and Margaret Ann Brim, and Mary Therisia(sic) Stone, daughter of William Edward Stone and Martha Jenkins, weremarried by the Rev. Theoph. Kellenears in the presence of Charles Walkerand Julia Clemens Stone." Also provided was sealed copy of latinentry in church records as follows: "The following is an exact copy ofthe marriage of Mr. & Mrs. Lillburn Sparks record as found in the Recordsof St Ann's Church on page 5. (latin entry follows). "The translation ofthe above is as follows: 'On the 18th of September I united in matrimonyDavid Lillburn Sparks, Protestant, the son of Solomon Sparks and MargaretAnn Brin (sic) and Theresa Stone, Catholic, the daughter of WilliamEdward Stone and Martha Jenkins. Dispensation was obtained.' WitnessesCharles Walker and Julia Clemens Stone. (signed) Theoph Kellenears."

"The following is a copy of the baptismal record of Oscar VirgilSparks as found in the records on page 34: (latin entry preceeds Englishtranslation): "On the fourth of December I baptized Oscar VirgilSparks, son of David Lillburn Sparks and Marie Thresa (sic) Stone , hiswife, Born on the 21st of October 1887. Martha (Jenkins) Stone stoodproxy for Theresa (Payne) Jenkins. (signed) Theoph Kellenears".Apparently Oscar's maternal great-grandmother Theresa (Payne) Jenkins ,who was then almost 71 years of age and who was the mother of Martha(Jenkins) Stone, then 42 years old, was unable to attend, so Martha actedas her proxy.

Certified letter from the Clerk of Union County, KY dated 3O Jan 1939:"State of Kentucky County of Union...etc. I, John M. Syers, Clerkof the Union County Court, do hereby certify that David Lilburn Sparksand Mamie Teresa Stone were married in Uniontown, Union County, Kentucky,on September 18, 1886, at which time the groom was 21 years the 23 Sept.1886, and the bride was 18 years of age, which Marriage Bond andCertificate are of record in Marriage Bond Book J, page 378-379, in theoffice of the Clerk of the Union County Court.
Witness my hand this 3Oth day of January, 1939. by Dara H. WallaceDC"

The marriage was performed in the rectory of Saint Ann's CatholicChurch, not in the church itself. This was probably because David wasnot a Roman Catholic. The rectory was actually in Uniontown, KY but themarriage was officially entered as having taken place in the church whichwas in Morganfield.

CENSUS:
U. S Census 1900, Henderson Co., KY., Henderson City, 4th Mag. Dist.,Sup. Dist 2, E.D. 55 Sh8, Line 6, June 6 [Soundex S162 T527 152](Henderson ward 1; Roll T623 527; Page 8A. SPARKS, David L. Whitemale, born Sep 1865, age 34, Married 14 yrs; born Virginia, Father bornVirginia, Mother born Virginia ; day laborer, not employed in last 4months; can read, write and speak English, rents. Wife: Mamie born 1867(appears to have been changed from 1866) age 33; born in Missouri, Fatherborn Indiana, Mother born Kentucky. Address: 425 S. 6th St. Henderson,KY. Children :
Martha Jun 1890(99?) 10 Born Kentucky Student
Agnes Oct 1891(0?) 8 " "
Mabel Apr 1894 6 " Kentucky
Lillian Mar 1897 3 " "
Roberta May (1) 1899 1 " "

CARON'S EVANSVILLE (INDIANA) CITY DIRECTORY, 1907 (Sutro Library)"SPARKS, David L.; Carpenter, Residence 623 Oak; Mrs. Mamie T.

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In 1910 the family is split into three pieces. David is boarding inHenderson, Kentucky and has Mabel and Joseph with him. Mary is in St.Louis at St. Louis Mullanphy Hospital as a "Widowed Servant" age 49. Atthis time Mary was 42 years of age and married. Three of the girls,Marie, 15, Lillian, age 13, and Roberta, age 10, were living as "inmates"at St. Philomena's Industrial School and Mabel and Joseph were withDavid. The older girls were married at this time. Perhaps Mary hadsuffered a nervous breakdown but this is speculation. In 1912-13 A citydirectory shows David apparently living alone in Henderson, KY. By the1920 census, David was gone and Mary was reunited with the remainder ofher family, Roberta, Joseph, and Catherine.

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U. S. Census 1910, Henderson Co, KY., Henderson City, SD 2, ED 73 ,Sheet 16, Line 98, to Sheet 17, ln 5, Vol 81; David Sparks is enumeratedwith Mrs Dora D. Spencer, Garland (spouse and others). April 29, 1910;[Soundex S162 T624 Reel 480]
SPARKS, D. Lil, boarder, white male, 45 yrs old, married 26 yrs,(repeats 1900 birthplaces) Carpenter, does odd jobs, self-employed,working. Also present: Mabel, boarder, white female 18, single Joseph,boarder, white male, 8, single, school since 1909.

U. S. Census 1910, St. Louis Co., MO. St. Louis City; SD 10, ED 321,Sheet 16, page 167 line 91: Mary T. Sparks, age 49, 6 children, 4 living,widowed, a servant at St. Louis Mullanphy Hospital. FHL 1374833. I notethat her age is incorrect and she states that her father was FrenchCanadian but family information indicates that this is our Mary. Athorough search of the census database does not reveal another MarySparks fitting her statistics.

U. S. Census 1910 St. Louis Co., MO., St. Louis City; SD 10, ED 25 4,Page 115, line 26: St. Philomena's Industrial School From 1-9; Marie P.Sparks, age 15, Lillian V., age 13, Roberta M., age 10. FHL 13 74830.

CARON'S HENDERSON (KY) CITY DIRECTORY, 1912-1913 (Sutro F459H4a18 )pg 235: "SPARKS, David L.; Carpenter [for] P. P. Johnson & Son ;Residence: 216 North Green, Henderson, Kentucky."

U.S. Census 1920, Jefferson Co. MO., St. Louis, SD 10, ED 529, Ward26: Sheet 6, dated 6 Jan, 1920; Address 4595 A North Market Street , St.Louis: SPARKS, Mary, head, renting white female, age 52, widow, able toread and write. Children: Roberta, daughter, 19, single; Joseph, son,age 17, single; Catherine, daughter 16, single.

U.S. Census 1930, Leesville, Henry County, Missouri, Roll 1191; Page:9A; Enumeration District: 19; Image: 133.0
Here is L. D. Sparks, age 66 born about 1864 in Missouri. He shows hisfather born in Tennessee and his mother in Missouri and his occupationfarmer. This is probably not our David.

In searching the US Census 1920, the only David Sparks found wasliving in Louisville, Ward 10, KY (Roll T625_581; Page 3B; EnumerationDistrict 169; Image388) born 1864 in Virginia, his father was born inVirginia and his mother was born in Tennessee! He is also shown as acarpenter. He was living with Bettie Sparks (he was listed as Spark inthe index but the original census record is Sparks) age 55 both shown asmarried. There were three adult children named Ford living with them as"step-son" indicating that Bettie Sparks had been married earlier.Whether or not this is our David is unknown but several points match.

NOTES RE CHILDREN:
FHL 1324971 contains Birth Records, Evansville, Vanderburgh County ,IN. Page 159, Jos. J. Sparks, Sep 21, 1902, Book CH-C, P 152; Mary C.Sparks (sic. meant Catherine Olive) April 12, 1904, Book H7 , P 63; MaryS. Sparks (sic. meant Mabel Cecilia) Feb 27, 1892, Book CH-V4, P 7.

NOTES RE RESIDENCES:

David Lilburn Sparks lived with his parents in Washington and SmythCounties, Virginia, and moved with them to Morganfield, Union County,Kentucky, about 1871. He continued living in Union County with hisfamily, probably until he married Mary Teresa Stone there in 1886. Theypaid taxes in Union County until 1889 and sold a lot they owned in 1891.They apparently moved at that time to Evansville, Indiana because MabelCecelia Sparks was born there on February 27, 1892 and Virgil died thereon October 13, 1892. However, on April 15, 1895, Maria Phillipa Sparkswas born in Morganfield, Union County, Kentucky, as was Lillian VirginiaSparks on March 24, 1897. Margaret Mary "Roberta" Sparks was born May 1,1899 in Henderson, Kentucky where they were found in the 1900 census. Inthat census the family consisted of David, "Mamie", Martha, 9, Agness, 8,Mable, 8, Philippe, 6, Lillian, 3, Roberta 1, and a male John Morris,48. In 1902 they were back in Evansville, Indiana, where Joseph J.Sparks was born September 21. Catherine was born Apri l 12, 1904 inEvansville.

There is some confusion concerning their whereabouts in 1906. Theirdaughter Frances Helen Sparks was born January 5, 1906, in Princeton,Gibson County, Indiana. However, the following year, they appear in the1907 Evansville City Directory. Perhaps another relative lived inPrinceton and Mary went there to have some assistance in having thechild. Something occurred within the next three years to split up thefamily. Frances Helen Sparks died on March 4, 1909 and was buried inEvansville, Indiana shortly thereafter.

By the time the 1910 census was taken, David was living with Mabel(age 18) and Joseph (age 8) in a boarding house in Henderson, Kentucky,and Mary Teresa was living in St. Louis. She worked as a servant at theSt. Mullanphy Hospital and is shown on the censis as a widow. MariaPhillipa Sparks, Lillian Virginia Sparks, and Margaret Mary Sparks wereliving at St. Philomena's Industrial School in St. Louis. The oldergirls were married. David was enumerated as married but, from the 1910census on, Mary listed herself as a widow. It appears that, in 1920,David was listed as "married" to Bettie (Ford) Sparks, it appears that hemay have obtained a divorce or was a bigamist.

In the 1912-13 Henderson, KY, City Directory, David was living inHenderson at 216 North Green Street. By the 1920 census, Mary Teresa wasliving in St. Louis with Roberta, Joseph and Catherine. If our David isthe one listed above in the 1920 census, he apparently was living with aBetty Ford and her three sons in Louisville, KY. By 1930, Mary was livingwith her daughter Lillian and still listed herself as a widow.

We know that Mary died in Clayton, St. Louis County, Missouri in 1945but gave her permanent address as Burke City, Missouri. In her lastwill dated January 15, 1945, she refers to herself as "beloved wife ofDavid L. Sparks". David died on July 20, 1946 in the State Hospital,Fulton, Callaway County, Missouri of Chronic Myocarditis. He was 80years, 9 mos, and 29 days old. Apparently no family member was involvedin his last days as the source of information as to his personalstatistics was "Hospital Records." He was buried on July 25, 1946 at theHillcrest Cemetery in Fulton, Missouri. His occupation was self-employedcarpenter. His permanent address at the time of death was Gott Avenueand Becker Drive, Burke City, St. Louis County, Missouri. This is thesame address that appears on Mary's death certificate in 1945.

RESEARCH:
Soundex S162 Missouri 1910 1371363; there is no Mary Sparks; there isa Mary T. Sparks, 49 with Sister Gabriella. St Louis City 112 03 21 0276SEW49 Checked Lillian; found aged 13, listed with Sister Ludovane StLouis City 105 0254 0224 INMA W 13 Kentucky Mo.
Checked Martha; Negative. Checked Marie R. (probably Maria Phillipa)aged 15, listed with Sister Ludovane, same as Lillian.
Checked Roberta, (born 5/1/99) found Roberta M. 16, listed with SisterLudovane, same as Lillian.
Soundex S162 Missouri 1920 1826971; checked David, David L., DL,Lilburn, all negative.
Soundex for Missouri 1910 for Martha Quicksell, negative.
Soundex for Missouri 1920 for Martha Quicksell, negative.
Soundex for Missouri 1910 for Agnes Gertrude Baroling, negative.
Soundex for Missouri 1910 for Mabel C. Warner age 18, found Mabel D.Werner, age 20. St Louis City, 098 0459 0131 20 Illinois Mo. enumeratedwith Ira Short.
Soundex for Missouri 1920 for Marie Phillipa Disano, negative .
Soundex for Missouri 1920 for Arnold Fornachon: Missouri Vol 120 , ED529.
Soundex for Missouri 1920 for Arnold Fornachon: Sheet 13, Line 19 .Arnold Fornachon, W., 29, born Missouri, 4651 Ferdinand Street, St .Louis; Lillian, wife, 22, born Kentucky; Dorothy, daughter 1, bornMissouri; Ann, daughter, 4 months, born Missouri.

,

.

!NOTES:
SQ 3187: "David Manuel Sparks was born on January 12, 1869. He
married Minnie Jane Hickman, probably about 1890. She had been born
in 1872 in Mercer County. David died in 1944 at Kansas City, Missour i.
Minnie died in 1952 at Salina, Kansas. They were the parents of seven
children, including a child who died shortly after his birth.
(a) Patricia Sparks was born on January 1, 1892. She married Clau de
H. Brawner. She died on January 13, 1970.
(b) Mildred Sparks was born about 1895. She died in 1909 at the a ge
of fourteen years.
(c) Goldie Imogene Sparks was born on November 1, 1898. She marri ed
Henry Martin. She died on January 17, 1974.
(d) Theordore William Sparks was born on April 23, 1905. He die d on
December 7, 1972. He married Thelma ---.
(e) Lola Avinelle Sparks was born on May 8, 1908. On September 9 ,1926,
she was married to William Abner George in Mercer County. H e had
been born on NOvember 14, 1906, at Ravenna, Missouri. Lola di ed
on August 13, 1969, and William died on December 16, 1980. Th ey
had six children: David L., Theodore, James L., Joan, Linda Je an,
and William J.
(f) Louella Sparks was born on April 12, 1912. She married Orville
Chartier.
(g) Eugene Sparks was born on March 2, 1915, and died two days lat er."

SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 2969 includes a photo of David and states:

"David W. Sparks, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Naill) Sparks, was bornon July 15, 1833, at Rays Hill, PA. He was among the first men in BureauCounty, IL, to respond to President Lincoln's call to arms when the CivilWar broke out, and he enlisted in Company H, 12th Regiment IllinoisInfantry on May 1, 1861, for a three months period.
Subsequently, he served in Company C, 93rd Regiment Illinois Infantry asa 1st
lieutenant. (See Whole No. 132 for an abstract of his pension file whichis copied below.)

"After returning home from the military service, David Sparks marriedEvaline Pomeroy on June 28, 1863, at Princeton, Illinois. He moved toPhoenix, AR, in 1889 where he died on September 2, 1908. He and Evalinehad three children: Ione, Joseph Lyman and Ralph Waldo Sparks."

SQ 2813, CIVIL WAR PENSION APPLICATION:

DAVID W. SPARKS,
son of Joseph S. and Elizabeth (Naill) Sparks, wasborn on July 15,
1833, in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. He marriedEvaline Pomeroy on
June 28, 1863, in Bureau County, Illinois. He servedin the 12th and 93rd
Regiments Illinois Infantry. File Designation: Inv.Cert. No. 859,342.

On August 5, 1878, David W. Sparks applied for an invalid pension. He was45 years of age
and a resident of Wyanet, Illinois. He stated that he had enrolled onOctober 13, 1862, as a 1st
Lieutenant and Adjutant of the 93rd Regiment Illinois Infantry commandedby Holden Putnam,
and had served until he had been discharged on December 29, 1862, atMemphis, Tennessee. He said he had been 6 feet tall; that he had a lightcomplexion, light hair, and dark eyes; that he had been a commericalagent at the time he entered service.

"Sparks went on to state that on November 9, 1862, while stationed atCamp Douglas, Chicago, Illinois, he had been ordered to go into Chicagoto arrange for transportation for his regiment, and while on his way, hehad been thrown by his horse which had fallen on him and ruptured hisleft side. The injury had been so severe that he had been forced toresign and return to his home where he had been treated by the familyphysician, Dr. Swanzy, in Bureau County, Illinois. Dr. Swanzy was nowdead. The rupture had left him (Sparks) disabled and unable to earn hissubsistance. He requested that he be placed upon the pension roll. Heappointed Samuel V. Niles, Washington, D.C ., as his attorney. George W.Stone and Matthew Gramer witnessed his signature, and the application wassworn to before L. W. Paddock, Clerk of Bureau Co unty, Illinois.

"On July 5, 1880, Sparks made an affidavit in which he stated that hehad forgotten the name of the officer who had examined him when he wasmustered into the service, but the officer who had treated him for theinjury was Capt. John Hopkins, a physician and surgeon of Company B, 93rdRegiment Illinois Infantry. Capt. Hopkins was now dead, and he (Sparks)could furnish no other medical evidence to support his claim.

"Sparks's application was apparently rejected, for on August 22, 1891,he reapplied for a pension. He was now 58 years of age and a resident ofPhoenix, Arizona Territory. He said that he was now unable to earn hissupport because of the hernia on his left side caused by the horsefalling on him while he was a member of the 93rd Regiment IllinoisInfantry. He went on to say that he had been appointed RegimentalAdjutant on October 25, 1862. He had held that post until he wasdischarged because of his injury on December 29, 1862. He appointedChas. W. Dorsey, Washington, D.C., as his attorney. Eugene Graham andWilliam E. Thomas witnessed his signature.

"On February 8, 1892, the War Department confirmed Sparks's militaryservice in the 12th Regiment Illinois Infantry. He was issued InvalidCertificate No. 859,342 and placed upon the pension roll.

"Sparks responded to a questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions onJune 6, 1898. He said that he had been marrried on June 28, 1863, toEvaline Pomeroy by the Rev. Aultman at Princeton, Illinois. They had hadthree children, all of whom were living. They were:
1. Ione Sparks, born November 21, 1869.
2. Joseph Lyman Sparks, born January 25, 1872.
3. Ralph Waldo Sparks, born August 18, 1875.

"Sparks applied for increased pension benefits on July 16, 1908 . Hewas now 75 years of age and a resident of Phoenix, Arizona. He said thathe had been born on July 15, 1833, at Rays Hill, Bedford County,Pennsylvania. After leaving the service, he had lived in Bureau County,Illinois, until 1889 when he had moved to Phoenix.

"When David W. Sparks died about two months later, on September 2 ,1908, he was receiving a pension of $15.00 per month."

See SQ p. 4724 for information on this family.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriage informationfrom Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822- 1865):
Delilah Sparks & Elisha Wellman, 1860. (Book 3A, p. 25)

SQ 3904:
"Delila J. Sparks, daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Jayne ) Sparks, wasborn about 1835. She was married to Elisha Wellman on October 11, 1860,in Lawrence County [Kentucky]. He had been born about 1832 and was a sonof Elisha and Sarah Wellman. When the 1870 census was taken of LawrenceCounty, Elisha and Delila had five children.

a. Daniel J. Wellman was born about 1861.
b. Sarah Frances Wellman was born in August 1863. She was marriedto John W. Wells on april 29, 1880. He had been born in April1858, in Wise County, Virginia, and was nicknamed "John, the Baptist." Hedied on December 27, 1905, in Dial, Texas. Sarah died there in1906. They were the parents of at le ast one child, Claudia Ethel.
c. Eliza J. Wellman wa born about 1864.
d. Ulysses G. Wellman (twin of George) was born in April, 1870.
e. George Wellman (twin of Ulysses G.) was born in April, 1870."

!NOTES:
SQ pg 2972 states: "Delilah Sparks, daughter of Solomon and Rache lSparks,
was born on August 15, 1800. She married Uriah Hughes, probably abou t1820.
He was born about 1794 and was a bricklayer and plasterer. He died i n1866
at the age of 72 years. Delilah died on November 25, 1875. Accordin gto a
History of Bedford County published in 1884, she and Uriah had thre echildren:
Phoebe, William and Bartley Hughes."

SQ 393 Delila Sparks Conklin lived 91 years and bore 13 children namedin this article. She married David C. Conklin on 23 Feb 1847 in Wells CoIN.

See her picture on page 394.(and in her scrapbook)

SQ 3706.

SQ 5290:

l. Delilah Sparks was born on January 26, 1830; she died on February12, 1921 in Falls City, Nebraska. She was married to David C. Conklin inWells County, Indiana, on February 23, 1847. He had been born in Ohioabout 1826. They were the parents of ten children whose names were givenon page 393 of the June 1959 issue of the QUARTERLY cited earlier. Herphotograph with a great-grandson was published on page 394.
(and appears in her scrapbook.)

.
!NOTES:
SPARKS QUARTERLY pps 3418-19:

"Delilah Margaret Sparks, daughter of Fred and Catherine (Kegley )Sparks, was born on September 22, 1893, at Stark, Kentucky; she wa s onlyfour years old when her parents moved to Greenup County. She undoubtedlywas named for her paternal and maternal grandmothers . She grew towomanhood at Happy Ridge where she attended one-room schools.

"With the outbreak of World War I, Delilah went to Dayton, Kentuck y,where she received nurse's training in the Spears Memorial Hospital. Upongraduation, she was appointed a second lieutenant in the Army Nurse'sCorps, and in July 1918 she was sent to France. There she served invarious base and field hospitals until the end of the war . In June1919, she returned to the United States; by this time, she apparently hadmade up her mind to remain in the military service.

"The next 28 years saw Delilah Sparks using her nursing skills allaround the world. Her first assignment was in the Orient, and from thereshe went to the Philippine Islands. She then returned to the UnitedStates and served in army hospitals in San Francisco, San Antonio, FortSam Houston, Hot Springs. and Fort Benning. Just prior to the beginningof World War II, she was the Superintendant of Nurses at Plattsburg, NewYork.

"When Delilah Sparks retired in 1947, she was in charge of the nursesat Fort Knox, Kentucky. She was now a lieutenant colonel in the UnitedStates Army -- a permanent rank that few women had attained , and she hadparticipated in two major world conflicts. She returned to Happy Ridgeand her girlhood home. There she lived with her sister andbrother-in-law, Sarah Jane and Charles Hanks, until her death whichoccurred on September 25, 1982.

"Delilah never married, nor did she have a special boy-friend. Shewas quite strict morally and a fighter for what she belived was right.She did not condone either smoking or drinking. She was a member of theChristian Church. She loved to regale her family with stories of hertravel. She told of crossing the ocean with Herbert Hoover (before hebecame president) and serving at the same military post as Dwight D.Eisenhower. She also told of kissing the stone at Blarney Castle,Ireland, which imparted to her a special skill of flattery."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3906: Della Sparks was a twin sister of Stella Sparks. Sh ewent to Arizona where she was a successful business woman. She die d atSefford, Arizona, on February 1, 1955. She was never married . Aphotograph of Della Sparks appears on page 3907 of the SPARKS QU ARTERLY.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY for March 1994, Whole No. 165, p. 4247:

DENNIS McFRANKLIN AND JULIA ANN (McCOY) SPARKS OF CLAY COUNTY,ALABAMA

Dennis McFranklin Sparks was born on November 18, 1847, in CarrollCounty, Georgia. He was a son of Uriah and Sarah (Whatley) Sparks. Hismother died, probably late in the summer of 1850, leaving her husbandwith seven children, ranging in age from seventeen years down to a fewmonths. Uriah Sparks moved his family to Talladega County, Alabama,(just about fifty miles due west) in 1857. It was there that he wasmarried to Mrs. Mahala (Browning) Coleman in 1859. It was his thirdmarriage. He died in 1863.

Dennis Sparks was a twelve-year-old boy when his father re-married.Descendants say that neither he nor his nine-year-old sister, Nancy,liked their step mother, and, in particular, they thought that theirstepbrother, Daniel Coleman, was lazy and did not help with the householdchores. Accordingly, they left home shortly after their father'smarriage and went to live with their sister, Mary (Sparks) Parker. Therethey remained until they reached adulthood.

Dennis Sparks was fourteen years old when the Civil War broke out. Twoof his brothers, Citizen Napoleon Bonaparte Sparks and Joseph M. Sparks,aged about twenty and eighteen years, respectively, joined the 14thRegiment Alabama Infantry, Confederate States Army, in July 1861 atLineville, Alabama. Another brother, Moses Andrew Jackson Sparks, alsojoined the 14th Regiment in February 1864. Two brothers, Green B. Sparksand William H. Sparks, served the Confederacy in Georgia military units.

Dennis was too young to join the Confederate States Army until about amonth before he reached his seventeenth birthday. On October 1, 1864, hewas mustered into Company A, commanded by Capt. George Bonner, of Col.Joseph Hardie's Battalion of Confederate Cavalry, as a private. Sometimeduring the following winter, he was transferred to Company K in the samebattalion.

Hardie's Battalion of Confederate Cavalry participated in the defense ofSelma, Alabama, a city that was a major source of military guns andsupplies for the Confederate Army. The city was defended by a strongline of works about five miles long and anchored at one end by theAlabama River. General James H. Wilson, Union leader, began his raid onthe city on March 22, 1865, and was able to attack the city quickly. Thecity was taken on the afternoon of April 2, 1865.

Dennis M. Sparks was among those who were taken prisoner that afternoon.He was imprisoned at Selma for several days, but was paroled atTalladega, Alabama, on May 24, 1865. According to the official prisonerof war roster of the United States Adjutant General's Office, he waslisted as Pvt. D. M. Sparks, Co. F 51st Regiment Alabama PartisanRangers. His name was also borne on a prisoner of war roster as Pvt. E.M. Sparks, Co. K, Hardie's Alabama Confederate Battalion.

The date and place given on the Adjutant General's Office record ofDennis M. Sparks's parole is at variance with his memory. Many yearslater, when he applied for an Alabama Confederate pension, he stated thathe had been paroled on April 11, 1865, at Selma, Alabama. His requestfor a pension was denied, apparently because he owned too much property.He reapplied a few years later; on June 8, 1921, his new application wasaccepted, and he was placed upon the pension roll. At that time, he wasa member of Camp Pettus, a camp for Confederate veterans

After he was paroled, Sparks returned to his sister's home nearLineville, Alabama. His only possessions were a pocket knife and seventycents in coins. Throughout the rest of his life, he believed in thevalue of metal money. When he arrived home, he found the other membersof his family working in the fields.

*********************
-4248-

DENNIS McFRANKLIN & JULIA ANN (McCOY) SPARKS, continued:

Years later, Dennis Sparks told his grandchildren of some of theincidents that happened during his military service. He recalled thathis sweetheart, Julia Ann McCoy, knitted him a pair of mittens. He alsoremembered the thirst he had during the Battle of Selma - - a thirst thatwas so intense that he drank water which had collected in the hoof printsof the horses. After his parole, his captors threw his cap in the airand shot it full of holes. They also took his horse, but he was able toget it back.

Another tale centered around a raid his outfit made against a Union Armycamp in which a Yankee payroll, consisting of bundles of United Statespaper money, was scattered around the countryside. No one bothered to tryto collect this loose currency because it was believed that paper moneyhad no value - - only gold or silver coins were acceptable tender. Itwas not until the war ended that the people regretted that they hadtreated the paper money so indifferently!

The portion of Talladega County in which the family of Dennis Sparkslived be came a part of Clay County when that county was formed in 1866,and thereafter most of his legal records can be found in Clay County. Itwas to Clay County that he returned after he was paroled, and it wasthere that he was married to Julia Ann McCoy on November 11, 1866, justone week before he reached his nineteenth birthday.

Julia Ann McCoy had been born on October 8, 1847, and was a daughter ofJohn and Mary (Chappell) McCoy. For a wedding present, the McCoys gavethe young couple eighty acres of land. It is said that John McCoy had ahigh regard for his son-in-law and that they remained close friends untilMcCoy's death in 1877.

Sparks was basically a cotton and corn farmer, and at one time he workedseventeen mules in his cotton. This was considered to be a fairly largecotton operation. As his family grew, however, he began to involve hischildren in other business activities. He owned and operated a generalmerchandise store for a number of years. He also engaged in"huckstering" with one or more of his sons. They would travel in atwo-mule wagon full of store-bought goods which they traded to the peoplefor eggs, chickens, fruit, etc. They would then dispose of the productsto a wholesaler for additional merchandise to sell.

[Here appears a photograph, beneath which is the followingcaption:]

The Providence Primitive Baptist Church

[Here appears another photograph, beneath which is thefollowing caption:]

FAMILY REUNION -- Children and Grandchildren of Dennis and Julia Ann(McCoy) Sparks - 1908

(Identification of those in picture is given on page 4250)

A family reunion of the children and grandchildren of Dennis and JuliaAnn (McCoy) Sparks was held about 1908 at which a photograph was taken.This has been reproduced on page 4249 (above) . Identification of thetwelve living children who attended (with their children) has beenprovided by descendants as follows:

Front Row, left to right: Coreene Joiner; Vernie Carwile; Johnie Carwile,unidentified boy; Mack Sparks; Bill Sparks holding unidentified boy;Velpo Sparks; Molly (Burks) Sparks holding unidentified child;unidentified child leaning on right leg of Dennis McFranklin Sparks;unidentified boy leaning against Julia Ann (McCoy) Sparks; HubertWallace; Bob Wallace; Gwin Wallace; Almedia (Sparks) Wallace holdingBraxton Wallace.

Middle Row, left to right: Eugene Sparks; Alexander Joiner; Orla LeeSparks; Mary Etta (Sparks) Joiner; Lula (Sparks) Boyd; Olie Sparks;Minnie (Sparks) Jones; Bob Sparks; Lee Ella Wallace; unidentified boy;Bertha Carwile, unidentified girl; unidentified boy; Woody Sparks; MonroeSparks; Mattie (Joiner) Sparks; Melford Wallace; Ellis Sparks; DeweyWallace; Norman Carwile; unidentified boy; Cordia Sparks; unidentifiedboy; Sally (Nichols) Sparks; Tom Sparks holding Ralph Sparks.

Back Row, left to right: John Wesley Sparks; Beulah (Carpenter) Sparks;Dennis Walden Sparks holding Q. P. Sparks; Lee Emma (Hassell) Sparksholding Leon Sparks; Barto Sparks; Norma (Moon) Sparks holding WilmaSparks; Eula (Sparks) Powell holding unidentified baby; Monroe Carwile;and Dora (Sparks) Carwile.

Julia Ann and Dennis Sparks were lifelong members of the ProvidencePrimitive Baptist Church, located about two miles from their home. (Aphotograph of this church appears on page 4248.) The church was quitestrict and did not believe its members should belong to organizationssuch as the Masons, Odd Fellows, etc. The Sparkses were also strongbelievers in getting an education, and on one occasion, they hired ateacher to teach penmanship to their children.

Dennis and Julia also had a rather unusual custom which they followed atthe weddings of their children. They would give the child to be marrieda wedding present of $165.00 in gold coins. The child was alwaysadmonished never to let all of the money get away, but always to savesomething back. Some of these coins have been passed down and are now inthe hands of great-grandchildren.

Of all of the fine qualities of Dennis and Julia Ann, their closerelationship with their children and grandchildren appears to be one oftheir strongest. The family reunion held about 1908 is pictorial proofof this quality. (See page 4249, with the identification of individualsprovided above.)

Some of the grandchildren remembered a special relationship with theirgrand parents. They would take turns in making weekly visits to theirgrandparents, helping with the household chores. One child had theprivilege of helping her grandfather open his big iron safe, because hecould no longer see the numbers. Another told of helping his grandfatherwalk safely along a road which was traveled by automobiles. Some of thegrandchildren stayed with their grandparents for extended periods oftime. All of them appear to have been welcomed with open arms at alltimes. Their children were:

"Dewey Lee Sparks was born on August 28, 1898, in Lawrence County. Shewas married to Frank W. Graham on May 28, 1921, at Akron, Ohio. He hadbeen born on March 14, 1892, in Pennsylvania and was a son of Thomas andElizabeth (Martz) Graham. Frank worked for the Goodyear Rubber Companyat Akron for a lifetime. Dewey died at Akron on March 28, 1967, andFrank died there on October 5, 1978. They had two children: John Grahamand Margaret Graham. (See p. 1079 of the June 1967 issue of theQuarterly, Whole No. 58, for her obituary.)"

SQ p. 817: Marriage record of Diana Sparks and Edwin O'Bryan, bondissued Aug 21, 1866, Johnson County, KY.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriageinformation from Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822- 1865):Dianah Sparks & Pardon Morris, 1832. (Box 2, missing?)

SQ 3797: She was married in 1832 to Pardon Morris.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1992, Whole No. 158: p. 3948:

"Dianah Sparks, daughter of Thomas and Dianah (Wilcox) Sparks, wasborn about 1813 in North Carolina. She was married to Pardon Morris onJune 1, 1832, in Lawrence County, Kentucky, with her father, ThomasSparks, giving permission to her marriage. Pardon Morris was a son ofBenjamin and Elizabeth (Cains) Morris. He and Dianah lived on or nearCains Creek where they had ten children."

SQ 817: Marriage record of Wiley Craft and Dianah Sparks; they weremarried by Henry Jayne, her aunt Sarah's husband.

SQ 3869: Dianah Sparks was married to Wiley Craft on December 24,1845, in Johnson County. He had been born about 1821 in North Carolina.When the 1850 census was taken of Johnson County, they were shown withthree children, and they probably had others later: a. Tillman Craft wasborn about 1846 ; b. Catherine Craft was born about 1848; c. Thomas A.Craft was born in February 1850.

Diane Sparks contacted me through a friend via the internet. After beinggiven the name and birth date of her grandfather, I was able to informher that we were second cousins. She then advised me that I was her onlyknown living relative. We have kept in touch since that time andexchange cards during the holiday seasons. Her email address isdwalspa@@aol.net. Her full address is:
Diane Sparks Piercey, 202 Radio Road, Jackson, TN 38301.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1991, Whole No. 156, p. 3863:

"Dianna Sparks, daughter of Allen and Elizabeth (Kozee) Sparks, wasborn on March 11, 1827. Descendants say that, prior to her marriage toThomas Sparks, she had had a daughter, Elizabeth, whose father was a mannamed Kozee. Elizabeth grew to maturity, was married, and had sevenchildren.

"Dianna Sparks was married to Thomas Sparks (212) about 1854. He,too, had been born on March 11, 1827, and was a son of Jesse (196) [JSNote: Solomon Sr .'s brother -- making Thomas the first cousin of SolomonJr.] and Nancy (-- -) Sparks. Jesse Sparks was a son of James Sparks(189) and a nephew of [James' brother] Thomas Sparks, Sr. (536), subjectof this SQ article. Thus, Dianna and Thomas were second cousins.

"A story handed down by descendants of this couple is that they werefirst cousins. The story is partly disproven by the fact that theirfathers (Allen Sparks and Jesse Sparks) were first cousins. It iscompletely disproven, however, by the fact that their mothers (Elizabethand Nancy) were not sisters. Elizabeth Kozee did in fact have a sister,Nancy Kozee, but Nancy married Charles Staton on August 13, 1820 in FloydCounty.

"Another handed-down story of these descendants involves the color oftheir eyes, hair, and complexions. Those that favor their ancestor,Dianna Sparks, are said to belong to the "black set" while those thatfovor their ancestor, Thomas Sparks, are said to belong to the "sorrellset." Those with " black" characteristics have dark hair, dark eyes, anddark complexions. Those with "sorrell" characteristics have reddishhair, blue eyes, and fair complexions.

"Dianna and Thomas lived on Caney Creek in that section of CarterCounty that became a part of Elliott County in 1869. It was there thatthey reared ten children. (Elizabeth Sparks, Dianna's daughter, was a12-year-old girl in their household when the 1860 census was taken.)Thomas died on June 6, 1892,and Dianna died on June 23, 1907. They wereburied near Gimlet, Kentucky."

SQ 5316:

Dica Ann Sparks. Her gravestone in the Pleasant View Cemetery in PrairieTownship in Kosciusko County has the inscription: "Dica Ann Sparks,Daughter of Hampton and Nancy Sparks, 1865-1914." She was married, first,to William Allison McCuen in 1887, and, second, to Charles M. Pierce.

See SQ p. 232 for birth information.
SQ pg 3900: They had seven children: Haywood, Larkin, Mary, Virgie,Nancy, Clarence, and Cynthia Sparks.

SQ pg 4069:

"Dicey Ann Sparks, daughter of John L. and Polly (Hay ) Sparks, wasborn on February 22, 1861, in Lawrence County, Kentucky . There appearsto be a probability that she did not go to Virginia with her parents, butremained in Kentucky. It was there, in Elliott County, that she wasmarried to Jasper Newton "Newt" Day on January 7, 1882. (See theQuarterly, pg 743 for marriage bond.) Newt had been born on January 1,1861, in Morgan County , Kentucky, and was a son of Isaac and Frances(Watson) Day. He and Dicey Ann lived in Elliott County for the rest oftheir lives. It was there that they had six children, two of whom wereunnamed and died at birth. Newt died in June 1897, and Dicey Ann died onJune 18, 1905. A photograph of Dicey Ann (Sparks) Day appears on (pg4070 of the Sparks Quarterly.)"

SQ 4736: Dimples Sparks was born on February 4, 1933. She was married toBud Lainhart. They lived at Carlisle, Ohio. [She was the last child, thetwenty-third, of George G. Sparks (1860-1934).]

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1997, Whole No. 179, p 4875:

"Doctor Franklin ["Frank"] Sparks, son of Bill and Polly (Lyon)Sparks, was born about 1849. Relatives say that he was married to awoman from the "Bluegrass Section" of Kentucky. While visiting hisrelatives in Elliott, County, he participated in a neighborhood"house-raising" and ruptured himself while lifting logs. Inflammationset in, and he died within a few days, never returning to the Bluegrass.

"[Editor's Note: It was a tradition in some Southern families to namea seventh son "Doctor." Indeed, Doctor Franklin Sparks was the seventhson of Bill and Polly (Lyon) Sparks. It will be noted that theposthumous son of his younger brother, Elliott Sparks, was named"Doctor," doubtless in memory of the infant's recently deceased uncle.]

SQ p 4876: Rebecca and Doc were buried in the Josh Ison Cemetery inElliott County. Apparently they had no children.