Whole Number 4
In the December, 1953 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 4, page 24, it was announced that I would begin in this issue a query and answer department. Several readers have asked why we did not incorporate such a department into our publication, and since we announced our intention of doing so, several have asked for further details regarding the purpose, functioning, benefits, etc., of this new department.
To begin with, the purpose -- the sole purpose of operating a query and answer department in The Sparks Quarterly is to lend a helping hand to those of you, our readers, who are anxious to trace your Sparks lineage. Many readers have observed that to date all the material we have published is so far back that they have no idea whether or not it pertains to their own ancestry, and each reader is naturally more interested in his own ancestry than in all Sparks data in general. Since THE SPARKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION was planned as a long-range project, it is the intention of the officers and founders of this Association to publish over the years a vast amount of Sparks family history, from the present back several hundred years. But to start out with it was thought best to begin with articles pertaining to the earliest Sparks families in America, then, later, material will be published on both the ancestors and descendants of these early Sparks families in America. This is, of course, a gigantic undertaking, one that will takes years of hard work, and the cooperation of all our readers, if it can be accomplished at all. We will do our best to publish material pertaining to the ancestry of all our members all over the United States, but it may be months, or even years, before data on your own particular family appears in this publication. You, the reader, can hasten the publication of data on your own family by sending us a sketch of your family, beginning with yourself and your immediate family, and tracing back as far as you can, including names, dates, locations, interesting incidents, traditions, etc. The Association will publish these family sketches from time to time in the Quarterly, and endeavor to tie your family in with one of the various Sparks immigrant families, and to other Sparks families in America.
Another way to stimulate interest in your particular branch of the Sparks family is to send queries to this department, and, of course, to lend a hand to another member whenever possible. Many of our readers have Sparks ancestry in common just a few generations back, and if all members will cooperate, we shall all benefit by the exchange of Sparks family data. Most of the copies of the Quarterly are sent to private homes all over America, but at the same time a number of the largest libraries in the United States are on our mailing list, and your query placed in this department will be read by people all over America. Also, anyone going to any one of these libraries to do research on the Sparks family will readily find The Sparks Quarterly and your query, not only now, but for many years to come there will be Sparks searchers reading all issues of the Quarterly. The 'missing link' in one’s lineage often has a way of turning up unexpectedly, and there is no telling when or where some one will see your query and have just the information you have been looking for!
Further, I have in my library a large manuscript collection of Sparks material, covering Sparks families in several states. This will all be published eventually in The Sparks Quarterly, but in the meantime if I have anything in my files that would answer or help to answer any of the queries sent in to this department, I shall make use of this storehouse of material to aid you in the immediate tracing of your Sparks lineage, and all answers to all queries will appear in this department as one answer may benefit many readers.
The cost of having a query appear in this department is a nominal one, at but three cents per word. The money received for queries will go to help defray the expenses of conducting this department, which is a time-consuming task, and the majority of the hours devoted to this new department will be donated to the 'cause.' Amounts under $1.00 may be sent to me in the form of postage stamps.
The method of counting words in a query may be demonstrated by query 1, below, which has 29 words, amounting to a cost of eighty-seven cents. Query 2 has 67 words, at a cost of $2.01.
1. Who was the father of 1.2.5.1 Solomon Sparks, of Frederick Co., Md., born c.1720-30, probably in Queen Annes County, who removed with wife Sarah Sparks to Rowan Co., N.C., 1753?
Webmaster Note: 1.2.5 Joseph Sparks would appear to be the father of 1.2.5.1 Solomon Sparks
2. Who was the father of 1.2.5.1.2.2.1 Wesley Sparks and William Sparks who appear on the 1830 census of Lawrence Co., KY.?
Wesley Sparks was born ca.1805 in N.C. and married Nancy Kosee in 1835 in Lawrence Co., KY;
William Sparks was born ca.1812 in N.C. and married Mary Lyon in 1832 in Morgan Co., KY.
Were these two brothers also brothers of Nancy Sparks, who married Martin Ison ca.1829?
Webmaster Note: 1.2.5.1.2.2 Robert Sparks would appear to be the father. See Whole No. 12.
3. Wanted: Ancestry and Descendants of a Henry Sparks who lived in Dorchester County, Maryland, in the early 1700s.
William Perry Johnson, Professional Genealogist
Historian-Genealogist for THE SPARKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION
Address: Box 531, Raleigh, North Carolina.
(Note added to the 1981 reprinting of this issue of the Quarterly. As Mr. Johnson predicted in the above statement, The Sparks Family Association has grown through the years and a vast amount of Sparks genealogy has been published in the Quarterly. We no longer charge for queries, however, but continue to welcome them for publication. William Perry Johnson, who served for some 27 years as the Association’s Historian-Genealogist, died on October 17, 1980.)
Whole Number 69
Since 1936, Mr. Edwin P. Hill, 3448 West 10th St., Indianapolis, Ind. (46222) has been collecting records on all branches of the Hill family. In fact, he now has records for over 90,000 men named Hill from all over the world. He would welcome information or queries regarding you Hill ancestors.
Page 1448
Whole Number 76
A member of the Association, Willard Morris Sparks, has asked written that his company is seeking information regarding the whereabouts of a former employee who has mail that cannot be delivered. The employee's name and last address are Mrs. Barbara F. Sparks, Rocky Rivers, Ohio. Anyone knowing Mrs. Sparks is asked to advise her to contact Mr. W. J. Bischof, Office of the Secretary, IBM Corp., Old Orchard Road, Armonk, New York (10504).
Page 1670
Whole Number 86
In Volume 33 of the Iowa Journal of History and Politics was published the diary that a man named William Salter kept between July 4, 1864, and August 17, 1864. Apparently Salter was a journalist and was observing the effects of the Civil War by visiting army hospitals. The entry in his diary for Wednesday, July 27, 1864, reads as follows: "Before Atlanta. Isaac Wickham died this evening. 88.1 Ellery Sparks also died. Wrote letters for both." Can anyone identify Ellery Sparks? See The Civil War Papers of Elery Sparks.
Whole Number 89
A Mrs. Janice Fleming wrote recently to inquire about joining the Association and to ask for information regarding her ancestor, 27.2 William Sparks (1772-1862), son of 27. Zachariah Sparks. Mrs. Fleming did not include her address and we have been unable to respond to her query. Her letter was postmarked Indianapolis, Indiana. There are many persons named Fleming in the Indianapolis telephone directory. Can anyone identify this Mrs. Janice Fleming?
Page 2306
Whole Number 114
William Henry Sparks, born August 31, 1805, died October 15, 1896, and his wife, Amy Ellworthy (born April 30, 1806, died July 8, 1884) immigrated to Canada ca. 1850 from Devon, England. They settled in the township of Barton, Wentworth County (near Hamilton, Ontario) with eight children. Their latter days were spent at Waterdown, Ontario, and they are buried at Grace Anglican Church Cemetery. Children:
William Henry Sparks, born 1826;
Amy Sparks, born 1830;
Mary Sparks, born 1832;
Reuben Sparks, born 1833;
Susannah Sparks, born 1836;
Elizabeth Sparks, born 1838;
John Southwood Sparks, born 1841;
George Southwood Sparks, born 1842 or 1844, married Emily Olive Tansley; and
Robert Sparks, born 1850, after the family came to Canada.
I should like to hear from anyone who might have come from this Sparks lineage. I descend from George Southwood Sparks who married Emily Olive Tansley. Please write to: Mrs. Meda Paterson, 1840 18 A St. S. W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada (T2T 4V9).
Page 2369
Whole Number 116
Lucille M. Ponder, 1603 No. 46th St., #201, Seattle, WA 98103, is seeking information on Edward Sparks who married a widow, Winifred Wiatt ca. 1750-1760 in Fauquier County, Virginia. This family moved to Hampshire County, Virginia, which later became part of West Virginia. Was Winifred's maiden name Willoughby? Who were Edward Sparks's parents? Ms. Ponder would be pleased to exchanged information.
QUERY
Johnette L. Franke, Idaho City Stage, Robie Creek, Boise ID 83706, wishes to share family group sheets of ancestors and descendants of 1.2.1.2.2.7.1.x.y John A. Sparks, born ca. 1845, in Arkansas, died 1880 in Indian Territory. His Sparks ancestors were 1.2.1.2.2.7.1.x Willis Sparks, born ca. 1814 in Illinois; 1.2.1.2.2.7.1 Elsberry Sparks, born ca. 1791 in Georgia; 1.2.1.2.2.7 Absolom Sparks, born ca. 1771 in North Carolina, and 1.2.1.2.2 Matthew Sparks, born ca. 1730 in Maryland.
Francis H. Sparks, 11321 Jerry Lane, Garden Grove, CA 92640, hopes the following information regarding his Sparks line will come to the attention of others interested in the same branch of the family. He writes as follows: "My father was William Austin Sparks, born November 26, 1876, in Lost Nation, Iowa. He died on June 12, 1957, age 80 years. He had a sister, Mabel Sparks, no date of birth, though she was younger. She married Charles Bloore. She had two children, Florence (Bloore) Bock and Frances (Bloore) Painter, born near Paris, Missouri.
"William Austin and Mabel Sparks were children of Frank and Mary (Brown) Sparks. We do not have dates nor addresses. We believe Frank was a son of William Sparks, but no dates. We believe Mary (Brown) Sparks had three brothers: Joe Brown, Harvey Brown, and Frank (or Robert) Brown. She also had a sister, Nancy Brown. This William Sparks (grandfather of William Austin Sparks) is believed to have had two brothers, Ed Sparks and John Sparks. He originated in New York State, having come previously from England. There is a gap, but the names of Adeline, Ida, Henry, George, and Bart are somehow connected with William Sparks. Ida Sparks Gregory went to China as a Methodist Missionary during the Boxer War in China. She was there 7 years, had two children, James and Mary Gregory; returned and lived with Henry Sparks in Montana, then later with the family of Edmund Cook, 2d husband of Adeline."
Page 3173
Whole Number 140
Ruth M. Mann, 251 Anita Drive, Ottawa, Illinois, 61350, would like to have information regarding the wife and the mother of 20.1.1 Matthew Wright Sparks (17831867) of early Adair County, Kentucky. Specifically, she needs information about the parents of Mary ["Polly"] Robinson, born August 25, 1783, in North Carolina, who married Matthew Sparks on August 21, 1802. She also needs in formation about the mother of Matthew Sparks. Her given name was Mary. She probably was born ca. 1760 and married William Sparks, ca. 1780. (See the March 1976 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 93 and the December 1976 issue of the Quarterly, Whole Nos. 96, for further information about the descendants of Matthew Wright Sparks.)
Mrs. Clarissa A. Sheppard, 2440 23rd Street, N.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2M 3Y2, whose maiden name was Sparks, would welcome correspondence with any member of the Association who has traced his/her ancestry to the County of Essex, England. The place names (parishes) there that are associated with Mrs. Sheppard's family are Burnham, Maldon, Orsett, and Woodham Martimer.
Whole Number 147
"The Ancestors and Descendants of John Moses Budd and Eliza Jane Sparks," (of Vigo County, Indiana, and St. Clair County, Missouri) will be published in 1990. Anyone wishing to contribute information for this book may doso by contacting the authors before January 31, 1990.
This book will cover the Daniel and Jemima (Gunn) Sparks family and the Joseph Budd and Ruth Thurman family, the parents of the above couple. It will include Spencer County, Kentucky, and Vigo County, Indiana, allied families: Boyll, Cornell/Cornwell, Taylor, Ransom, Knapp, Bailey, Wheeler, Jennings, Ray, and Jones. The authors are especially interested in finding the names of the parents of Joseph Budd and Ruth Thurman, as well as the parents of Jemima (Gunn) Sparks.
Interested persons should write to Marjorie Hannah Budd, 5644 Major Lane, Platteville, Wisconsin, 53818.
Page 3515-3516
Whole Number 148
Roy T. Sparks, 9207 Dandelion Lane, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, 20772, would welcome assistance in tracing his Sparks ancestry. He was born December 6, 1916, in Detroit, Michigan. He had three brothers:
George Sparks, born in July 1914,
Clifford Sparks, born in 1915, (now deceased), and
Howard Sparks, born in 1918; he also has a sister named
Dorothy Sparks, born in 1921.
His parents were Roy T. Sparks, Sr., born ca. 1893 and Lillian (Cameron) Sparks, born ca. 1895, and died May 10, 1924. She was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Detroit.
Roy T. Sparks, Sr. and Lillian Cameron were married on December 20, 1914. Their son, on whose behalf this query is published, can recall that as a small child, he lived with his parents at 13446 Mitchell Street in Detroit. After his mother died in 1924, however, his father placed him and his four siblings in St. Francis Orphanage on Fenkell Street in Detroit.
The elder Roy T. Sparks was an employee of the Ford Motor Company when his wife died in 1924. It has been learned that he quit working there, however, while the children were in the orphanage, after which he seems to have disappeared. His last known address was 97 Winder Street in Detroit.
Mr. Sparks has learned that his mother's parents were from England. His mother's father was named Thomas Patrick Cameron, born ca. March 1852, and it is believed that he and his wife, Hannah (Williams) Cameron, born ca. 1853, emigrated first to Canada and then to Detroit. Children:
Lillian Cameron,
Elizabeth Cameron,
Emma Cameron,
Arthur Cameron and
Ernie Cameron.
Thomas Patrick Cameron was born in March 1852; he was a brick mason and inspector in Detroit. He was naturalized ca. 1883. He was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Detroit.
The name of the father of Roy T. Sparks, Sr. is believed to have been John Sparks, but nothing is known of his background. He was a carpenter. He was probably the John Sparks shown in a 1904 Detroit city directory as a wood-worker and rooming at 112 Champlain Street. In a 1906 Detroit city directory, a John Sparks was shown as a wagon maker and was boarding at 226 Russell Street.
It is believed that Roy T. Sparks, Sr. had two brothers, named Earl Sparks and Percy Sparks. The latter had the nickname "Peachy," and somehow, in later years, his name was changed from Sparks to Barnes. He may have worked as a guard at Jackson State Prison in Michigan, at which time he was using the name Barnes. Earl Sparks worked for the Gray Motor Company and retired in Pontiac, Michigan. He died between 1962 and 1965.
In his application for a pension based on his service in the Revolutionary War, William Kelley (or Kelly) was of Switzerland County, Indiana, when he made his application on September 7, 1832. He stated that he had been born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on November 2, 1753. He married Sarah MNU in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, on September 14, 1876. In listing their children, he gave Nancy Kelley Sparks, born April 3, 1787, as his eldest daughter. His other children were
Catharine Kelley,
Maray Kelley,
Alizabeth Kelley,
Thomas Kelley,
Rachel Kelley,
Lydia Kelley, and
William Kelley,
They were all born between 1789 and 1803. He was of Frederick County, Virginia, at the time of his service, later moving to Pennsylvania, then to Kentucky, and finally to Indiana. He died in Switzerland County, Indiana, on January 21, 1834. Can anyone identify this Nancy (Kelly) Sparks?
Mrs. Martha H. Frost, 1235 Shakespeare, Beaumont, Texas 77706, needs help in determining the parents of her ancestor, 21.1.5.4.1 Lucinda Sparks, of early Owen County, Kentucky.
[Webmaster Note: Lucinda Sparks (or Lucy as she was sometimes called), was the daughter of 21.1.5.4 William and Catherine ["Kitty"] (Peel) Sparks. She was born ca. 1819, in Kentucky and married Delville Walker in Owen. The marriage bond was dated August 31, 1836 (the year may have been 1835). The bondsman for Delville Walker was John P. Sparks. When the 1840 census was taken of Owen County, the Walkers had a son and a daughter born between 1835 and 1840. They were still in Owen County in 1850. Delville was 43 and Lucinda was 30 according to the 1850 census, and their children were named as follows:
21.1.5.4.1.1 Benjamin Walker, 12, born ca. 1838;
21.1.5.4.1.2 Eliza J. Walker, 11, born ca. 1839;
21.1.5.4.1.3 William H. Walker, 9, born ca. 1841;
21.1.5.4.1.4 James H. Walker, 7, born ca. 1843;
21.1.5.4.1.5 Thomas F. Walker, 5, born ca. 1845; and
21.1.5.4.1.6 Charles C. Walker, 2, born ca. 1847.
Without doubt, Lucinda Sparks was closely related to 21.1.5 Henry and Lucy (Clark) Sparks who settled in Franklin County, Kentucky, ca. 1795 in the area which became a part of Owen County when it was formed in 1819. It is believed that she was a granddaughter and was named for her paternal grandmother, Lucy (Clark) Sparks. Several articles have been published in The Sparks Quarterly about the family of 21.1.5 Henry and Lucy Sparks; our readers are referred to the following issues:
the June 1956, Whole No. 14;
the June 1957, Whole No. 18;
December 1960, Whole No. 32;
the March 1962, Whole No. 37;
June 1962, Whole No. 38;
the March 1981, Whole No. 113 and
December 1991, Whole No. 156.
[Editor's Note: 21.1.5.4.1 Lucinda ["Lucy"] Sparks who married Delville Walker should not be confused with 21.1.5.2.3 Lucinda Sparks, born ca. 1810, who was a daughter of 21.1.5.2 James B. and Rachel (Petty) Sparks, and a granddaughter of 21.1.5 Henry and Lucy (Clark) Sparks. The latter Lucinda was married twice. Her first marriage was to Felix Coombs (or Combs) ca. 1827, probably in Owen County, and they had one child,
21.1.5.2.3.1 Fanny Coombs, born January 14, 1828.
Felix Coombs died ca. 1830, and Lucy (as she was called) married (second) Daniel Bradley ca. 1838. She and Daniel had four children:
21.1.5.2.3.2 Angeline Bradley, born March 24, 1840;
21.1.5.2.3.3 James M. Bradley, born May 4, 1842;
21.1.5.2.3.4 Theresa Bradley, born on March 12, 1844; and
21.1.5.2.3.5 John P. Bradley, born January 24, 1847.
Daniel Bradley died on October 24, 1848, in Natchez, Mississippi, and Lucy returned to Kentucky. She was living with her son, James M. Bradley, when the 1880 census was taken of Henry County, Kentucky.]
Doris Park, P.O. Box 2061, Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, VOC 1 RO, would like to correspond with anyone who could provide her with information per taining to Jesse Sparks who was born ca. 1845. He moved from Newfoundland, Canada, to the USA sometime during the late 1800s. He resided in the USA until his death, which may have been around 1900. His wife's name may have been Ann or Leah. Jesse may have worked in a shoe factory. He had a daughter named Naomi Sparks who was born in 1868 in Newfoundland; she was married there in 1891 to Caleb Sparks, dying in 1951 in Newfoundland. Caleb and Naomi Sparks lived at Cambridge, Massachusetts, from 1892 to 1895 and had two children:
(1) Philip Sparks, born September 14, 1892, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, who died February 22, 1967, at Haverhill, Massachusetts, and whose wife's name was Minnie; and
(2) Annie Jane Sparks, born May 25, 1894, at Cambridge, Massachusetts; she died on July 9, 1895, in the USA.
Jesse Sparks may have resided and was probably buried in the area of Cambridge or Haverhill, Massachusetts, however, she has been unable to obtain documented information confirming that he ever lived or died in the USA. She would appreciate any information anyone could provide regarding Jesse Sparks and would wel come the opportunity to correspond with descendants of his son, Philip Sparks.
Robert Branson Sparks, Jr., 808 Windermere Blvd., Alexandria, Louisiana, 71303, would welcome "any information whatsoever or any leads" regarding the following:
(a) Who were the parents of Samuel Branson Sparks, who was born December 24, 1859, married Mary Elizabeth Coad on December 6, 1879, in St. Louisville, Ohio, and died November 20, 1954, in Big Rapids, Michigan?
Family tradition says that John and Anna Sparks were Samuel's parents, and that they lived in Licking County, Ohio, but no further information on them is known
An entry in the Sparks family Bible lists "Anna Weaver Departed July, 1918." Samuel B. Sparks did have a half-brother named William Weaver who lived in Logansport, Indiana, and worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad. He had one son, Dall Weaver, who lived near Cadillac, Michigan, and died in 1951. Was Anna the mother of Samuel B. Sparks and William Weaver? If so, when and where was she widowed? The census records of Licking County are very inconclusive
(b) How was Samuel Branson Sparks related to 102.x Peter Sparks and his brother, 102.2 George Sparks, of St. Louisville, Ohio?
102.x Peter Sparks was born in 1854. In 1936, he died in Detroit, Michigan, at the home of his daughter, Rosie Sparks Hughes. His son, 102.x.y John Sparks, also lived in Detroit. The family Bible of Robert Branson Sparks, Sr. contains a clipping of Peter's death.
Andrew J. Tidwell, 2801 Guilford Lane, Oklahoma City, OK 73120, seeks information regarding Martha ["Nancy"] Sparks who was born in Virginia ca. 1790- 1800. She died in Lampasas County, Texas, on October 25, 1880. She was married, first, ca. 1818, probably in Virginia, to Daniel Chesser. He died ca. 1825 in Missouri. Their son, William Chesser, was born in 1819 in Virginia. Martha was married, 2nd, in Jefferson County, Illinois, on October 12, 1826, to George W. Joy. Can anyone identify this Martha ["Nancy"] Sparks?
Donald Sparks, 26 Castlefrank Road, Kanata, Ontario, Canada, K2L 4B4, seeks information regarding JAMES SPARKS who was born at Bells Corners, Napean Township, Carleton County, Ontario, Canada, near Ottawa, either in July 1841 or perhaps on July 3, 1842. He was one of seven sons of George and Letetia (Caldwell) Sparks. George Sparks had been born in County Wexford, Ireland, in 1791 (or 1803), and came to Canada in the early 1800s.
James Sparks, son of George, married Ellen Boyd of Huntley Township, Carleton County, Ontario, near Carp, on March 13 (or 15), 1863. About 1880, James Sparks and two of his brothers, John Sparks and Nicholas Sparks, went to North Dakota to farm. John Sparks later returned to Canada whereas Nicholas and James remained in the U.S. Donald Sparks has traced descendants of Nicholas Sparks in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Utah, and California. He has not succeeded in finding descendants of James Sparks, however.
A daughter of George and Letetia (CaIdwell) Sparks named Elizabeth, who was born in Nepean, Ontario in 1846, was not living at home when the 1881 census of Ontario was taken. It is possible that she may also have moved to the United States.
James Sparks, subject of this query, appeared on the 1880 census of Grand Forks, North Dakota. It is known that he had a son named J. H. Sparks who was born in 1884 in North Dakota; there may have been other children. Does anyone know of descendants of James and Ellen (Boyd) Sparks?
Donald Sparks is a great-great-grandson of George and Letetia (Caldwell) Sparks and descends from a brother of the above James Sparks. George Sparks was a brother of Nicholas Sparks (1792-1862) who was one of the founders of Ottawa. Nicholas Sparks came to Canada ca. 1816 and was followed by his brother, George, as well as by other brothers named Roger Sparks (1801-1874), Abraham Sparks (1784-1862), and Frederick Sparks (ca.1791-1856). A sister of George was named Elizabeth (ca.1791-1862) also came to Canada and married Edmund Hurt of Templeton, Quebec, ca. 1828; she died on April 12, 1862.
Donald Sparks has traced his branch of the Sparks family back to the parish of Dranagh in County Wexford, Ireland, where a Nicholas Sparks received (ca. 1720) a grant of land for having served in the army under the Duke of Marlborough (1650-1772).
Page 3719
Whole Number 153
A member of the Association recently expressed disappointment that no query section is included in the Quarterly. As most members surely realize, we frequently include queries regarding our members' Sparks ancestry, although we do not group these in one section of each issue of the Quarterly. Your editor welcomes queries from our members, although we do limit such inquiries to requests for information regarding one's Sparks forebears, or to persons who were very closely related to individuals named Sparks, such as wives or mothers of Sparkses.
There is no charge for publishing queries submitted by our members.
Because we believe that files of the Quarterly will be preserved for genealogical research in libraries long after our own departure from this earth, we also believe that many of the queries appearing therein will serve as sources of information for future genealogical research, as well as coming to the attention of current readers. Therefore, we do not limit queries to a certain number of words as is done in the typical query magazine. In fact, your editor frequently adds material to the query that he may have on the family in question, in order to make the record as complete as possible.
Mrs. Janette Sparks Seaton, 401 Mulberry St., Allendale, Illinois, 62410, would welcome any information on John D. Sparks, who was born March 3, 1824, at Altonburg, Germany, and died on March 7, 1899, in Wabash County, Illinois. He was buried in the Oaklawn Cemetery at St. Francisville, Illinois. He married Anne Breen Farley on August 12, 1860. She died on July 31, 1899. Six children were born to this union as follows:
(1) John Sparks, born 1881, Died 1923;
(2) Kerrline Sparks, born 1862 [no further record];
(3) Mirro Sparks, born 1864, Died 1865;
(4) Anna Sparks, born 1868, Died 1895;
(5) Fredrich Sparks, born 1871 [no further record]; and
(6) Michael Sparks, born 1872, Died 1968.
Mrs. Richard C. Young, 332 Devon Dr., San Rafael, California, 94903, would like information on the parentage of Sarah A. Sparks She married William C. Brigance in Tennessee, and they moved to Pope County, Arkansas, ca. 1831 or 1832. Sarah died ca. 1838-1840. The Sparks and Brigance families lived in Sumner and Carroll Counties, Tennessee.
Page 3799
Whole Number 154
Peter G. Thyrre, 3 Chester Street, Ardsley, New York 10502, is searching for the parents of Rebecca Walls who was married in Queen Annes County, Maryland, in 1830 to James Sparks. He apparently died before 1847, in which year his widow was married (second) in the same county to Joel West. Does any member of our association have knowledge of this Walls family?
Mary Bowen, 4885 Academy Street, San Diego, California 92109-3460, would like to correspond with others who descend from John Sparks and wife Mary J. (Ann?) Green(e) who came to Buchanan County, Missouri, from the Greenup/Carter County area of Kentucky ca. 1844. She is trying to determine where they lived before moving to Kentucky ca. 1811.
Page 4133
Whole Number 162
David A. Henry, 1 Ginger Court, Antioch, CA 94509-5921, seeks information on descendants of Jonas R. Sparks and his wife, Martha ["Patsy"] Hankins, of Latimer County, Oklahoma; earlier they lived in Maiden Springs, Tazewell County
Whole Number 163
The following query has been submitted by Charlotte Abell, Zephyrhills, FL 33540.
Seeking information on the ancestry of Caroline Fidler, daughter of Martin and Fanny (King) Fidler. She was born May 14, 1843, in Bullitt County, Kentucky. She was married twice. She was married on October 18, 1869, to James Dudley Kester, and they had two children,
Sallie Kester and
Fannie Kester.
She married (second) 32.4.3.10 Richard M. Sparks on November 18, 1876, in Vigo County, Indiana. They had four children:
32.4.3.10.1 Ernest Eugene Sparks,
32.4.3.10.2 Louisa Sparks,
32.4.3.10.3 Nell Sparks, and
32.4.3.10.4 Hershel Sparks.
Caroline (Fidler) Kester Sparks died in Vigo County, Indiana, on May 9, 1901.
[Editor's Note: 32.4.1.1.10 Richard M. Sparks, a shoemaker, was born ca.1836 and was a son of 32.4.1.1 Hiram Sparks (1807-1890) and Laura (Tichenor) Sparks (1809- 1874).
See the Quarterly of December 1987, No. 140, pp. 3136-39, for further information regarding him and his descent from 32.4 Walter and Phoebe Sparks.]
[Webmaster Note: The Editor's Note now appears incorrect. 32.4.3.10 Richard M. Sparks was the son of 32.4.3 William Sparks who was the son of 32.4 Walter and Phoebe. - this according to the above referenced article.]
Page 4182
Whole Number 163
Can anyone help Mrs. Betty Sparks Johnson, 99 West Arroyo St., Reno, NV 89509-2894? She writes: "After 18 years of searching, I am desperately looking for some trace of my father, Willis William [ "Jack" ] Sparks. He was born February 11, 1874-1886, in Texas; both of his parents were born in Texas. He was married on October 16, 1917, in Deming, New Mexico, to Chloe McCoy. Two children: Dorothy Willis and Betty Virginia. George W. Sparks was best man at the wedding. They lived in Oklahoma between 1918 and 1925."
Whole Number 163
The following query has been submitted by Charlotte Abell, 5210 19th Street, Zephyrhills, FL 33540.
Seeking information on the ancestry of Caroline Fidler, daughter of Martin and Fanny (King) Fidler. She was born on May 14, 1843, in Bullitt County, Kentucky. She was married twice. She was married on October 18, 1869, to James Dudley Kester, and they had two children,
Sallie Kester and
Fannie Kester.
She married (second) 32.4.3.10 Richard M. Sparks on November 18, 1876, in Vigo County, Indiana. They had four children:
32.4.3.10.1 Ernest Eugene Sparks,
32.4.3.10.2 Louisa Sparks,
32.4.3.10.3 Nell Sparks, and
32.4.3.10.4 Hershel Sparks.
Caroline (Fidler) Kester Sparks died in Vigo County, Indiana, on May 9, 1901.
[Editor's Note: This 32.4.3.10 Richard M. Sparks, a shoemaker, was born ca.1836 and was a son of 32.4.3 Hiram Sparks (1807-1890) and Laura (Tichenor) Sparks (1809- 1874). See the Quarterly of December 1987, No. 140, pp. 3136-39, for further information regarding him and his descent from Walter and Phoebe Sparks.
Page 4264
Whole Number 165
In the QUARTERLIES of March 1990 and September 1990, Whole Nos. 149 and 151, appeared a two-part article devoted to Jesse Sparks (1773-1858) of Hickman County, Tennessee. Jesse Sparks and his second wife, Susan May, had a daughter named Susan Sparks who was born February 24, 1826. Susan Sparks married James Cotham ca. 1844; he was a son of Stephen and Mary (Shipp) Cotham. Pages 3644-47 of the September 1990 issue of the Quarterly are devoted to the children and grandchildren of James and Susan (Sparks) Catham.
One of our members, Frank A. Anderson of 410 South llth St., Oxford, MS 38655, has asked that a query be published regarding a Stephen Cotham who was born June 1, 1809, in Tennessee, and died on June 15, 1869, in Mississippi. Mr. Anderson's wife's great-grandmother, Neva [Lovenia] Cotham, was a daughter of this Stephen Cotham. Mr. Anderson notes: "Stephen Cotham was a son of Richard Cotham who was born ca. 1780 in North Carolina and died on January 1, 1855, in Arkansas. What I would like to know, is how Stephen Cotham is connected with the Sparkses and Cothams mentioned on page 3644 of the Quarterly (September 1990 issue). Stephen Cotham is referred to as 'Captain.' Did he serve in the military, or was his title an honorary one?"
Page 4437
Whole Number 169
Mrs. Betty Sparks Johnston, 99 West Arroyo Street, Reno, Nevada 89509-2894, has been searching for many years for information regarding her father, Willis William ["Jack"] Sparks. Mrs. Johnston has provided the known facts regarding her father in the list appearing below. She adds: "These facts are documented and I have absolutely no more information, except that someone by the name of Jack Sparks made application to join the Masons in Paul's Valley, Oklahoma, in February 1918; he became a Third Degree Mason and paid his dues until No- vember 1928." Mrs. Johnston wonders whether there might be connection with Willis family: "My sister middle name is Willis, I have George W. Sparks as the best man at wedding 1917."
Fact Sheet - W. W. ["Jack"] Sparks
| Name: | SPARKS, WILLIS WILLIAM "JACK" |
| born: | February 11, 1874, in Texas. |
| Married: | October 16, 1917, Chloe Elizabeth McCoy, Deming, New Mexico. Chloe was born March 30, 1892, at Minden, Nebraska. "Jack" Sparks, age 33 years, born in Texas. George W. Sparks was witness (father? brother?). |
| January 1919: | Jack Sparks bought a building lot from Lennie Carter, Barnsdall, Oklahoma. |
| March 1919: | First daughter, Dorothy Willis Sparks, was born in Barnsdall, Osage County, Oklahoma; father. Jack Sparks, age 45 years. |
| 1920: | Oklahoma Census, Osage County, Barnsdall, shows Jack Sparks as head of his household, age 45 years; his father born in Texas; his mother born in Texas; wife, Chloe. |
| February 1921; | Second daughter, Betty Virginia Sparks, born at Barnsdall, Oklahoma; father, Jack Sparks, age 45 years. [Note that his age was also given as 45 on the birth certificate of daughter, Dorothy, born March 1919.] |
| June 1921: | Jack Sparks deeded house and garage to wife, Chloe McCoy Sparks. |
| 1925: | Jack Sparks appears in the City Directory of Tulsa, Oklahoma as living alone at a separate address from Chloe Sparks, who had two children. |
Mrs. Johnston hopes that a member of The Sparks Family Association may be able to help her discover the parentage of Jack Sparks and what became of him after 1925.
Page 4408
Whole Number 168
Janet Margolis Damm, SE 310 Camino, Pullman, Washington, 99163-2206, is searching for the place where her great-aunt, Minnie ["Madeline"] Sparks Harkless died. Madeline was born January 26,1884, at Ridge Farm, Illinois, in southern Vermilion County, and she married (first) William B. Sparks on January 28, 1900. He was a son of Josiah and Belle (Jones) Sparks, and it was his second marriage. He and Madeline had one known child, Bloyce Sparks, born in 1902 or 1903. Bloyce Sparks was in Webb City, Missouri, in 1918. William B. Sparks may have died between 1902 and 1917, for sometime prior to 1917, Madeline (Hollowell) Sparks married (second) James H. Harkless. Mrs. Damm welcomes correspondence with anyone who has knowledge of this family.
Jim Anfield, 727 S. Stone Ave., LaGrange, Illinois, 60525, needs help in identifying his great-great-grandfather Sparks who very likely died in Schuyler County, Illinois, ca. 1870. Here is all of the information that Mr. Anfield has:
FNU Sparks, born prior to 1845 in Pennsylvania, married Lydia A. FNU ca. 1860, probably in Illinois. She had been born in Pennsylvania ca. 1843. They had four children born to them in Illinois before FNU Sparks died, or left the household, prior to 1871. The children were:
(1) James Thomas Sparks, born in April 1864;
(2) Harriet Sparks, born ca. 1865;
(3) Margaret Sparks, born ca. 1866; and
(4) John Sparks, born ca. 1868.
Lydia (MNU) Sparks married (second) Hugh Patterson on April 7, 1871, in Schuyler County. He had been born ca. 1805 in Pennsylvania. He and Lydia had four children when the 1880 census was taken of Schuyler County. All had been born in Illinois. They were:
Hugh Patterson, born ca. 1873;
George Patterson, born ca. 1875;
William Patterson, born ca. 1876; and
Julius Patterson, born ca. 1879.
Anyone who has information about this family is urged to contact the Webmaster or Mr. Anfield.
Page 4513
Whole Number 171
At the Gutzon, Borglum Museum at Keystone, South Dakota, there is a history of the construction of Mount Rushmore. At the end of the tour of the museum there is a plaque with the names of all the people who worked on the national monument. One of those listed is Harry H. Sparks. A letter of inquiry was sent to the museum, but they have no information. Does anyone know who Harry H. Sparks was? He worked there in the 1930s. Where was he from?
Query submitted by Ruth Sparks De Wald, Rt. 3, Box 52, Wagner, SD 57380.
Page 4528
Whole Number 171
I have been looking for the ancestry of Rebecca Sparks, widow of Thomas Sparks, who married (second) Robert McKenney on December 1, 1692, in Dover or Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was born in 1670 at Scarborough, Maine, and died July 22 (or 23) 1725. If anyone has or finds any clues, they would be greatly appreciated. Very little has been found on this Thomas Sparks. In the Records of the Proprietors of Narragansett Township No. 1, Now the Town of Buxton, York County, Maine, 1733-1811, Cyrus Woodman, Editor7~Concord, New Hampshire, 1871 (page 325), I found a list of Buxton including those which were later annexed to Standish, Maine, in 1824. These lots are in the Cabbage Yard area. A Thomas Sparks was one of the original owners of a "Right" (which usually included lots in more than one division). A list of the persons who drew lots in Range F in the Fourth Division in Buxton, Maine, follows:
1. Drawn by John Woodman & Samuel Knight Original Right of John Baker.
2. Drawn by John Woodman Original Right of.
3. Drawn by Benjamin Bradbury Original Right of Thomas Sparks.
4. Drawn by Original Right of.
5. Drawn by Joseph Leavitt Original Right. Next piece common.
It is quite likely that the Benjamin Bradbury who drew THOMAS SPARKS Lot No. 3 was an heir. No deed has been found, increasing the likelihood that Benjamin was an heir. Does anyone have any information that might link this Thomas to Thomas of Scarborough or to indicate that Benjamin was, indeed, an heir? (Please send any information you have to Dana E. Edgecomb, RFD #1, Box 7240, Sebago Lake, Maine 04075.)
Page 4590
Whole Number 172
David Scott Harlow of 10224 Korona Dr., Mechanics-vine, VA 23111, is seeking information regarding the parentage of his great-grandfather, William Ansylum (or Anselm) Kilby, who was born in 1813. He lived in the same Culpeper-Madison Counties, Virginia, area as did James and Lucy (Sparks) Kilby, and Mr. Harlow is trying to determine whether William Ansylum Kilby may have been a son of James and Lucy (Sparks) Kilby's son, Joseph Kilby (born 1780) who married Celah Jenkins in October 1801. There is also the possibility that he was a son of John Kilby, Jr. (brother of James) whose wife was Agathy Ballenger.
Mr. Harlow wonders whether there might exist a Sparks family Bible, or an old family letter, containing information on the parentage of William Ansylum Kilby (sometimes spelled Killbe or Killbee).
Lucy Sparks, wife of James Kilby, was born ca. 1751; she was a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Towles) Sparks. An article about this branch of the Sparks family appeared in the Quarterly of June 1956, Whole No. 14, pp. 129-147. In the will of Thomas Sparks (died 1787), probated in Culpeper County, Virginia, which had been written on December 10, 1784, mention was made of his son-in-law, James Kilby, to whom Thomas Sparks bequeathed "a parcill of Land he now lives on..." (The full text of the will of Thomas Sparks appears on pp. 134-35 of the Quarterly.) Thomas Sparks (who was a son of John and Mary Sparks) had been a witness to the will of John Kilby on December 8, 1770. John Kilby was the father of James Kilby and John Kilby, Jr.)
Page 847
Whole Number 47
Mrs. Elizabeth Duffield Boone, 6630 McCallum St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is seeking information regarding her great-great-grandmother, named Priscilla Sparks, who was born ca. 1779/82 in Woodbury, New Jersey. Priscilla married Jonathan Duffield in Woodbury on February 28, 1799. He was born ca. 1770/75. Mrs. Boone descends from Priscilla's son, Joseph Duffield, born in 1812 and died in 1888, who married Hannah Shafer on November 15, 1835.
Burt Anderson, P.O. Box 535, West Chester, Pennsylvania, is working on a third edition of the genealogy of the Sharpless family, the first having been printed in 1816 and the second in 1887. There is a Sparks connection about which he is curious but has been able to find no information.
William Aratus Gilpin and his wife Elizabeth Brown had one daughter, Anna Elizabeth Gilpin. She was born May 28, 1835, place unknown, although her parents were born in Wilmington, Delaware. This Miss Gilpin was married August 8, 1868, to Charles Elkitten Sparks. This is the extent of Mr. Anderson's information. If anyone has a clue regarding this branch of the Sparks family, Mr. Anderson would be delighted to hear from him.
Pages 896-897
Whole Number 50
By Agnes Sparks Jaynes
On the cover of this issue of the Quarterly appears a photograph of William Wiley Sparks and his wife, Penelope Keller, with their first five children. This picture was taken ca. 1893 and has been furnished by Agnes Sparks Jaynes of 327 West 7th Street, Long Beach, California. Mrs. Jaynes is a daughter of William Wiley and Penelope (Keller) Sparks and is anxious to learn more about this branch of the Sparks family.
William Wiley Sparks was born March 2, 1854, in Pike County, Arkansas, and died on April 6, 1930, in Snyder, Oklahoma. Mrs. Jaynes believes that his father s name was Andrew Russell Sparks and that his mother's name was either Caroline Osborne or Caroline Larkin. It is believed that William Wiley Sparks had brothers named Green Sparks and Marion Sparks.
William Wiley Sparks married Penelope Keller on June 27, 1878, in Franklin County, Arkansas. She was born on October 18, 1860, in Franklin County, Arkansas, and died on October 16, 1952, at Hunting Beach, California. She was a daughter of Nathan and Nancy (Stone) Keller. William Wiley Sparks and Penelope Keller were the parents of nine children, all born in Branch, Franklin County, Arkansas.
Children of William Wiley and Penelope (Keller) Sparks:<hr width="98%">
70.2.1.1.1.1.1 Nathan Russell Sparks, born June 6, 1880; died January 1, 1948; he married Lizzy Vest on 10 January 1904.
70.2.1.1.1.1.2 Marion Andrew Sparks, born February 28, 1882; he married Cleme Hunter ca. 1905.
70.2.1.1.1.1.3 Nancy Caroline Sparks, born February 10, 1884.
70.2.1.1.1.1.4 Mary Etta Sparks, born October 28, 1886.
70.2.1.1.1.1.5 Millie Sparks, born February 9, 1889; she married Bill Champion ca. 1913.
70.2.1.1.1.1.6 Ora Viola Sparks, born October 5, 1896; she married Thomas King February 18, 1912.
70.2.1.1.1.1.7 Agnes Sparks, born January 12, 1900; she married Anderson Keykendall October 25, 1914; she married (second) Orville Sidney Jaynes on September 12, 1943.
70.2.1.1.1.1.8 Millard McKinley Sparks, born January 8, 1903; he married Gene Tarpley on October 9, 1918.
70.2.1.1.1.1.9 Marvin Sparks, born January 4, 1906; died October 9, 1906.
Mrs. Jaynes would be very pleased to hear from anyone with information on the ancestry of William Wiley Sparks.
Page 973
Whole Number 53
Mrs. Joann V. Farris of 136 North Imperial, Denison, Texas (75020) is seeking information on William Sparks who was born in Georgia, probably in the early 1800's. He married Martha Scarberry who was born in Tennessee.
William and Martha (Scarberry) Sparks had a daughter named Mary Sparks who was born in Tennessee on May 1, 1835, and died at Spiro, Oklahoma, on July 19, 1923. She was buried in a small cemetery at Skullyville, Oklahoma. Mary Sparks married Thomas Jackson Boling, who was born in Union County, Georgia, in 1832 and died on January 24, 1884, at Spiro, Oklahoma. Thomas Jackson Boling was a son of Thomas Jackson Boling, Sr., and Elmira McDonald of Union County, Georgia. He was a captain in the 6th Georgia Cavalry in the Civil War, He resigned because of T.B. According to family tradition, he was either a Baptist or a Methodist preacher. At one time he was either sheriff or tax collector in Union County. He is known to have had two brothers, one of whom was named Van Boling. They were both in the Mexican War and were buried at sea off the coast of Vera Cruz, having died in an epidemic.
Mary Sparks and Thomas Jackson Boling were the parents of ten children:
(1) Homer V. Boling married Ada Glisson;
(2) William Gaberial, married Melisa MNU;
(3) Walter Boling married Mollie Ridge;
(4) Richard Boling married Sylvia Smith Lee;
(5) Ralph Boling married Frances Higgens;
(6) Carolyn Boling married William Bolen;
(7) Leotta Boling married "Doc" Palmer;
(8) Mattie E. Boling married Charles P. Stewart;
(9) Mae Boling married Oscar Ward; and
(10) Emma Boling married James Alexander.
Mrs. Farris would be delighted to correspond with anyone having knowledge of this family.
Page 1985
Whole Number 101
Joseph W. Clark (Bonney Lake, Washington) is seeking information on the parentage of his paternal great-grandfather, Isaac Rigdon Sparks, who was born March 2, 1860, in Douglas County, Missouri. He died on August 1, 1930, in Los Angeles, California. Isaac Rigdon Sparks was married on September 5, 1895, to Primitney January Eakins (or Akins) in Pulaski County, Missouri. She died on August 5, 1902, in Jasper County, Missouri; she was the daughter of Samuel D Eakins (or Akins) and Elizabeth Cadwell. They are known to have had at least three children, but the names of only two are known:
(1) Lillie Frances Sparks, born July 9, 1896, in Pulaski County, Missouri, and died May 16, 1961; she married Wilbur Clark on August 25, 1912; and
(2) Rudolph Sparks, born June 15, 1898, died July 25, 1917, in Laclede County, Missouri.
Page 1985
Whole Number 101
Gaila J. Waugh (Mrs. Frank), Star Rt., Lynch, Nebraska, is seeking the parentage of Margaret Sparks who was born February 9, 1785. She died on November 14, 1864, in Licking County, Ohio. She married John Burge who was born either in Virginia or Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on October 23, 1784; he died in Licking County, Ohio, on December 4, 1829. Their children were:
(1) Jacob Burge, born 1804 in Greene County, Pennsylvania;
(2) Jesse Sparks Burge, born 1808 in Greene County, Pennsylvania;
(3) William Burge (he may have had the middle name Curry);
(4) John Burge, born 1816 in Licking County, Ohio;
(5) Josiah Burge; and
(6) Delilah Burge.
They may also have had daughters named Anna, Sarah, Priscilla, and Mariah.
Page 1986
Whole Number 101
Mrs. Stanley Korenski, Terre Haute, Indiana, is seeking information regarding her great-great-grandfather, Isaac Sparks, who was born ca. 1809 in North Carolina. He married a widow named Elizabeth Lawrence in Hendricks County, Indiana, in 1830 She was born in 1800 in Kentucky and had two children prior to her marriage to Isaac Sparks. Isaac and Elizabeth Sparks had two children:
(1) John W. Sparks, and
(2) Mary Elizabeth Sparks. Mary Elizabeth Sparks married William Matthew Jones in Hendricks County, Indiana, on June 12, 1856.
Mrs. Korenski would welcome correspondence with anyone connected with this branch of the Sparks family.
Page 1987
Whole Number 101
Judy Houston of Scottsdale, Arizona is seeking information regarding her Sparks line. Her great-grandfather was Finley Harrison Sparks who was born October 25, 1873; his place of birth is believed to have been on the eastern shore of Maryland. He died in Cherrydale, Virginia, on December 5, 1915. According to his death certificate, his parents were Daniel B. and Julia A. (Chance) Sparks, of Maryland. Finley Harrison Sparks is believed to have had a brother named Thomas Sparks who married Blanche Smith.
Finley Harrison Sparks married Emma May Smith who was born near Churchill, Maryland. It is believed that they were married on February 11, 1881. They had three children, all deceased:
(1) Hazel Ida Sparks;
(2) Finley Gordon Sparks; &
(3) Richard Melvin Sparks.
Page 2289-2290
Whole Number 113
The following query is published at the request of Lucille Dale Ponder whose address is given below.
"I am researching my great-great-grandmother, NANCY SPARKS, who was born in 1764 in Armagh, Ireland. Nancy married JOHN LAMB in 1781, whether in Ireland or in America is debatable. My great-grandmother, Mary (Polly) Lamb was born in Pennsylvania ca. 1793, so they must have been in Pennsylvania before then.
John Lamb, who was born in 1764, died in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, in 1824 and was buried in Lick fun Presbyterian Churchyard near Bellefonte.
NANCY (SPARKS) LAMB then moved on to Alleghany Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania, to live near her son, John Lamb, and my great-grandmother, Mary (Lamb) Dale. She died February 3, 1853, and was buried in Old Concord Cemetery, Pleasantville, Venango County, Pennsylvania. She was 88 or 89 years old at the time of her death. She was shown as 85 on the 1850 census of Pennsylvania.
She is quoted as saying she was the daughter of a Scottish-Irish laird. She was doubtless an Ulster Scot as was the Lamb family who came to America in 1752.
Nancy (Sparks) Lamb is supposed to have had a half-brother named Vennor, but whether he was Vennor Sparks or had the surname Vennor, I cannot say.
I would be glad to correspond with anyone researching Sparkses in Ireland or Pennsylvania. My address is:
Lucille Dale Ponder
1603 No. 46th Street, #201
Seattle, WA 98103
Page 3673
Whole Number 152
Andrew J. Tidwell, Oklahoma City, OK, seeks information regarding Martha ["Nancy"] Sparks who was born in Virginia ca. 1795. She died in Lampasas County, Texas, on October 25, 1880. She was married, first, ca. 1818, probably in Virginia, to Daniel Chesser. He died ca. 1825 in Missouri. Their son, William Chesser, was born in 1819 in Virginia. Martha was married, 2nd, in Jefferson County, Illinois, on October 12, 1826, to George W. Joy. Can anyone identify this Martha ["Nancy"] Sparks?
Page 3681
Whole Number 152
Robert L. Sparks, Benbrook, TX, seeks information regarding his grandfather's parentage. His grandfather was Charles W. Sparks who was born somewhere in Illinois in December 1863. He is known to have been married at least twice and to have had six children, the eldest of whom was born in Arkansas while the others were born in Texas. Their names and years of birth were:
(1) John Sparks, born 1886;
(2) Rachel Sparks, born 1888;
(3) Frankie Sparks, born 1889;
(4) Kirk Sparks, born 1894;
(5) Scott Sparks, born 1896; and
(6) Wood Sparks, born 1898.
According to the 1900 and 1910 censuses of Texas, Charles W. Sparks, widower, was then living in Runnels County, Texas. Mr. Sparks hopes that a member of the Association may be able to tell him who Charles W. Sparks' parents were as well as to provide information regarding the names, birth dates, and death dates of his wives.
Page 4236
Whole Number 166
Barbara Pollard Carter, 1027 E. Loop 456, #105, Jacksonville, TX 75766, descends from Jeremiah Sparks, Sr. (ca. 1765-1840) who lived in Georgia (Franklin and Morgan Counties) during the last fifty years of his life. (See The Sparks Quarterly of December 1960, Whole No. 32, pp. 518-525). One of Jeremiah's daughters mentioned in his will (dated October 11, 1839 and filed in Morgan County, Georgia) was Malinda (Sparks) Arnold. She had been married to James B. Arnold in Morgan County, Georgia, on August 13, 1816.
Mrs. Carter descends from a daughter of James B. and Malinda (Sparks) Arnold named Emily who was married on December 4, 1833, to Seaborn Harris (1816-1884) in Morgan County, Georgia. They moved to Texas ca. 1837. Seaborn Harris died in Sabine County, Texas, and his wife, Emily (Arnold) Harris is known to have died there also, sometime after 1870. Mrs. Carter would like to correspond with others who descend from this same line.
Page 4312
Whole Number 166
Lorena Helm Zamboni, 1227 First St., Sparks, NV, 89431, hopes that someone can help her find information on the parents of Lora (Lorena) Sparks, her grandmother, who was born in November 1873 in or around Willow Springs, Howell County, Missouri. She married John William Helm on December 9, 1891 in the same area. They moved to Grand Valley, Colorado, in 1891, then to Washington, and on to Southern California. Mrs. Zamboni does not know the names or the places of birth of Lora (or Lorena) Sparks's parents.
Page 4582
Whole Number 172
Paul S. Anderson, 412 W. Davis Dr., Nowata, OK, 74048, is seeking information regarding his maternal grandmother, whose name was Grace E. Sparks. She was born February 14, 1893, and died in April 1960. She is known to have lived at 2703 S. Indiana Ave., Chicago, Illinois. The mother of Grace E. Sparks is belived to have been Alice Sparks.
Mr. Anderson is suffering from an eye disease called "Retinitis Pigmentosis," that eventually causes total blindness. He is attempting to discover whether he may have inherited this disease from his Sparks ancestors. Can anyone assist him in this endeavor?
Whole Number 174
Carol J. Sparks of 109 Don Mor Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has asked us to publish the following query. Carol is seeking information on the family of Harold Clefford Sparks who died in Palm Springs, California, in July, 1986. He was surived by his daughter, Mary Sparks Scott of West Palm Springs, and his son, Larry Sparks of Whitewater, California; also seven grandchildren and a brother. Harold Clefford Sparks had three brothers. He was a son of Henry Clefford Sparks of New Bloomfield, Callaway County, Missouri, who married the former Cora Lee Hornbuckle of Mokane, Missouri. Any information will be appreciated.
Scott Sparks, 4214 Newpond Trail, Kennesaw, Georgia, 30244, has asked us to publish the following query. He is interested in learning the identity of the ancestry of Barnett Marion Sparks, Sr., who was born ca. 1809 in Virginia, according to the 1860 Cleveland County, North Carolina, census. His wife's name was Eunice ["Nicy"] and his children were named: Rebecca, Eunice, Susan, and Kisiah ["Cizar"]. All children were born between 1835 and 1854 in or around Cleveland County, North Carolina. Barnett Sparks, Sr. and his son, Barnett Marion Sparks, Jr., moved to Cherokee County, Alabama, between 1860 and 1870. (770) 591-9633; SSparks8S9@aol.com.
Page 4808
Whole Number 178
Tom Wagner of HC 63, Box 59, Nettie, West Virginia, 26681 has additional copies of photographs of Nancy Artha Sparks, wife of Isaac Lester; daughter of Garrett and Elizabeth (Boggs) Sparks, from Lawrence County, Kentucky. He is interested in exchanging photographs with anyone in Nancy's family line (brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, etc.)
Page 4837
Whole Number 178
Jane Bartholomew of 51 N. Quaker Lane, West Hartford, Connecticut, 06119, has asked us to publish the following query:
Elijah Rice, born April 5, 1771, at Ellington, Connecticut, was a son of Samuel and Susanna Sparks Rice. Susanna (Sparks) Rice, who was born July 31, 1730, in Hartford, Connecticut, was a daughter of John Sparks, Jr. (1702-1774) and Susannah MNU.
I am trying to trace the ancestry of John and Susannah Sparks, and to find Susannah's maiden name. John Sparks, Jr. was a son of John Sparks, who died in 1710 in Hartford, Connecticut, and his wife, Dorothy MNU.
I have the descendants of Samuel and Susanna (Sparks) Rice all the way down to my grandchildren.
Page 4839
Whole Number 178
In the Quarterly of September 1991, Whole No. 155, we published an article entitled "Zerah Sparks (ca.1784-ca.1868) and His Known Descendants, of South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. Zerah Sparks probably was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He lived the early portion of his adult life in the Union Spartanburg-Counties area of South Carolina where he married his first wife (whose name has not been discovered), by whom it appears that he was the father of ten children. Following her death prior to ca. 1834, Zerah was married, (second), to Luranna Horn, by whom he had ten additional children. He and his famfly lived briefly in North Carolina in the early 1840s, then in Butts County, Georgia, but by 1850 they had moved to DeKalb County, Alabama. A little later, Zerah moved to Marshall County, Alabama, where he died ca. 1868.
A son of Zerah and his first wife was named 54.5 William W. ["Billy"] Sparks, born on December 28, 1818, in South Carolina. He was married on December 10, 1844, to Elizabeth W. Evans. In the Quarterly cited above, on page 3807, we stated that Elizabeth was a daughter of Archibald W. Evans. A descendant of this couple through their son, Francis Marion Sparks, (usually called by his middle name, Marion) is Cathrine Woodall Brown (Mrs. John Lee). Mrs. Brown has provided the following correction:
54.5 William W. ["Billy"] Sparks did, indeed, marry Elizabeth W. Evans; however, her father was not Archibald W. Evans, but David Evans. David Evans' will, dated May 8, 1873, with codicil added July 1, 1873, was presented for probate to the Butts County [Georgia] Court of Ordinary at its October term of 1873. He named his children as follows: Elizabeth W. Sparks, Mary A. Lunnceford, John B. Evans, Willis W. Evans, David F. Evans, and Stephen C. Evans.
The full list of Zerah's children, from the original article, is:
54.1 Son1 Sparks
54.2 Son2 Sparks
54.3 Nancy [?] Sparks
54.4 Francis Marion Sparks
54.5 William ["Billy"] W. Sparks
54.6 Leonard Sparks
54.7 John T. Sparks
54.8 Dau1 Sparks
54.9 Dau2 Sparks
54.10 James Thomas ["Tom"] SparksChildren by Luranna Horn:
54.11 Russell Sparks
54.12 Joshua Sparks
54.13 Nancy Ann Sparks
54.14 Amon Sparks
54.15 Meredith ["Med"] Sparks
54.16 Zeriah Margaret Sparks
54.17 Zachariah T. Sparks
54.18 Moses Sparks
54.19 Elizabeth Sparks
54.20 Zerah Sparks, Jr.
He also named two grandchildren, who were children of two of his deceased children: Jesse E. Evans whose wife was Martha L. (Carter) Evans, and James A. Evans. These grandchildren were: William H. Evans and Sarah J. McGough.
Mrs. Brown would welcome correspondence with other descendants of Zerah Sparks. She is especially interested in discovering proof of the parentage of Zerah Sparks and of the identity of his first wife. Her address is: 3520 Coles Ferry Pike, Lebanon, Tennessee, 37087.
Page 4884
Whole Number 179
Deborah Ruth Hanna, 1427 Custoza Ave., Rowland Heights, CA 91748, has asked us to publish the following query. "I am looking for Robert Warner Sparks who was born on April 16, 1939, in Barboursville, WV. His parents listed on his birth certificate are Youngey Ewing Mills and Mary Virginia Peddicord. Robert Warner Sparks has three half-sisters, Ramona Jean, Harriet Ann, and myself, Deborah Ruth. The common link between us is our mother. Her name at death was Mary Virginia Peddicord Hazelett. "I am trying to do my family history and am looking for living relatives. If you believe you are the person I'm looking for, or know his whereabouts, please contact me. I can be reached at work at 262/937-2535; at home at 626/310-3511; or e-mail DHANNA 1203@AOL.COM."
Page 4925
Whole Number 180
The following query is published at the request of Cora Sparks Esch, Rt. 1, Box 140, Spalding, NE, 68665.
"We have recently discovered we descend through Isaac Sparks, born ca. 1740 in, possibly, Pennsylvania. I think his family history was in the Quarterly, pp. 1578 through 1670. Our lineage comes through his son, George Sparks, down to George M. Sparks, born in 1818, who died as a Confederate soldier in the Civil War while a prisoner in St. Louis, Missouri.
"My query is this. Does anyone have information as to any military service in the Revolutionary War for Isaac? Most anyone of his age living at that time did something to support the American cause, unless they were Tories or sympathetic toward the English, which would be OK."
[Editor s Note: The Isaac Sparks to whom Ms. Esch refers has been the subject of portions of three different articles in the Quarterly. The pages to which she specifically refers are found in the issue for September 1973, Whole No. 83. Additional information about him may be found in the Quarterly of March 1974, Whole No. 85, pp. 1620-1687, and in the issue of June 1981, Whole No. 114, pp.2294-95. Isaac Sparks was born ca. 1740 and died ca. 1815. We believe that he was the Isaac Sparks who appeared on the 1773 tax list of Tyrone Township in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. By 1783, he was living in Franklin Township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, that was then within a large area claimed by both Pennsylvania and Virginia based on the overlapping Royal Charters they had received as British Colonies. Their dispute was not settled until 1784 by the Continental Congress. Isaac Sparks and his family were living in Estill County, Kentucky, in the late 1700s and the early 1800s.]
Whole Number 186
Probably Born in Cortland County, New York
Died in Monroe, Adams County, Wisconsin, in 1888
Holly Sprise Kobza, 937 Bascom Hill Drive, Baraboo, WI, 53913, seeks information on Elsie Hammond, daughter of John and Phoebe/Sarah (Smith) Hammond of Solon, Cortland County, New York. The year of her birth appearing on her tombstone is 1812, but this is probably in error. It appears that her parents were married ca. 1820--perhaps she was born in 1822. She was married twice. Her first marriage was to George W. Morse in January 1839 in Adams County, Wisconsin. He was a member of the bar there, and it was there that he died in January 1863.
When the federal census of 1870 was taken in Adams County, Wisconsin, Elsie was shown as "Elsey Morse," living with her blind sister, Margaret Hammond. Elsie s age was recorded as 52, and she was a native of New York. Margaret Hammond, also born in New York, was shown as 45 years old. On a state census taken in 1875, however, Elsie was recorded as Else Sparks, and she was shown as head of her own household with one male and one female living with her, but not named. The male was probably her brother, Silas Hammond, and the female was doubtless her sister Margaret. Silas Hammond had been living in Boone County, Illinois, when the 1860 census was taken; he was shown then in the household of Eben Hammond, an uncle. On this 1860 census, Silas Hammond was described as a "cripple." Ms. Kobza adds: "I think Margaret is with distant relatives in 1855 as a servant in Delaware County, New York, and in 1860 in Adams County (Strongs Prairie Township) as a teacher living with the Buchanan family." From census records, it appears that Elsie had been married to a man named SPARKS between 1870 and 1875, but his first name has not been discovered. Did he die before the 1880 census was taken?
The:1880 federal census of Monroe, Wisconsin, gives Elsie s brother, Silas Hammond, age 52, a native of New York, as head of the household in which she was living. Also in this 1880 household was Elsie s blind sister, Margaret Hammond, age 56, born in New York. Although the directions to census takers in 1880 were that the marital status of each adult was to be recorded (married, single, widowed/divorced), this column was left blank beside Elsie s name, who was now shown as 63 years old and a native of New York. Her name appeared as "Elsie Sparks." Elsie was shown on a state census for Wisconsin taken in 1885; her name was given as "Elsie Sparks" and there was one other female living with her, unnamed, who was doubtless her sister, Margaret.
Elsie (Hammond) Morse Sparks died in Monroe, Wisconsin, in 1888, and she was buried beside her first husband, George Morse, in the Strongs Prairie Cemetery in Adams County, Wisconsin. The inscription on her tombstone reads: "Elsie S. Parks, sister, 1812-1888." Although from this inscription, one would assume that Elsie s second husband had been named "Parks," the fact that her name appears as Sparks in three censuses leads one to assume that the stone carver mistook the letter "S" to be Elsie s middle initial rather than the first letter of her surname, "Sparks."
A photograph of Elsie (Hammond) Morse Sparks appears at the beginning of this article.
Whole Number 186
Jo Ann Sage Hofhine, 4058 Ronald Rd., Chubbuck, ID, 83202-2408, hopes that someone can assist her in learning more regarding her grandmother, Stella (Sparks) Sage, born July 13, 1890, probably in Deer Park, Illinois. She was a daughter of 101.2.6 Jesse D. Sparks and his second wife, Laura Steritt Parker. Stella Sparks was married on December 24, 1912, to Durward Scott Sage; she died on December 8, 1918, and was buried in Jefferson, Greene County, Iowa.
Jesse D. Sparks, father of Stella, was born November 6, 1838, in Logan County, Illinois; he served in the 106th Regiment Illinois Infantry in the Civil War; (an abstract of his pension application appeared in the March 1993 issue of the Sparks Quarterly, Whole No. 161, pp. 4094-95). Jesse D. Sparks was a son of Samuel and Mary (Heard or Hurd) Sparks. (See the above cited issue of the Quarterly, pp. 4080-90 for a record of this branch of the Sparks family.)
We have not learned the name of the first wife of Jesse D. Sparks, but there was a daughter born to that union named Nellie J. Sparks. Nellie was born December 17, 1875, and died on April 4, 1923. She married Frank D. Lee on February 14, 1894. Her grave in Jefferson, Greene County, Iowa, is next to that of her half-sister, Stella (Sparks) Sage.
The second wife of Jesse D. Sparks was Laura Steritt Parker, a daughter of Thorton and Martha Parker. Jesse D. and Laura Steritt (Parker) Sparks were married in 1885. Laura had been born on November 27, 1853, and died on January 27, 1919. She was buried, as noted above, in Jefferson, Greene County, Iowa. In addition to Stella Sparks, grandmother of Jo Ann Sage Hofhine, Jesse D. and Laura Steritt (Parker) Sparks were the parents of James Sparks and Nulta Sparks.
Ms. Hofhine has written as follows:
I would like to learn all I can about my grandmother, Stella (Sparks) Sage, her brothers and sisters, and their children. After her death in 1919, my Dad, Jess Winfield Sage, and his brother, Nulta LaVerne Sage, were reared by their Sage aunts in Delphos, Ottawa County, Kansas. Durwood Scott Sage and the rest of his family left Delphos, and eventually all the Sages migrated to Idaho. So, making contact with a "close/distant" cousin would be an answer to a lifelong dreamof mine. Any help anyone can give me would be so appreciated.
Whole Number 186
Carolyn Gladney Powell, P.O. Box 129, Lake Lure, North Carolina, seeks information regarding the parentage of her great-great-grandmother, Margaret Ann Sparks, who married Alexander G. Althizer in Decatur County, Indiana, on March 14, 1843. Ms. Powell descends from their daughter, Melissa, who married Jacob Womack.
Margaret Ann Sparks was born June 22, 1827, in Kentucky. Her entry on the 1900 census, in which there was a section regarding the place of birth of one s parFents, indicates that her father had been born in Kentucky while her mother had been born in Virginia. The names of Margaret Ann s parents are not known. She died in August 1910 in Fulton County, Missouri, two miles west of Calwood, Missouri, according to her obituary appearing in the Fulton Gazette of August 19, 1910. She was buried in the Ebenezer Baptist Cemetery at Fulton, Missouri.
When the 1860 census was taken, Alexander and Margaret Ann Althizer were living in Jackson Township, Putnam County, Missouri, where they were shown with eight children. According to Margaret Ann s obituary, she had a total of fourteen children, of whom eight were still living when she died. From census and cemetery records, a total of ten have been identified. They were:
1.Thomas J. Althizer, born ca. 1844 in Illinois; he died in 1921, at Calwood,Missouri.
2. Eliza Althizer, born ca. 1845 in Illinois; she married John Jackson on July 25, 1860.
3. Melissa Althizer, born ca. 1847 in Illinois; she married Jacob Womack.
4. Ferdina T. Althizer (male), born ca. 1849 in Illinois; he married Lucinda J.MNU.
5. Armita Althizer, born ca. 1852.
Page 5096
Whole Number 184
I would like to hear from descendants af Jesse B. (born 1849, Washington County, Indiana) and Sarah (Northrup) Sparks: Mamie Bell Sparks, born 1874, married Hiram Daniel Whitsel; Frank Sparks, born ca.1876, died 1969; Fred Sparks, born ca. 1877 in Oskaloosa, Iowa; Rosa Sparks, born ca.1880, married Jesse B. Hooten (or Hooton); Lucy Nora Sparks, born 1886, married William Brown; Jennie E. Sparks, born September 8, 1889, married Lewis Dye; and Charles M. Sparks, married Eva Dye.
I am especially interested in descendants of their son Fred Sparks and his wife Lovina Cindarilla (Rilla or Rella) Good (or Goad?) of Osborne County, Kansas, my paternal grandparents. Their known children were: Howard Sparks, Rollie Emery Sparks; and Pearl Sparks. My mother thinks that Rollie had another brother (perhaps named David) and another daughter (Zelma?). She believes that they took their youngest daughter to Texas, leaving the other children in Iowa, and that one daughter may have been adopted by a family in Minnesota. Rollie's birth certificate says that his mother had had 7 children up to and including this one, and that 3 were still living.
Rollie Emery Sparks (my birth father) was born January 14, 1916, in Osborne County, Kansas. He was raised by Rosa Sparks and James B. Hooton who were buried in a small cemetery in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He applied for Social Securitv in Iowa, and married my mother ca. 1935 or 1936,using the name Hooton rather than Sparks. He is identified as R. E. Hooton on my birth certificate. He often used the name Emery rather than Rollie, also. They lived in Iowa City, where he worked in a restaurant. They were divorced around 1940. I am sure that he was married at least two more times. According to the S. S. Death Records, Rollie Sparks died March 12, 1988, probably in or near St. Louis, MO.
George (Lyle) Whitsel, son of Mamie Bell Sparks and Hiram Daniel Whitsel, and his wife (who was my mother's sister) were also buried in the same Oskaloosa cemetery as Rosa and Jesse Hooton. I am in contact with the daughter of George Whitsel, to whom I am related through both my birth father and my mother. I can be contacted at wem@ameritech.net or at 499 Falcon Ridge Way, Bolingbrook, IL, 60440.
[Editor's Note: See the Quarterly of December 1978, Whole No. 104, for an article entitled "Matthew B. Sparks (ca.1815-1892) of Washington County, Indiana, and Mahaska County, Iowa," pp. 2044-52.]
My grandmother was Laura Sparks. She was born in Louisiana (Morgan City?) around 1901. She married a Henry Seguy and had 2 daughters, Loretta Seguy and Myrtle Seguy, born in 1927 and 1932 in or around New Orleans.
Laura Sparks had a sister, Mary Louvenia Sparks. She also had 3 brothers: William Sparks, Jesse Sparks, and David Sparks. They all resided in Louisiana at some point in time. I believe Laura Sparks's parents were Dave (David) Sparks and Delilah (Bunch) Sparks. They were married in Jefferson Parish in 1883; I would appreciate ANY information on this branch of the Sparks family. David Seguy, 8330 NW 15th Street, Pembrooke Pines, Florida, 33024. Phone: 954-441-3197.
Page 5252
Whole Number 188
Erik Pappa of 7313 Bosky Springs St., Las Vegas, NV 89131, seeks information regarding John Ed (Edward ?) Sparks who was married on November 29, 1900, to Bessie Wiggins in Waco, Texas. Their children included Erik's grandmother, Saba Frances Sparks, who was born in Waco on May 14, 1908 (or 1909 or 1911). Other children were named Alene (spelling ?), Lucille, and Harkum (spelling ?). Anyone having information that might help Erik Pappa is urged to write to him at his address given above, or to contact him through e-mail at pappa@vegas.infi.net. His telephone number is (702) 395-7917.
Page 5254
Whole Number 188
In the Quarterly of September 1995, Whole No. 171, pp.4499-4512, we published an article on Quartus Strong Sparks and his family. There we noted that, according to a newspaper account published in San Bernardino, California, Sparks died there on August 5, 1891. We do not have information, however, on where he was buried.
It is at the request of Ms. B. Lynn Jeppson, P.O. Box 128593, San Diego, California, 92112, that we publish this query regarding the burial place of Quartus Strong Sparks. She writes that her aunt, Ms. Norma Rigby, would like to place an honorary plaque on his tombstone "because of the work he did in California." Can anyone assist her? We assume that Sparks was buried in the San Bernardino area. Ms. Jeppson would welcome a letter or a collect telephone call from anyone having this information (801-254-3163 or 619-236-1746).
Shelley Sparks Sheldon, 130 Roswell Farms Court, Roswell, Georgia, 30075, asks: Does anyone know of Brooks Sparks who married Lydia Brown in 1829 in Newton County, Georgia? The next record of Brooks Sparks is in Coweta County, Georgia, in the 1850s and then in Cherokee County, Alabama, in the 1860s. The children of Brooks Sparks and Lydia (Brown) Sparks were:
Missouri Sparks,
Mercia Sparks,
Malcolm Sparks,
William Sparks,
Shelton Sparks,
Martha Sparks,
Gasaway Sparks,
Nehemiah Sparks,
Nancy Sparks,
Washington Sparks,
Susannah Sparks, and
Texas Sparks.There was possibly a daughter named Ruthenia, also.
Page 5259
Whole Number 188
Leonard Sparks and Patsey Beard were married in Jefferson County, Tennessee, ca. 1806. Census records indicate that both were born in South Carolina. They lived in Jefferson County, Tennessee, ca. 1806-1812 (see the Quarterly, December 1961, Whole No. 36). It is known from census records that Patsey (Beard) Sparks resided in Cherokee County, Alabama, in the 1880s in the household of son, Elihu Sparks (her age listed as 101). I am looking for a list of the children (or any additional information) of Leonard and Patsey (Beard) Sparks. Please respond to: Shelley S. Sheldon, 130 Roswell Farms Court, Roswell, GA 30075.
Page 5676
Whole Number 197
Bernice Ann Munsey writes that she is still seeking the parents of Elizabeth Sparks who married Jacob Ross in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or in New Jersey, in the 1790s. Her mailing address is 3623 N. 37th St., Arlington, VA, 22207. (E-mail: BannMunsey@aol.com.)