SQ p. 4050:

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

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

SQ pg 796: "Esther Sparks, daughter of Jonas Sparks, was born in RowanCounty, North Carolina on March 20, 1770. She was married in RowanCounty, North Carolina, in 1787 to Jesse Caton (the Rowan County Marriagebond is dated January 20, 1787). Jesse Caton was born April 20, 1762; hewas the son of Jonas Caton and was doubtless a close relative of the AnnaCaton who married Jonas Sparks, Jr., brother of Esther. They settlednear Marthasville, Warren County, Missouri, in 1811. They were theparents of the following children: (1) Noah Caton, married a MissMcDermid; (2) Jonas Caton; (3) Jesse Caton, Jr., married Missouri Lamme,daughter of William T. and Frances (Callaway) Lamme; (4) Elizabeth Caton,born August 16, 1790, died September 20, 1821; married February 22, 1809,John Boone Callaway, son of Flanders and Jemima (Boone) Callaway, andgrandson of Daniel Boone. They had children named Emaline, Verlinia,James and Octavia; (5) Nancy Caton, married Adam Zumwalt; (6) JemimaMahala Caton, married John Carter; (7) Rebecca Caton, marrried ---McCutchen; (8) Fannie Caton, married Daniel Gillis; (9) Hester Caton,married H. C. Lynn."
Substantiation of the foregoing plus some additional informationconcerning the children of Jesse and Esther Sparks Caton was receivedfrom Margaret (Mrs. James) McCain, 4345 Rota Circle, Fort Worth, TX76133, over the internet in 1998. This information is included for eachchild. No source information was provided by Margaret McCain however.

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

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

THE FAMILY OF JESSE AND ESTHER (SPARKS)CATON

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

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

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

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

SQ pg. 801: "Esther Sparks, daughter of William. She marriedChristian Stipe in Rowan County, North Carolina, in 1806 (marriage bonddated December 9,1806), before the family moved to Kentucky. She hadapparently died before1865 for in the settlement of the estate of herbrother, Hampton Sparks, mention was made of her heirs."

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

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

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

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 2002, Whole No. 198, p. 5681:

A Letter Written by Ethel (Sparks) Cearley, 1963:

Dora, Missouri. Dear Mr. Bidlack:

Rec. your letter of Feb. 24. I enjoyed reading what you had gatheredabout my ancestors. Yes, there was a girl called "Lively," [a sister ofGeorge W. Sparks. ] I can remember as a child when my Grandparents camedown from Howell Co. to stay over the weekend they would talk about thepeople & the happenings back in the old country as they called it(Georgia they meant). They spoke of Lively. Mary A. was likely the onecalled "Sis," for in that day the oldest was called Sis.

The Elbert Cearley that gave me this information on the family ofJames Sparks [father of George W. ] was a distant relative of my husband& he was older than my dad, & these may have been just nicknames that hegave me. He had a good memory & if I had known I was going to get intothis, I could of got everything I needed from him, he was 94, but passedon last summer. Albert is "Bert" Sparks, I am positive. There was a BillSparks among them [siblings of George W. Sparks] for I have heard themspeak of him. I remember hearing of Ivy Lag in their conversations.

I can remember hearing of Steven Collis, as the preacher & once myDad told me several of his old relations married Buchanans; they alllived around there [in Yancey County, North Carolina] ...

I have a fifth generation picture of my Grandma, Lucy Jane Sparks,sitting by her oldest and only son, my Dad, Edward G. Sparks; the baby inGrandma's lap is Dwayne Sparks, who is a man now [1963]. The oldest manstanding is Dad's oldest son & my brother, Otis Sparks, the other onestanding is Ernest Sparks, Otis's oldest son and father of the baby. Thebaby, Dwayne Sparks, is now [1963] a minister, as is my brother, Otis.Grandma was 94 when the picture was taken about 1950. She died later thatyear. The picture is not a very good one & I dont know if you could useit or would even want to use it in the Quarterly, but at least theremight be some resemblence & seams the families named the same names allthe way along. That's one good proof for our good. I pray God's Blessingson you folks.

[signed] Mrs. Ethel Cearley

Dora, Mo.

(Here appears a photograph which is described in the paragraph above.)

(View photograph in Ethel's Scrapbook)

There was another Cearley marriage in this branch of the Sparks family ofwhich we have record--that of Huldah Melissa Sparks, daughter of HardinJ. and Elizabeth (Thomas) Sparks. Huldah Melissa, born July 18, 1855, inUnion County, Georgia, was married there to Donithan (or Donathan)Cearley on June 15, 1871. Donithan Kinsey Cearley had been born onFebruary 6, 1852, in Union County, Georgia, and died on March 17, 1937,at Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio. Huldah Melissa died at Hamilton onSeptember 13, 1940. Their graves are in the Greenwood Cemetery atHamilton.

As noted earlier, George W. Sparks had either accompanied or followed hisolder brother, Hardin Sparks, from their home in Yancey County, NorthCarolina, to Union County, Georgia, on the eve of the Civil War. Theywere sons of Allen Sparks (ca.1798-1849) and grandsons of Benjamin Sparks(1769/70-1850). See the article on Benjamin Sparks and his familybeginning below.

Hardin J. Sparks, born about 1818, was mentioned by name in the 1849 willof his father, Allen Sparks, who designated him to be one of theexecutors of his estate. There his father spelled his oldest son's nameas either Hardin or Harden. He was called "Hardy Sparks" by the 1870census taker; a descendant once believed his name was "Hardy." This mayhave been a nickname.

The children of Donithan K. and Huldah Melissa (Sparks) Cearley were:

Tilton Cearley, born about 1877 Elsie Cearley, born about 1879
Cora Elizabeth Cearley, born March 15, 1881
William Starling Cearley, born 1888
Loney Dovie Cearley, born August 5, 1889
Catherine M. Cearley, born February 21, 1890
Mary Rowena Cearley, born May 7, 1891
John James Cearley, born July 24, 1898
Lola Cearley, born March 3, 1901
Herbert Wade Cearley, born September 28, 1902
George Hubert Cearley, born September 28, 1902

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

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

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

SQ 3855: "Etheldred Sparks, son of Joseph and Martha (Edwards) Sparks,was born about 1816 in Ashe County, North Carolina. He was married toEllen Gent (or Ghent) on October 14, 1841, in Lawrence County, KY. Shewas born about 1814 in Russell County, VA. Etheldred and Ellen livedmost of their lives on Burning Fork of Raccoon Creek in Pike County,Kentucky, where he was a farmer. He apparently died about 1865, andEllen died sometime after 1880. They had five children." Here followsinformation on children (See their sheets).

See SQ p.2550-51:

"Eugene L. Sparks

Eugene L. Sparks, son of Frederick B. and Mary Elizabeth (Speer) Sparks,was born on August 26,1859, in Oldham County, Kentucky. He was marriedonce to a woman named Kate -----, I never knew her maiden name. They hadone or two children - - I do not know their names, nor their birth dates.I heard once that they were living somewhere in Nebraska. Eugene L.Sparks lived several years at Coldwater, Kansas, then moved to Hopewell,Kansas, where he made his home with his sister, Rose Anderson, for awhile, then with his brother, David Grove Sparks and his family. I alwaysbelieved he was a bachelor at heart, because he alsays liked to livealone, and the time came when he was alone. He died in Kinsley, Kansas,between 1947 and 1950. He is buried in the Hillside Cemetery at Kinsley."

.

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

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

See SQ p. 5392 for the following notice:

DEATH TAKES EVA VIRGINIA (SPARKS) FIELDS

Dorothy Sparks Murphy, sister of the Association's late President, PaulE. Sparks, has written to tell us of the death of her and Paul's sister,Eva Virginia (Sparks) Fields, on December 19, 1999. Mrs. Fields, daughterof James ["Jim"] William and Sarah Elizabeth (Conley) Sparks, had beenborn at Yatesville, Kentucky, on November 12, 1912. She had been marriedto Roy C. Fields on June 9, 1934, in Boyd County, Kentucky. In theQUARTERLY of December 1999, Whole No.188, we published, beginning on page5270, an account Paul had written a number of years ago, about hisparents and siblings.

In her letter, Mrs. Murphy noted: "I am the only one left in my family. Imiss talking on the phone to Paul, who died March 4, 1999. He wouldalways tell me something amusing. I have three cousins and myself left inour generation. I will be 78 next Monday, January 31, 2000."

SQ 3872:

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

See the following article in THE SPARKS QUARTERLY for June, 1989, WholeNo. 146, p. 3424:

DEATH TAKES EVERETT L. SPARKS

"It is with deep regret that we report the death of Everett L. Sparkswho passed away on March 6, 1988, at Maryville, Illinois. He was a mostardent member of the Association and made many valuable contributions toour knowledge of persons named SPARKS across America. He is survived byhis wife, Muriel; a son, Denton; two daughters, Michelle Sparks andLeslie Mae Fincher; a brother, Grover; and three sisters, Nellie Sparks,Clara Backensto, and Thelma Crews.

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

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

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

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

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

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

A photo, believed to be that of Fannie Elizabeth Sparks is on the coverof the SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1990, Whole No. 152 and can be seen inthe scrapbook of her father Joseph Sparks.

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

Fanny Sparks & Isham Wilhoite, September 29, 1823. Said Fanny beingdaughter of William Sparks, dec'd., and of Mourning Sparks, his widow.Consent proven by John Browa. Married by James Ward. (Book I [ letter inot numeral 1] , page 147)

SQ 2776:

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

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

SQ pg 3902: Fernando and Anna had six children before Anna's death:William, Goldie, John Henry, Albert, Ida May, and Charles Sparks.
Fernando and Laura had five children: Samantha, Earnest, Lester ,Nathan, and Alberta Sparks.

***************
SQ pg 1551:

ADDITIONAL SPARKS MARRIAGES IN KENTUCKY, continued:

BOYD COUNTY, KENTUCKY, MARRIAGE BONDS (1860-1905)

Copied by Paul E. Sparks

Fernando Sparks and Annie Horn, March 22, 1900. (Book 17a, page 136) Hesingle, age 21, born Johnson County, Ky. She single, age 19, born inScioto County, Ohio. Nathan Sparks, witness.

SPARKS QUARTERLY, pp. 4730-31:

"Flora Hulette Sparks was born on November 15, 1887, in Texas. Herfirst child was named Sherwood and he was reared by her parents. (Seepage 3123 of the September 1987 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 139,for an account of the life of Sherwood Sparks.) Flora was married toHenry Lee Williams on November 27, 1911, in Lawrence County. He had beenborn in 1883 and was a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Workman) Williams,natives of West Virginia. Lee was a miner and was killed by a slate fallin 1933. He and Flora had six children: Edith Williams, Robert Williams,Roy Williams, Leo Williams, Freda Williams, and Charlotte Williams."

[JS: The family sheet for Sherwood E. Sparks is found under "othermarriages" for Flora H. Sparks]

SQ p. 2164:

Flora Queen Sparks, daughter of Elijah and Mary Ann (Garner) Sparks, wasborn on September 10, 1875. She died on June 27, 1926. She married EdwardMills. They had no children. Here is what Miss Sparks wrote: "Aunt Floraand Aunt Jane kept house for Uncle Noah after my grandparents passedaway. At times, Aunt Flora would nurse the sick of the community and shewould probably have made a good professional nurse. She had no children.Aunt Jane never married. She was always shy and retiring. Both women wereexcellent cooks."

SQ pg 2615: Florence Sparks married a man whose surname was Lee a ndthey lived at Mathersville, Illinois.

SQ 3184:
"Florence Amoretta Sparks was born on September 11, 1865. She wascalled "Etta". On March 2, 1884, she was married to John Alfred Allison.He had been born on December 11, 1862, at Guelph, Canada. He died onJuly 1923 and was buried in the Memorial Cemetary at New Market, Iowa.Florence died on August 18, 1943, and was buried beside her husband."

SQ p. 3937:
(Repeats above and adds the names of their children.)

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 2619: She married Horace Oakes, a native of England. The ywere both buried in Silver City, New Mexico. They had three childr en.
1. Ernestine Oakes married T. B. Saner, and in 1964 they were livi ngin South Pasadena, California. They had a son and twin daughters , oneof whom ws named Barbara.
2. Ethel Oakes married George J. Harbauer and in 1964 they were living in El Cahon, California. They had one child, Jack, who lived i nKansas.
3. Muriel Oakes married M. J. O'Boyle, and they lived in Santa Ros a,California.

SQ 4736:
Flossie Marie Sparks was born on September 13, 1910. She was marriedtwice. Her first marriage was to Campbell, and her second marriage was toStidham. She died on October 4, 1982.

SQ p. 4043:

"Frances Sparks, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Kelley) Sparks,was born in May 1751. We have learned nothing further about her."

SQ 3796: "Called 'Franky' in her father's will; she was unmarried whenher
father made his will in 1833."

SQ p 2445:

"Frances ("Fanny") Sparks, daughter of Absalom and Lydia (Elsberry)Sparks, was probably born about 1796. She may have been named for hermaternal grandmother, Francina Elsberry. On June 6, 1814, she marriedHiram Tidwell in Gallatin County, Illinois. Apparently this couplefollowed the migration of their respective families through Arkansas andinto Texas where Fanny died. She and Hiram had at least two children,William Tidwell and Wesley Tidwell. They were living in Johnson county,Texas, in 1874 when they sold their mother's share of the estate ofFanny's sister , Edy Sparks. We have no further information about thisfamily."

SQ 3075: "Frances Sparks, daughter of Abel and Sarah (Cochran) Sparks,was born October 27, 1803, probably in North Carolina before the familymoved to Tennessee. (Some of Frances' descendants have long believedthat she was born in Davidson County, Tennessee; we know, however, thatAbel Sparks was still in Wilkes County, NOrth Carolina, as late as 1807;furthermore, her place of birth was given as North Carolina on the 1850and 1860 censuses.) She was married to Francis Creswell Kirkpatrick onOctober 10, 1822, in Jackson County, Missouri. He had been born onFebruary 4, 1803, and died on June 3, 1877. Frances was called FrancesKirkpatrick in the papers settling the estate of her brother, SolomonSparks, in 1880, thoughs he is known to have married a man named Scott asher second husband. She died on January 19, 1881. The children ofFrances Sparks and her husband, Francis Creswell Kirkpatrick were: GeorgeA. Kirkpatrick, James Cochran Kirkpatrick, George W. Kirkpatrick, SarahJ. Kirkpatrick, William Dennis Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth A. (Kirkpatrick)Jones, Vance L. Kirkpatrick, Martha E. (Kirkpatrick) Bull, Elvira Vie(Kirkpatrick) Pauley, Frances Creswell Kirkpatrick, and Frederick C.Kirkpatrick. (Some detail is provided as to each of the above childrenand some of their issue.)

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriage informationfrom Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822- 1865):
Frances Sparks & Reuben Keesee, December 1, 1836. (Book I, p. 134)

SQ 3856: "Frances Sparks, daughter of Joseph and Martha (Edwards )Sparks, was born about 1818 in North Carolina. She was married to ReubenKozee (or Keesee) on December 1, 1836, in Lawrence County, KY. They hadfour children when the 1850 census was taken of that county. We have nofurther in formation about this family:
a. John Kozee was born about 1838.
b. Arena Kozee was born about 1840.
c. Malinda Kozee was born about 1842.
d. Lucinda Kozee was born about 1845.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 2001, Whole No. 196, p.5627:

"Frances ["Fannie"] Sparks, daughter of Isaac and Wilmoth (Noland)Sparks, was born on March 3, 1819. She was married to Thomas Knox Tysonand died on May 11, 1880. Thomas Knox Tyson had been born on November 30,1815, and died on December 4, 1879. These dates are from the tombstonesof this couple in Pebble Grove Cemetery located a few miles east ofMaysfield in Milam County, Texas. We do not know when this couple movedto Texas from Tennessee, nor have we learned anything about theirchildren.'

.

!NOTES:
SQ 3194: "Francis ["Fannie"] Sparks was born about 1858. She marr ied
James G. Absher, probably about 1879. He was born in September 185 8 and
was a son of Edmond and Katherine (Holbrook) Absher. Fannie died o n Nov-
ember 23, 1889, at Swords Creek, Virginia, shortly after their fift hchild
was born. James died on March 29, 1937, in Tazewell County, Virginia ."

SQ p. 5601:

"Steven Porter has provided the following information about his ancestor,Almira Sparks, daughter of Matthew Jefferson and Mary ["Polly"] Sparks.Almira was born in Pulaski County , Arkansas , on January 9, 1830.Although she was cailed Almira in her father's will and was known asAlmira in her family, she had been named originally Frances ElmiraSparks. She was married in Saline County, Arkansas, on January 4, 1846,to Joel Turner Porter, son of Ridley and Edith (Johnson) Porter. Usuallycalled by his middle name, Turner, he had been born on June 4, 1825, anddied sometime after June 1900, in Grant County, Arkansas. During theCivil War, he served in Logan's Brigade, Captain Miller's Company, 11thCavalry Regiment of the Confederate Army . He and Almira lived nearHurricane Creek (pronounced "Hairkin Crick"), two miles east of Sheridan,Arkansas.

"Almira (Sparks) Porter died on February 18, 1896, in Grant County,Arkansas. (Grant County was not created until 1869, from portions of HotSprings, Saline, and Jefferson Counties.) A record of the eight knownchildren of Joel Turner and Almira (Sparks) Porter follows: " [JS Note:For information concerning the children of Almira (Sparks) Porter, seetheir individual sheets.]

SQ 3867: She was married to Sherman Lyon in 1894 in Lawrence Coun ty,KY.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3693: "Frances "Fannie" Lee Sparks was born on October 16 ,1869, in Titus County. She was married twice. Her first marriag e wasto William George Holland on September 3, 1885, in titus County . He andFanny had nine children: Eva Arelda, Neddy, Barbara Lee, M ack, Nora,Jessie, Hattie, Scott, and Sidney. William Holland died o n February 27,1909, in Fisher County, Texas, and on November 3, 1916 , Fannie wasmarried, second, to J. M. Hitt. He died on March 9, 193 8, and Fanniedied on March 25, 1958.
"Hattie Holland, named above, was married to Frank Turner, and the ywere the parents of four children: Olan, Frankie, Wannette, and Jac kie."

SEE THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1984:

On the cover (p. 2586) see a photograph entitled REUNION (ca. 1928) OFTHE FAMILIES OF SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF FRANCIS AND MARY JANE (LAMB) SPARKS(see scrapbook) under which is the following caption:

Standing (L. to R.) Daisy (Sparks) Martz, William F. Sparks,Sr., HenryShipley, Nester (Sparks) Anderson, Wilbur Sparks, George Anderson, Mrs.Shipley, Edith (Guinn) Sparks, Charles J. Alberding, Everett Sparks,Irene Alberding, Aletha (Sparks) Alberding, Lawrence Sparks, unknownwoman, Elizabeth (Sparks) Shipley, Frank Sparks, Wilbur Alberding, Faye(Duff) Anderson, Clarence Anderson, Louisa (riser) Shipley, William F.Sparks, Jr., Raymond Shipley, Mary Ann (Fishpaugh) Sparks.

Kneeling (L. to R.) Leroy Shipley, Jr., Inez (Willford) Shipley, Anna(Bockhausen) Sparks, Ralph Alberding, Clarence Shipley, Marie Shipley,Estella Alberding, Freda Anderson.

Sitting (L. to R.) Kenneth Alberding, Chester Sparks, Wilbur Shipley,Robert Shipley, Mary Margaret Sparks, Leonard Shipley, Berniece Sparks.

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

SQ pg 2592:

(See his photograph on page 2592 and in his scrapbook.)

"Francis Sparks, son of William and Catherine (Huckley) Sparks, wasborn on January 30, 1833. He was a small lad when he accompanied hisparents to Clinton County. He was about fourteen years old when hisparents moved to Tippecanoe County. It was there that he met and marriedMary Jane Lamb on May 22, 1857. She was born on May 1, 1840, in Indiana,and was a daughter of James and Elizabeth Lamb, natives of New York andOhio, respectively. Francis was a brick mason, specializing in buildingflues in houses under construction. He was a member of the UnitedBrethern Church.

"In 1861, Francis Sparks and his brothers, James Sparks and PeterSparks, bought an 80-acre tract of land in Tippecanoe County. On April11, 1864, James and Peter sold their shares to Francis for $1,333.33.Both James and Peter were in the military service at that time, but Jameswas killed just two months later. Francis sold the land in 1873, butreserved the right to remove his bricks, corn, and any personal propertyfrom the land.

"Mary Jane (Lamb) Sparks died on March 7, 1879, and was buried in theFink Cemetery in Tippecanoe County. Francis died on May 28, 1918, at thehome of his son George, near West Point, Indiana. He was buried atPyrmont, Indiana. He and Mary Jane had seven children, all of them bornin Tippecanoe County except the last one who was born in Missouri."

!BIRTH:
See UNION COUNTY, KENTUCKY BIRTHS 1852-1878, FHL 976.9885 V28b, pa ge61:
17 Jan 1875, Francis Lee Sparks, male, alive, born Union County, (fat her)
Francis M. Sparks, (mother) Alice Thomas, white, (father born) Virgin ia,
(mother born) Marion Co., KY, (presently reside) Union County.

!BAPTISM:
See BAPTISMAL RECORDS OF SACRED HEART CHURCH, FHL 976.9885 D2h a tpage 129.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1969, Whole No. 68, p. 1283 fo anabstract of his military record in the Civil War:

FRANCIS M. SPARKS

Our only record of Francis M. Sparks is a company muster-roll for theperiod from September 19 to December 1863 on which he is listed as aSecond Lieutenant in Company I, 2d Regiment Texas Cavalry. There is thenote that he enlisted for a period of six months at Camp Buford. He waspaid $20.80 for the use of his horse and was "Elected 2d Lt. Sept. 18,1863." The 2d Regiment Texas Cavalry, State Troops, was organized in1863 with ten companies, A to K. Some of the companies appear to haveserved in an organization known as the 13th Battalion Texas State Troopsprior to the formation of this regiment and some of the men subsequentlyserved in Bourland’s Regiment Texas Cavalry and Capt. Jones' CompanyTexas Cavalry.

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See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY cover for September, 1984, Whole No. 127, p.2643 for photograph of tombstone of Francis Marion Sparks, photo alsoseen in his scrapbook)

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

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

"Francis Marion Sparks, son of John and Sarah (Brooks) Sparks, wasborn on February 4, 1818, in Jasper County, Georgia, and was aboutfifteen years old when his parents moved to Tallapoosa County, Alabama.He had just passed his 18th birthday when he enlisted, along with hisfather and brothers, on Mary 7, 1836, in the Tallassee Guards to fight inthe Creek and Seminole Indian War. (See page 2669 for an abstract of hispension file.)

"Francis M. Sparks was a farmer. His nickname was "Doc"; however noone knows why. The nickname was later given to his first son, LawrenceJackson Sparks, but the reason remains a mystery. On November 11, 1841,Francis M. Sparks ("Doc") was married to Rebecca J. Holman in TallapoosaCounty. Apparently she died shortly after giving birth to their onlychild in 1842; many years later, Nathan F. Sparks, brother of Doc Sparks,journeyed from Johnson County, Texas to Franklin County, Texas, to makean affidavit that he was present when Rebecca Sparks died in 1842.

"On October 30, 1845, Francis M. Sparks was married (2d) to MaryCatherine Brown in Chambers County, Alabama, by Francis ("Frank")Callaway, a Baptist minister. Actually the license was issued inChambers County, but was recorded n Tallapoosa County, indicating thatthe couple lived near the county line. Many years later, Mary (Brown)Sparks applied for bounty land based on her husband's military serviceand testified that they had lived in Chambers County until they moved toTexas in 1848. (Her application was denied because her husband hadalready received bounty land; however, she was granted a pension on July27, 1892.)

"When the 1850 census was taken of Texas, Francis ("Doc") and MarySparks were living with their family in Cass County. He was shown as 33years old and born in Georgia; she was aged 25 and born in Alabama. Withthem were Mary C. Sparks, aged 6 (daughter of the first wife); L. J.Sparks, aged 4; and William B. Sparks, aged 2. Doc was listed as a housecarpenter. In all probablility, he had a hand in building some of thebeautiful old homes which make Jefferson, Texas, a modern-day touristattraction.

"In May, 1857, Francis ("Doc") Sparks bought a 124-acre tract of landfrom his brother William Sparks, in Titus County for $1.00 per acre. Theland was located in that portion of Titus County that became a part ofFranklin County in 1875. That fall, Doc sold the land to G. S. Templetonfor $300. Two years later, he bought another tract from his brother,William, consisting of 160 acres. This tract was located on the northside of Main Cypress Creek about thirty miles southwest of Mt. Pleasantand about a mile and one-half from the county line. It was in thisgeneral area that Francis M. ("Doc") Sparks spent most of his remainingdays, although he sold this particular tract of land in February, 1862 toN. S. Penn.

"Francis M. Sparks served in the Confederate States Army during theCivil War, but only one record of his service has been found in theNational Archives. It is a muster roll of his company in the 2ndRegiment of Cavalry, Texas State Troops, for the period September 18,1863, until December 21, 1863. He was elected 2nd lieutenant onSeptember 18th and was paid $20.80 for the use of his horse during theperiod. A record in the Texas Archives shows that he enlisted at CypressChurch in a military unit called the Cypress Blues. (See page 1283 ofthe December 1969 issue of the QUARTERLY, Whole No. 68, for an abstractof his military record.)

"After selling his land in Titus County in February 1862, Francis M.and Mary Sparks bought a 160-acre tract in eastern Hopkins County fromMinyard and Metita Brown. It was located on Stouts Creek of the SulphurFork of Red River about 16 miles southeast of Tarrant. They were livingthere when the 1870 census was taken, and this is where Francis M.("Doc") Sparks died on March 14, 1876. Mary Catherine survived himnearly 34 years, dying on January 18, 1910. They were buried in theCypress Cemetary. A Masonic emblem is inscribed upon his tombstone. Theyhad ten children. (A photograph of his tombstone appears on the coverpage of this issue of the QUARTERLY).

"The names of his children were Mary C. Sparks; Lawrence Jackson("Doc") Sparks; William B. Sparks; James A. Sparks; Nathan F. Sparks;Sarah J. Sparks; Francis M. ("Frank") Sparks; Martha E. Sparks; BenjaminSparks; Lucy A. Sparks; Ella Sparks." (Here follows details about thechildren and their descendants)

END OF ARTICLE.

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See also SQ pg 2669 for the following abstract:

BOUNTY LAND AND PENSION APPLICATIONS FOR SOME FORMER SOLDIERS NAMEDSPARKS

"FRANCIS MARION SPARKS, son of John and Sarah (Brooks) Sparks, wasborn on February 4, 1818, in Jasper County, Georgia. He married (1st)Rebecca Holman on November 11, 1841, in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, and(2nd) Mary Catherine Brown on October 23, 1845, in Chambers County,Alabama. He served in the Alabama Militia during the Creek and SeminoleWar in 1836. File Designations: Bounty Land Warrants Nos. 13,385 and149,529; Wid. Appl. No. 2504.

"On December 3, 1850, Francis M. Sparks, aged 33, a resident of CassCounty, Texas, appeared before Charles Westmoreland, a Justice of thePeace, and applied for any bounty land to which he might be entitled forgiving militaryservice to the United States. He said he had enlisted inthe early part of May 1836 for an indefinite period in Capt. JohnBroadnax's Company, known as the Tallassee Guards of the AlabamaVolunteers. He served for four months in the War of the Creek Indians andwas discharged at Tallassee, Alabama, on or about the first day ofSeptember, 1836. To the best of his remembrance, he did not receive adischarge, but if he had received one, it was now lost. (War Departmentrecords proved that he served from May 7, 1836, until September 7, 1836.)He signed the application as F. M. Sparks. Thomas J. White, Cass CountyClerk, certified that Charles Westmoreland was a justice of the peace ofCass County. Francis M. Sparks was issued a warrant for 40 acres ofbounty land.

"On May 5, 1855, Francis M. Sparks applied for additional bounty landto which he might be entitled under the 1855 Act of Congress. He was nowa resident of Hopkins County, Texas. He made the application before R.J. Holbrook, a notary public of Titus County, Texas. He signed theapplication as "Francis M. Sparks." Thomas C. Montgomery and Thos. H.Turner witnessed his signature. Sparks was issued 120 acres of bountyland.

"On October 27, 1892, Mary C. Sparks, aged 66, a resident of Pickton,Texas, applied for a Widow's Pension. She said she was the widow ofFrancis M. Sparks who had died ond March 14, 1876, in Franklin County,Texas. He had enlisted under the name of Francis M. (or Doc) sparks onMay 7, 1836, at Tallassee, Alabama, in Capt. John H. Broadnax's Companyof the Alabama Infantry, commanded by Gen Jessup, in the war with theCreek Indians, and had served untll he was discharged on August 1, 1836.At the time of his enlistment, he was 18 years of age; he was 5 ft. 11inches tall; he had blue eyes, dark hair and a light complexion; he wasborn in Jasper County, Georgia, and was a farmer. She had been marriedto Sparks on October 30, 1845, in Chambers County, Alabama, by the Rev.Frank Callaway. She was married under her maiden name of Mary C . Brown.Francis M. Sparks had been previously married, but his first wife haddied in 1842. Mrs. Sparks went on to say that she and her husband livedin Chambers County for two years after their marriage and then had movedto Texas in 1848.

"She appointed John Wedderburn, Washington, D. C., as her attorney. J. H. King and J. T. Banister witnessed her sign her name as M. C.Sparks. In an undated affidavit, Nathan F. Sparks of Johnson County,Texas, brother of Francis M. Sparks, testified that he was wellacquainted with his brother's first wife and was present when she diedabout 1842 in Dadesville, Alabama.

"On February 27, 1893, V. C. Black and E. B. Cowan testified that theyknew Francis M. Sparks had died on March 14, 1876, because they attendedhis funeral. His widow had not remarried. The Bureau of Pensionsapproved the claim of Mary C. Sparks on July 17, 1895, and she was placedupon the pension roll at the rate of $8.00 per month. This amount wasincreased to $12.00 per month on April 19, 1901.

"On April 29, 1910, W. B. Sparks informed the Bureau of Pensions thathis mother, Mary C. Sparks, had died on January 18, 1910, and had beenburied in the Cypress Church Cemetery in Franklin County, Texas."

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See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY for September 1999, Whole No. 187 for the 1860census of Titus County, Texas:

Post Office, Elly
Page 175. Census taken by Wm. M. S. Houghton on August 21, 1860.
507 - 507

Name Age Sex Occupation Born
Sparks, F. M. 42 (M) Farmer $1000 - $589 GA
" Mary C. 35 (F) AL
" Lawrence I. [J?] 14 (M) AL
" William B. 12 (M) TX
" James A. 9 (M) TX
" Nathan S. 6 (M) TX
" Sarah I. [J.?] 4 (F) TX
" Francis M. 2 (M) TX
" Martha E. 3/12 (F) TX

Note: Four of the Sparks children were shown as attending school withinthe year: William B., James A., Nathan S., and Sarah J. [J.?].

The F. M. Sparks shown above was Francis Marion Sparks, also a son ofJohn and Sarah (Brooks) Sparks. He had been born on February 4, 1818, inJasper County, Georgia. He was about 15 when the family moved toTallapoosa County, Alabama, and at the age of 18 he had enlisted with hisfather to fight in the Seminole Indian War of 1836. (See his pensionapplication, pp. 2669-70 of the September 1984 QUARTERLY cited above; abiographical sketch also appears in that issue with a record of hischildren, pp.2659-65.) Francis Marion Sparks was married (first) toRebecca J. Holman and (second) to Mary Catherine Brown.

CHURCH:
Baptism Register of the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church inMorgantown,
Union County, KY., for the year 1867 states: "July 18, Baptized FrancisMarion Sparks son of Solomon Sparks, Margaret A. Brim, Sponsor John B.Wathen. 24 years old. (signed) E. J. Durbin (priest)." Photocopy inpossession of James J. Sparks, San Carlos, Ca. FHL 571711.

DEATH:
Photocopy of Certified Copy of Death Certificate of Francis M. Sparkswho died May 10, 1925, in Union County, KY. His birth date is blurredand looks like May 9, 184?; the certificate states that he was 82 years 1day old on the date of his death which would confirm a birthdate of May9, 1843. It states that he was born in Virginia, the son of SolomonSparks, born Virginia, and Margaret Simes (blurred) of Virginia. Thename of the informant is blank. He was buried May 12, 1925 in theCatholic Cemetery (St. Ann's) in Morganfield.

TAX LIST:
Records of Union County, KY., town of Morganfield: 1868, 1869, (FH L8253); 1870-74, (FHL 8254)

CENSUS:
United States Census for 1870, Union County, KY. Entry #1419. SPARKS,Francis, 26, Male, White, Farmer, born Virginia, wife Alice, 20, Female,White, Housekeeper, born Kentucky; Children: William, 1, Male White, bornKentucky.

DEEDS:
1891 Many deeds are recorded from Francis Marion Sparks and Mary AliceSparks in Union County, KY. (FHL 562129)

COURT RECORDS:
See notes for Solomon Sparks, Jr. (28) showing the appointment ofFrancis Marion Sparks as Administrator of his estate, 11 March, 1889.

MISC. RECORDS:
Book UNION COUNTY KENTUCKY GENEALOGY, 976.9885 D2h, Family HistoryLibrary, Salt Lake City, Utah; lists persons buried in St. Ann'sCemetery, Morganfield, KY and includes, Sparks, Francis M. 1843-1925.
See also UNION COUNTY KENTUCKY DEATH RECORDS 1911-1950, FHL 976.98 85V38h at page 38. Gives mother's name as Margaret Givens.
See "An Illustrated Historical Atlas of Henderson and Union Counties,Kentucky, published by D. J. Lake & Co., 1880, Philadelphia, Pa., at page36: Included under the list of patrons for Union County in theMorganfield Precinct we see "Sparks, F. M. (No. of Acres) 12; (PostOffice) Morganfield; (Occupation) Blacksmith; (Nativity) WashingtonCounty, Virginia; (Date of Settlement) 1865. Also found is anadvertisement stating "F. M. Sparks, Proprietor of (blurred) and Dealerin Plows and Farm Impliments. Repairs of all kinds promptly attended to.Shop 2 1/2 miles on Henderson Road."

CIVIL WAR:
Francis M. Sparks enlisted on 5 June 1862 as a Private from GladeSprings, Virginia. He enlisted in Company F. Virginia 63rd InfantryRegiment on 6 May 1862. The source for this information is the VirginiaRegimental Histories Series.

See UNION COUNTY, KENTUCKY IN THE CIVIL WAR 1861-1865 by HEADY, FHL976.9885 M2h. On page 129 under the title Confederate PensionApplications it states SPARKS, FRANCIS M. (Application Date July 15,1912, Pension No. 1917.) There were many Francis Marions in the war andwe have no assurance that this is our Francis. There was an F. M. Sparkswho fought in the Washington County, Virginia militia (See film numberM382 roll 52).

See HISTORY OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WASHINGTON COUNTY by LewisPreston Summers, Originally published, Richmond, VA., 1903, Reprinted1966, 1971, 1979. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. FHL 975.5h2slp.Commencing at page 543:

"The Federal troops continued their march to the Lead Mines in WytheCounty which they destroyed, and from that point they returned toSeven-Mile Ford and thence to the right to Saltville . When they reachedSaltville, some slight resistance was offered by a number of Confederatesoldiers and reserves who were at the place at that time, but the townwas easily captured and the works destroyed (December 1864)."

And on page 545 "The close of the war found the people of this countyin as deplorable a condition as could be imagined -- without money,credit, clothing or the wherewithal to eat, with hundreds of wounded anddisabled soldiers, their farm houses, fences, and farming utensilsdestroyed, and with grave apprehensions as to the future."

Since Francis Marion Sparks is known to have settled in Morganfield,Union County, Kentucky, in 1865, it is presumed that the conditions inWashington County, Virginia, at that time were such that this 22 year oldblacksmith preferred to leave his family and make a fresh start over 400miles away in the northwestern corner of Kentucky. His family was tofollow him shortly thereafter. The family was in Smith County, Virginiain the 1870 census except Francis who is in Morgantown. By 1872 hisfather, Solomon Sparks, appears in the tax records of Union County, KYin the Morgantown area. Francis' youngest brother, David Lilburn Sparks,was about 7 years old at this time.

See SQ p 4873: "They were buried in the Nashville [Wisconsin] Cemetery.We have not learned whether they had any children."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3692: They had eight children: Kermit, Quinton, Leota, Vel ma,Illene (sic), Reba, Lucille, and Lavern.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 2594: He married Emma Hannell in 1916. She was a sister o fCharles Hannell (who married his sister Lena May Sparks [above]).

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 2652: He was married to Luvena Smith on December 23, 1933.

SQ pg 2630:

"Franklin Sparks (?), son of Thomas and Martha (Loveless) Sparks, mayhave been born about 1852,
although it is possible that he has been confused with Benjamin FranklinSparks (4, above). He should
not be confused with Frank Sparks, son of Francis Sparks, and grandson ofWilliam Sparks. (See Item
D, 3, e, on page 2595 of the March 1984 QUARTERLY, Whole No. 125.)"

SQ p. 3695:

Franklin Augustus Sparks, son of Isaac and Frances (Higginbotham)Sparks, was born in January 1850, in Mississippi, and was a young ladwhen he went with his parents to Texas. He was married to Sarah---------, probably in 1878, in Johnson County, Texas. She had been bornabout 1862 in Texas. When the 1880 census was taken of Johnson County,Augustus (as he was apparently called) and Sarah had a one-year olddaughter. Sarah apparently died shortly this child's birth.

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On page 3696 there appears a photograph, beneath which is the followingcaption

FRANKLIN AUGUSTUS SPARKS

(1850-ca. 1933)

Son of Isaac & Frances (Higginbotham) Sparks

Photograph taken ca.1900

This photo appears in his scrapbook.