SQ 3199-3200: "Julius Edmond "Eddie" Sparks was born on April 23,1873. He married Fannie Edwards, probably about 1897. She had been bornon November 24, 1876, and was a daughter of David and Caroline Edwards .Eddie and Fannie lived at Sparta, North Carolina. He died there on April20,
1962; Fannie died on June 8, 1965. They had eight (nine) chidren: DavidGlen, Callie L., George S., Laura M., Simon E., Chelsie H., John Robert,James Woodrow, and Treva Mae."

SQ 4936 made some corrections and added Chelsie H. whom I haveinserted above.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3701: She was married to a man named Banks.

Kathleen Nicole Sparks weighed 8 lbs 7 oz at her birth on February 10,1997 at Long Beach Community Hospital.

SQ p. 2596:

"Kenneth Johnson Sparks, son of Israel A. and Minnie Blanche (Akers)Sparks, was born on September 14, 1902. He was a mortician and worked forthe Bradshaw Funeral Home in Lafayette. He married Ethel Dunn on August2, 1924. She was born on December 31, 1894, and was a daughter of Starrand Martha
(Mongold) Dunn. Kenneth died on December 15, 1982.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriage informationfrom Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822- 1865):
Kesiah Sparks & Campbell Gent, February 23, 1839. (Box 2, missing)Consent of her father, Thomas Sparks. Married by Stephen Wheeler, Baptistminister.

SQ 3868: Keziah Sparks, daughter of Thomas and Catherine (Jayne )Sparks, was born about 1824 in Lawrence County. It was there that shewas married to Campbell Gent (or Ghent) on February 23, 1839. We have nofurther information about this couple.

SQ 3858: "Keziah Sparks, daughter of Joseph and Martha (Edwards)Sparks, was born on March 4, 1830, probably in Lawrence County, KY. Shewas married to Jacob Ratliff on December 2, 1852, in Pike County. He hadbeen born about 1831 and was a son of John and Nancy (Mastin) Ratliff.Keziah died on October 16, 1905, in Pike County and Jacob died there onApril 11, 1911. When the 1860 census was taken of Pike County, they wereshown with four children; it appears likely that other children were bornto them at later times.
a. Martha J. Ratliff was born on October 16, 1853. She was marriedto George Anderson Helvey on December 24, 1879, and they had at least onechild, Ballard R. Helvey.
b. John Ratliff was born about 1855.
c. Caroline Ratliff was born about 1857.
d. Virginia Ratliff was born in the spring of 1860.

SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1988, Whole No. 141, p. 3180:

"King David Sparks (he was usually called David), son of William andSarah (Jennings) Sparks, was born in December 1829 in Wilkes County,North Carolina, and was a small boy when he traveled with his parents toOwen County, Indiana. There he grew to manhood, and it was there that hewas married to Elizabeth ["Betsy"] Bass on August 16, 1849. She had beenborn on February 9, 1830, in North Carolina.

"Shortly after the birth of their first child in the fall of 1850,David and Betsy moved with his parents to Boone County, Iowa, arrivingthere in October 1851. They bought 144 acres of land, and David became asucessful farmer. He was a member of the North Union Baptist Churchwhich was founded by his father.

"Betsy Sparks died on December 16, 1871, and was buried in the SparksCemetery near Ogden, Iowa. David married (2nd) Mrs. Nancy Williams onSeptember 7, 1872. She was the widow of Samuel Williams who had died in1860 leaving her with nine children. David Sparks died on October 2,1892, and was buried beside his first wife, Betsy, in the SparksCemetery. He and Betsy had nine children."

See the SQ March 1960, Whole No. 29, p. 467, for a census record of thisfamily in the 1850 Census of Owen County, Indiana, District 3, MarionTownship and SQ June 1966, Whole No. 54, p. 990, for a census record ofthis famiy in the 1860 Census of Boone County, Iowa, Marcy Township wherethey are living near his father William J. Sparks.

SQ p. 1502:
Kitty Harriet Sparks, was born about 1819. She married Ephraim Wilson inNicholas County in 1842 (marriage bond dated April 19, 1842). He was bornabout 1820. According to the 1850 census, they had children named [Seefamily group sheet]

See SQ p. 333 for birth information and page 743 for marriage information.

SQ pp. 4638-39:

"Laban ["Labe"] Theodore Sparks was born on November 29, 1859, inLawrence County. He was a farmer and also a merchant. Descendants saythat he was a deeply religious man. He was married twice. His firstmarriage was to Emily Lyon on December 9, 1880. She had been born onMarch 2, 1861, and was a daughter of Lewis and Mary ["Polly"] (Sparks)Lyon. Emily and Labe had seven children before Emily's death in 1902.They were: Florence Alma Sparks, Eva Belle Sparks, Charles FranklinSparks, Mary Hattie Sparks, Hugh Herbert Sparks, and Nelson Tate Sparks{and Henry W. Sparks, see p. 4703}. (For further details about the familyof Charles Franklin Sparks, see pp. 1306-1307 of the March 1970 issue ofthe QUARTERLY, Whole No. 69.)

"After the death of his wife, Emily, Labe Sparks was married (second)to Trinvilla Lester about 1903. She had been born in 1875 and was adaughter of John and Juliana (Miller) Lester. Trinvilla died in 1933 andLaban died in 1940. They were buried in the family cemetery on CollierCreek. They had five children."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, pg. 4703 for a photo of Laban Sparks, hisspouse and children taken about 1900, and a article correcting earliererrors and adding a son's name, Henry W. Sparks.

SQ pg 3940: Lafe and Ellen lived on Franks Creek. He and Ellen hadnine children: William, Martha, Charles, Virgie, Estill, Gracie, Nola,Ola, and Lora.

.
!NOTES:
See father's notes.

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!NOTES:
SQ pg 3424: Correction note indicates that they have a daughter ,Debra H. Beavers.

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!NOTES:
SQ pg 3692: They had eight children: Fern, Burl, Erma, Dale, Dan ,Olean, Doris, and Yale.

SQ p. 2946:
"From census records, it does no appear that they had children, butwhen the 1880 census was taken of Arkansas County, Arkansas, a 6 year-oldboy named Leslie Sparks was listed in their household and was identifiedas an "adopted son." "

SQ pg 3413: "Laura Belle Sparks, daughter of Fred and Catherine (Kegley) Sparks, was born on November 9, 1879, in Elliott County; she wasa young woman when she moved with her parents to Greenup County in 1897.It was there, two years later, that she was married to James Alpha Musseron March 29, 1899. He was born on July 1, 1878, in Lewis County,Kentucky, and was a son of Alexander and Sarah E. (Hensley) Musser.Alpha (as he was called) and Laura lived most of their lives in Ashland,Kentucky. Alpha died on March 18, 1954, and Laura died on September 29,1957. They were buried in the Sparks Cemetery on Happy Ridge. They hadfourteen children."

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!NOTES:
SQ pg 3698: They had three children: Marilyn, Sherri, and Sandy.

.

!NOTES:
SQ 2774: "Laura Mabel Sparks, daughter of Hawk and Mollie (Davis)
Sparks, was born on December 1, 1882. She was married (1st) to Berna rd
Barber on April 1, 1902, and they had one child, a son, named Travi s Earl
Barber. Bernard died in 1908 and Laura married (2nd) J. S. Kennerly .She
died on December 18, 1964."

SQ pg 2749:

"Laura W. Sparks, daughter of James Hawkins and Elizabeth (McKnight)Sparks, was born about 1854. She married George A . Bell and they had atleast one child, a daughter, Eleanor."

See notes for her uncle, Troy Otho Sparks.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September, 1969, Whole No. 67, p. 1260:

"Lavina Elizabeth Sparks, daughter of Abel Tomlin and Nancy Ann M.(Newsom) Sparks, was married to the Rev. Henry Taylor McKay on November5, 1868. He was born on November 10, 1849, in Pyreton, Clay County,Alabama. He was a son of the Rev. Samuel Martin and Lucinda Emmalee(Walden) McKay. It is an interesting fact that the paternal grandmotherof Lucinda Emmalee (Walden) McKay was Sarah Sparks, born about 1750,daughter of James Sparks, Jr., of Spotsylvania County, Virginia. (SeeTHE QUARTERLY for December 1962, Vol. X, No. 4, Whole No. 40, pp.680-704, for further information on this branch of the Sparks Family.)[JS Note: This branch of the Sparks Family apparently is not descendedfrom William Sparks who died in 1709].

"A daughter of Lavina Elizabeth (Sparks) McKay, Mrs. Myrtle M. (McKay)Jenkins, wrote the following tribute following her mother's death:
'Lavina Elizabeth Pamela (Sparks) McKay was born May 24, 1852, nearUnion Church in the northern part of Clay County, Alabama. She was theonly child of Abel Tomlin Sparks and Nancy Ann (Newsom) Sparks. Lavinaattended school at Red Hill and Union Church Community. Her father wascalled to duty in the Civil War when she was nine years of age. She andher mother lived alone and helped with the farm work during the two yearsof his absence. Livina was eleven when her father was discharged andlittle is known of her life until she was married to Henry Taylor McKayat the age of sixteen.

'He became a Minister of the Gospel shortly after their marriage.This religious setting brought forth results from the start. This couplewas known near and far throughout their communities for their aid to anyand all in time of need, spiritual or physical. The hour was never toolate nor the weather too bad to help the unfortunate. They were fondlycalled Aunt Vina and Uncle Taylor in later years. Lavina was a Christianmother and devoted wife. She lived a full life of love and understandingin the most christian-like manner.

'She and Taylor and the twelve children lived until the youngest waspassed forty before the family circle was broken. Lavina spent the lastfew years in bed and wheel chair because of a broken hip. She was laidto rest at the age of 82 on December 8, 1934, at Oak Grove Church withina mile of where she lived. The minister in charge at her funeralremarked that all the gray hair in Aunt Vina's head could be counted in avery few minutes. Her memories linger with us to eternity."

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY for September 1984, Whole No. 127, p. 2661:

" Lawrence Benjamin Sparks, son of "Doc" and "Hazel Pony" Sparks, wasborn on October 16, 1877. He was married twice. His first marriage was toMary Hawkins on July 31, 1901, in Hunt County, Texas. She died tragicallyon December 8, 1903, when her clothing ignited as she was washing clothesin a kettle over an open fire outdoors. Lawrence Sparks married (2nd)Ellen Clarke. They were divorced in 1932. He lived most of his life onone of his father's farms near Celeste, Texas, part of which he laterinherited. He died on October 10, 1970, at Ft. Worth, Texas, where he hadgone to live with a son. Ellen (Clarke) Sparks died on April 26, 1965, atLubbock, Texas. Lawrence Sparks had seven children. By his firstmarriage, he had a daughter, Amy Sparks. By his second marriage he had:Eugene Sparks; Golden Sparks; Bonnie Sparks; Bertie Sparks; Venus Sparks;and Leslie Sparks."

SQ pg 2660:

"Lawrence Jackson ("Doc") Sparks, son of "Doc" and Mary (Brown)Sparks, was born on August 21, 1846, in Chambers County, Alabama, and wasa small child when his parents moved to Texas where he grew to manhood .The reason for his acquiring the nickname "Doc" is a mystery as is truealso of his
father. On December 19, 1869, he was married to Misalina Hazel SaphroniaRichey in Hopkins County, Texas. She had been born on September 4, 1849,and was a daughter of John Stewart and Elizabeth (Stout) Richey, pioneersettlers of the Republic of Texas and natives of Alabama and Texas,respectively. Her nickname was "Hazel Pony." "Doc" and "Hazel Pony"Sparks settled down in Hunt
County, Texas, and continued to live there until about 1906 when theywent to some new lands which had been opened up in the territory of NewMexico. He died at Clovis, New Mexico, on August 10, 1932, and "HazelPony" died there two years later, on November 1, 1934. She had beenbed-ridden for many years because of a broken hip. They were buried atClovis; they had ten children.

SQ 1356: "Lawson Sparks, son of Jonathan and Rachel (Swaim) Sparks ,was born
about 1819 inn North Carolina. About 1845 he married Charity --- who,
according to the 185O census, was born in Tennessee about 1828. Abou t1855,
Lawson Sparks moved to Princeton, Dallas County, Arkansas, where hi s wife
apparently died shortly after a baby boy was born in March 186O. Fro mcensus
records it appears that Lawson and Charity Sparks had (here names theireight children)."

SQ p. 743:

ELLIOTT COUNTY, KENTUCKY, MARRIAGE BONDS (1869-1912): Clarinda Sparks &S. (sic) C. Sparks, July 19, 1882 (Book 1, page 112). Witnesses: ThomasSparks and William Sparks.

SQ p. 3406:

"Leander C. ["Brud"] Sparks, son of Nelson and Peggy (Mauk) Sparks, wasborn about 1851 in Carter County. He died on July 17, 1919, in Arkansas.He apparently married three times. His first marriage was to Minerva JaneBinion, probably about 1874. She was born about 1857 and was a daughterof Rebecca Binion. Brud and Minerva had three children before her death,which apparently occurred about 1881."

Leburn Sparks, eldest son of Levi and Nancy Jane (Lawson) Sparks, wasborn on December 17, 1860, in Carter County, Kentucky. He was nearlytwenty-four years old when he died on May 5, 1884, in Elliott County. Hewas never married. He was buried in the Sparks-Lawson Cemetery near Ibex,Kentucky.

SQ p. 4743:

Leburn H. ["Polly"] Sparks was born on April 4, 1888. He was marriedtwice. His first marriage was to Elvira Conley. They had no children. Hissecond marriage was to Hattie Hall on January 31, 1910. She had been bornon September 11, 1895, and was a daughter of Daniel B. and Elizabeth(Cornette) Hall. She and Polly lived at Gates, Kentucky. Polly died onFebruary 20, 1979, and Hattie died a few months later, on December 3 (or5?), 1979. They were buried in the New Sill Cemetery in Rowan County,Kentucky. They had seven children: Elbert 0. Sparks, Charles E. Sparks,Fred T. Sparks, Robert W. Sparks, Thelma Sparks, Lyda Sparks, and LillianSparks.

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!NOTES:
SQ pg 4475: They had eight children: John, Thomas, Patricia Ann ,Anthony Charles, Katherine, Nancy Jo, Diane and George Benton Spark s.
[I obtained a divorce in Redwood City, California, in the 1980s fo r aJohn Sparks who brought in a newspaper clipping acknowledging hi s statusas a grandson of Governor John Sparks. The article concerne d a memorialceremony held in Reno commemorating the death of the Gov ernor. Ibelieve he was the eldest son of Leland John Sparks, Jr.]

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!NOTES:
SQ pg 2782: She married a man named Dawson; they lived at Iredell ,TX.

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!NOTES:
SQ pg 2594: She married Charles Hannell and they had one child, Thomas.

SPARKS QUARTERLY, pg 1975:
"Leonard Craig Sparks, only child of Joseph Allen and Margaret (Craig)Sparks, was born in Valentine, Nebraska, on August 27, 1885. He wasmarried to Katherine Speer on June 25, 1924. She was born June 22, 1893,in Washingtor, D.C., a daughter of James Calvin and Lelia J.(Butterworth) Speer. They had no children. Leonard C. Sparks attendedOrchard Military Academy located northwest of Detroit and wascommissioned a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery in 1908. For thenext 37 years he was stationed at various army posts in the UnitedStates, the Philippines, and Hawaii. He served for 18 months in Europein World War I. He and his wife lived in Washington, D.C., after hisretirement in 1945. His wife preceded him in death by two or threeyears. He died in April 1968.

SQ p. 749:

"Leota Sparks, daughter of James S. and Alice M. (Davis) Sparks, wasborn Sept. 3, 1889, at Douglas, Kansas. She married Howard Marion Lawtonon Sept. 1, 1915, at Hobart, Ind. He was born May 10, 1889, at Plymouth,Illinois. He is a farmer and dairyman; she was a primary teacher.Howard M. Lawton and his five children, James, Dale, Alice, John andRobert, are all graduates of Knox College at Galesburg, Illinois. Twogranddaughters have also attended. All four sons were in World War IIand John was called back into service for the Korean War. (Data onchildren)"

See note for his brother, Perry Hawkins Sparks.

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!NOTES:
SQ pg 3468: They had two children, Dorothy Hotona sparks and Melb aCleola Sparks. (Editor's note: Dorothy Hotona Sparks married Jame sMcDonald on December 23, 1938, and they are the parents of Marsha (McDonald) Wharton, the author of this article.)

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!NOTES:
SQ pg 3728: Lester Sparks went by the name of Lester Williams. While he is shown on page 3728 as the son of James Alfred and Alice A .(Milstead) Sparks, Williams was the maiden name of the second wif e ofJames Alfred Sparks and this male was born to her on January 15 , 1902,after she had separated from James. See his notes.

SQ 4734:

Lester Foley Sparks was born on May 30, 1902, at Mountain Ash, Kentucky.He was married to Hilda Boestad on November 23, 1929, at Madison,Wisconsin. She had been born on August 11, 1907, at Barren, Wisconsin.She and Lester were living at Clifford, Illinois, when he died onSeptember 6, 1958. They had four children: Rosemary Sparks, JeannieSparks, Virginia Sparks, and Robert Lawrence Sparks.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1955, Whole No. 12, p. 100:

"Levi Sparks, son of John and Sarah (Shores) Sparks, was born 2October, 1778, Surry County, North Carolina; died 21 October 1851,Lawrence County, KY. He was married twice, first, about 1801 to ---Walsh, and second, about 1805, to Sarah Lyon, born about 1781, in NorthCarolina. He served as deputy sheriff in Wilkes Co., N.C.; removed toKentucky about 1821 with Jesse Lyon, John Holbrook and four other Lyonbrothers (including Redheaded Bill) and two of his own brothers, Georgeand Colby Sparks. Colby and three Lyon brothers returned to NorthCarolina. Levi Sparks taught school in Kentucky."

SQ pg 2568:

"Levi Sparks, son of Nathan Sparks, was born on December 1, 1787, inQueen Annes County, Maryland. It is said that he was educated to be aphysician. He was postmaster of Church Hill, MD in 1828, and he alsoowned a general store in that community. In 1835, he sold his
property, including his store, furniture, and slaves, and went toIndiana where he built a large home near persent-day Odon in DaviessCounty. It was there that he died on September 24, 1850. He was aMethodist and, according to a descendant, his house was a stopping placefor the circuit-riding preachers of that conference. He was probablyburied in the Churchyard of Talbot's Chapel, a church which has sinceburned.
" Levi Sparks was married three times according to his descendants .His first marriage was to Matilda ---, probably about 1810. They had twosons who were born in Queen Annes County. (See family informationsheet)...After the death of his first wife, Matilda, Levi Sparks, Sr.married a woman named Simmons, and they had three children (See familyinformation sheet)...The second wife of Levi Sparks, Sr., apparently diedabout 1834, and after disposing of his property, he took his two smallchildren, Joseph and Susan Ann, to their maternal grandparents (Simmons)in Vermillion County, Indiana, in 1835. He married Mary Rebecca BrooksGodwin in Daviess County, Indiana, on January 6, 1838. She had been bornon June 19, 1814, and was a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Brooks) Godwin.Levi and Mary had six children born to them before his death on September25, 1850. After his death, Mary married Jacob Wesner on February 22,1856. She died in 1873."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, Dec 1992, Whole No. 160, p. 4052:

"Levi Sparks, son of Solomon and Catherine (Hilligas) Sparks, was bornon April 9, 1798, and died on January 13, 1872, one-half mile north ofPeosta, Dubuque County, Iowa. He was a farmer, but he was also amechanical engineer and operated a saw mill. He was married on December16, 1819, by William Daldridge, M.D.V., at West Union, Adams County,Ohio, to Zulima Craig Moore; she had been born on July 10, 1800, atLexington, Virginia. She died on September 23, 1867, at Peosta, Iowa.(For their children see their family page.)

(continuing from the SPARKS QUARTERLY: "The following account of thelife of Levi Sparks appears as part of a biographical sketch of agrandson, Edwin Spurgeon Sparks, in a HISTORY OF OREGON, Vol. III,published in 1922, p. 12:

"Levi Sparks moved to Iowa in the early 1840s. In the localitywhere he filed upon a homestead, most of the surrounding land had beentaken by men from a locality in an eastern state. These men had pledgedthemselves to allow no outsider to settle there. They looked withhostile eyes upon the newcomer as he erected his little cabin, and onenight, with their features disquised with white clothes, they invaded hisdomain and calling him to his door they ordered him to move on. He toldthem he was there by permission of the government which had given him theland and there he would remain. Admiring his courage and determination,the men rode away and did not molest him further, but on the contrarysoon became his friends, and in a short time he became a power in thecommunity. He had married Zulima Craig Moore, a blue-blooded Virginian,who was a relative of Thomas Moore, the Irish poet."