July 21, 2023
Pages 3990-3996
Whole Number 159
by Paul E. Sparks
[Editor's Note: the June 1974 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 86, contained an article about the descendants of 44.6 Isaac Sparks, Jr., of Estill County, Kentucky. He married Annis McGuire in Estill County in 1809, and their first child was a son named 44.6.1 William Sparks who was born in 1810. William was married twice. His second marriage was to Sarah ["Sally"] Ann Muck on May 2, 1850. In 1855, William and Sally Ann sold their land and left Estill County. Apparently, they disappeared from the knowledge of their relatives who remembered only that they went to Arkansas where they may have had triplets. See page 1652 in the issue of the Quarterly referred to above.
[Recently, we received information from descendants of William and Sally Ann who have found the reason for their ancestors' apparent disappearance. We are pleased to share the extension of our knowledge of this couple. For the sake of continuity, we have continued to use the same alpha-numeric outline used in the earlier article.]
44.6.1 William and Sally Ann (Muck) Sparks did not go to Arkansas as they apparently told their relatives that they would. Instead, they went north to Ohio, then turned west toward Indiana where a
44.6.1.11 daughter1 Sparks was born to them in 1856. They continued westward, and another 44.6.1.12 daughter2 Sparks was born to them in Illinois in 1858; another 44.6.1.10 daughter3 Sparks was born to them there in 1863. by the end of the Civil War, they were in Iowa where a 44.6.1.13 daughter4 Sparks was born in 1865.
Their last child, 44.6.1.14 daughter5 Sparks was born in September 1869 in Nodaway County, Missouri, and it was there that Sally Ann died two months later of breast cancer. She was only 35 years old! William did not survive her for very long; he died at Ft. Scott, Kansas, in 1871. Little wonder that relatives were unable to determine their whereabouts.
After the death of their parents, two of the children, James Sparks and Robert Sparks, managed to keep the family together until their sisters reached womanhood. Some where during the family's travels, another brother, 44.6.1.10 George Sparks, had left home. When the 1880 census was taken of Bourbon County, Kansas, two of the sisters, Agnes and Sarah, were living in the household of their brother, Robert Sparks, and his wife, Maggie. Another sister, Mary Jane, was living in the household of her brother, James Sparks, and his bride, Ellen Jane. In all like likelihood, the sisters named Lizzie and Liza were already married and living in their own homes by 1880.
William and Sally Ann (Muck) Sparks had eight children. The eldest of these was actually the eighth child of William Sparks, since he had seven children by his first marriage. (See pages 2172-73 of the December 1979 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 108.)
44.6.1.8 James Sparks, son of William and Sally Ann (Muck) Sparks, was born in May 1851 in Owsley County, Kentucky, and had reached maturity when his father died in 1871. He and his brother, Robert, assumed the responsibility of keeping the family together. He married Ellen Jane, probably in 1879. She had been born in June 1860 in Indiana. When the 1880 census was taken of Bourbon County, Kansas, James's eleven-year-old sister, Mary Jane Sparks, was living in his household. James and Ellen Jane continued to live in Bourbon County, Kansas, and when the 1900 census was taken, they had two children. Relatives say that eventually this couple moved to Denver, Colorado. Children of James and Ellen Jane Sparks:
44.6.1.8.1 Charles Sparks was born in May 1881.
44.6.1.8.2 Celia Sparks was born in March 1883.44.6.1.9 Robert Sparks, son of William and Sally Ann (Muck) Sparks, was born April 8, 1853, in Owsley County, Kentucky, and was a young man when his father died. He, with his brother, James Sparks, managed to keep the family together until their sisters were grown. On June 30, 1878, Robert married Margaret Mary ["Maggie"] Wolf in Bourbon County, Kansas. She had been born February 22, 1857, in Adams County, Indiana, and was a daughter of Amos Wolf. When the 1880 census was taken of Bourbon County, two of Robert's sisters, Agnes, age 17, and Sarah, age 15, were living in his household.
Robert and Maggie moved to neighboring Bates County, Missouri, and then to Vernon County, Missouri, ca. 1890. Eventually, they moved to Colorado, where they farmed on Stewart Mesa, located on the North Fork of the Gunnison River. It was there that they reared their four sons. Maggie died on November 13, 1938, at Paonia, Colorado. Robert died there five years later, on October 25, 1943. They were members of the Baptist Church.
44.6.1.9.1 William R. Sparks, son of Robert and Maggie (Wolf) Sparks, was born June 2, 1881, in Bourbon County, Kansas. He worked for the railway express. He married Myrtle Lillian Briggs in 1907 in Vernon County, Missouri. She had been born November 11, 1887, in Augusta, Kansas, and was a daughter of Orion and Mary Ann (Needles) Briggs. William died on January 25, 1939, at Alamosa, Colorado, and Myrtle died there on December 16, 1950. They had four children.
44.6.1.9.1.1 Dale W. Sparks was born October 6, 1908, in Kansas. He married Ruby Evelyn Hyde.
44.6.1.9.1.2 Robert Orion Sparks was born November 17, 1910. He died in 1957.
44.6.1.9.1.3 Chester Francis Sparks was born December 24, 1912. He died in 1969, at Carlsbad, New Mexico.
44.6.1.9.1.4 Margery Mary Sparks was born September 10, 1920. She married Paul R. Fry in 1940.44.6.1.9.2 James Sparks was born January 9, 1888, at Richards, Missouri. He was a railroad brakeman. He was married twice. His first marriage was to Shepherd, by whom he had one child:
44.6.1.9.2.1 Clifford Shepherd Sparks.
His second marriage was to Hazel Moulder, by whom he had three children:
44.6.1.9.2.2 Thelma Sparks,
44.6.1.9.2.3 Billy James Sparks, and
44.6.1.9.2.4 Evelyn Sparks.James Sparks died on January 21, 1937, at Grand Junction, Colorado.
44.6.1.9.3 Robert Lee Sparks was born March 23, 1893, at Nevada, Kansas. He was a coal miner. He married Doris Louise Graves on February 16, 1917, at Paonia, Colorado. She was a daughter of Jesse and Mary Bell (Newman) Graves. Robert Sparks died on July 26, 1959, at Paonia, Colorado. They had one child, 44.6.1.9.3.1 Margery Claire Sparks, born August 7, 1918.
44.6.1.9.4 Ralph Sparks was born March 13, 1894, at Nevada, Kansas. He was a railroad conductor. He was married twice. His first marriage was to Lurene Conine on March 2, 1918, at Paonia, Colorado. She had been born at Gillett, Arkansas, on July 29, 1894, and was a daughter of John A. and Hattie (Hinman) Conine.Ralph and Lurene had three children before her death on December 23, 1931. Ralph Sparks married (second) Helen Martha Stough on February 14, 1934, at Grand Junction, Colorado. She had been born October 24, 1908, and was a daughter of Glenwood V. and Pearl Irene (Patten) Stough. Ralph and Helen had two children. He died on July 10, 1957, at Tempe, Arizona. His children were:
44.6.1.9.4.1 Ralph Sparks, Jr., son of Ralph and Lurene (Conine) Sparks, was born May 23, 1918, at Grand Junction, Colorado. Like his father, he became a railroad conductor. He married Edna Merle Smith on November 16, 1940, at Moab, Utah. She had been born June 6, 1921, at Callaway, Nebraska, and was a daughter of Henry M. and Nettie Mae (Ogg) Smith. Ralph and Edna had two children:
44.6.1.9.4.1.1 Ralph Henry Sparks and 44.6.1.9.4.1.2 Gayle Lurene Sparks. Ralph Sparks, Jr. has been most helpful to us in the preparation of this article.
44.6.1.9.4.2 Eletha Corrine Sparks was born August 13, 1921. She married Herbert Alfrey on February 22, 1941.
44.6.1.9.4.3 Eugene Sparks was born May 23, 1928.
44.6.1.9.4.4 Helen Irene Sparks was born January 20, 1936. She married Robert Davis on February 27, 1954, at Grand Junction, Colorado.
44.6.1.9.4.5 Robert Charles Sparks was born July 12, 1937. He married Charlotte O'Neal on September 13, 1958, at Tempe, Arizona.44.6.1.10 George W. Sparks, son of William and Sally Ann (Muck) Sparks, was born December 20, 1854, in Owsley County, Kentucky. Apparently, he left the family while he was still quite young, and relatives say that he remained in Indiana. We believe that he is the George W. Sparks who married Sarilda Jackson on October 23, 1877, in Clark County, Indiana. According to the 1880 and 1900 censuses of that county, George and Sarilda had six children:
44.6.1.10.1 Orra M. Sparks,
44.6.1.10.2 Elmer Sparks,
44.6.1.10.3 Margaret ["Maggie"] Sparks,
44.6.1.10.4 Myrtle Sparks,
44.6.1.10.5 Alma Sparks, and
44.6.1.10 a son whose given name we have been unable to decipher from the census records.44.6.1.11 Elizabeth ["Lizzie"] Sparks was born ca. 1856 in Indiana. She is said to have been married to FNU Bustern, probably in 1876, and they moved to Dallas, Texas. They are said to have had two daughters, Bertha and Mabel. We have no further information about this couple.
44.6.1.12 Eliza ["Liza"] Sparks was born in August 1858 in Illinois. She married James Lee, probably in 1877, in Kansas. He had been born in 1853 in Illinois. When the 1900 census was taken, they were living in Bourbon County, Kansas. With them were three of their children:
44.6.1.12.1 Lucy Lee was born in May 1878 in Kansas.
44.6.1.12.2 Charles Lee was born in March 1880 in Missouri.
44.6.1.12.3 Grace Lee was born in April 1882 in Missouri.44.6.1.13 Agnes ["Aggie"] Sparks was born ca. 1863 in Illinois. She was living with her brother, Robert, when the 1880 census was taken of Bourbon County, Kansas. She married Lee Brown, and they lived near Redfield, Kansas, where they reared four children:
44.6.1.13.1 Clara Brown,
44.6.1.13.2 George Brown
44.6.1.13.3 Fred Brown, and
44.6.1.13.4 Charles Brown.44.6.1.14 Sarah Sparks was born ca. 1865, probably in Iowa. When the 1880 census was taken of Bourbon County, Kansas, she was living in the household of her brother, Robert. We have no further information about her.
Mary Jane (Sparks) Steel
(1869-1942)Francis Fountain Dyne Steel
(1863-1956)Photographs taken ca. 1900
50th Wedding Anniversary Photograph
Francis F. D. Steel and Mary Jane (Sparks) Steel
(With Their Eight Children)Front row, seated, L - R:
Margaret Dyne (Steel) Gerke, Henry Sparks Steel, Mary Jane (Sparks) Steel [Mother], Francis F. D. Steel [Father], Grace Underwood (Steel) McCoun, and William Arthur Steel.Back row, standing, L-R:
Nellie Mae (Steel) Baldwin, James Robert Steel, Nora Nourse (Steel) Beck, and Samuel Francis Steel.(Taken in the New Market, Iowa, Lodge Hall, July 1937).
44.6.1.15 Mary Jane Sparks was born September 7, 1869, near Bedford, Iowa, while her parents were moving from Des Moines to a farm near Fort Scott, Kansas. Her mother died shortly after her birth, and she was still an infant when her father also died. Her brothers and sisters took care of her until she reached womanhood.
On July 23, 1887, 44.6.1.15 Mary Jane Sparks married Frank Steel in Bourbon County, Kansas. His full name was Francis Fountain Dyne Steel, and he had been born at Abergavenny, Monmouth County, England, on August 2, 1863. His father was Samuel Hopkins Steel, an English physician who wanted his son to study medicine. Instead, Frank migrated to the United States, arriving in January 1881. He finally settled in Bourbon County, Kansas, where he met, courted, and married Mary Jane. They started housekeeping near Hiattville, Kansas, where they lived until March 1910 when they moved to a farm near New Market, Iowa. They moved from the farm into New Market ca. 1920.
Mary Jane was a member of the Baptist Church for a while, but later changed her affiliation to the Methodist Episcopal Church. She died on January 20, 1942, at her home in New Market. Frank survived her by fourteen years, dying on November 3, 1956. They had eleven children, eight of whom survived infancy. All were born near Hiattville, Kansas.
44.6.1.15.1 Samuel Francis ["Sam"] Steel, son of Frank and Mary Jane (Sparks) Steel, was born July 12, 1888. He served for a while in the United States Navy. He lived for a time in Marshalltown, Iowa. He died on October 12, 1967.44.6.1.15.2 James Robert Steel was born 6 February 1890, and was named for two of his mother's brothers. He was a teacher and was school superintendent of Taylor County, Iowa, from 1924 to 1930. He played the violin and was a member of the Methodist Church. He married Nell Marie Norlin on May 28, 1915, at Manhattan, Kansas. She died on October 4, 1966, and James died on July 19, 1970. They had five children.
44.6.1.15.2.1 Dorothea M. Steel was born April 1, 1916. She married John M. Holt on January 29, 1937, and they have three children. Dorothea has been most helpful to us in the preparation of this article.
44.6.1.15.2.1.1 John M. Holt,
44.6.1.15.2.1.2 Robert L. Holt, and
44.6.1.15.2.1.3 Francis R. Holt.44.6.1.15.2.2 Violet Jane Steel was born May 18, 1918. She married Fred Riedle in 1953. She died in 1963. She and Fred had no children.
44.6.1.15.2.3 Helen Margaret Steel was born April 14, 1920. She married Emmet F. Hardie in 1943, and they had three children:
44.6.1.15.2.3.1 Craig F. Hardie,
44.6.1.15.2.3.2 Mary Jane Hardie, and
44.6.1.15.2.3.3 Ann E. Hardie.44.6.1.15.2.4 John Norlin Steel was born February 7, 1922. He married Janice Dougan in 1946, and they had one child,
44.6.1.15.2.4.1 Joyce Ann Steel.
44.6.1.15.2.5 Edith Marie Steel was born October 18, 1924. She married Raymond L. Dye in 1945, and they had five children:
44.6.1.15.2.5.1 Raymond L. Dye,
44.6.1.15.2.5.2 Patricia M. Dye,
44.6.1.15.2.5.3 Catherine J. Dye,
44.6.1.15.2.5.4 Jana S. Dye, and
44.6.1.15.2.5.5 Rebecca A. Dye.44.6.1.15.3 William ["Bill"] Arthur Steel was born January 22, 1893. He married Nina McDowell on April 1, 1923. She had been born November 1, 1889, and was a daughter of Robert and Matilda (Petry) McDowell. Bill Steel was a street car conductor. He and Nina had three children. She died on July 28, 1956, as a result of an automobile accident. Bill died on July 6, 1975.
44.6.1.15.3.1 Harriet Rose Steel was born April 7, 1924. She married Richard Charles Wearth on August 19, 1942.
44.6.1.15.3.2 William Arthur Steel, Jr. was born May 2, 1926. He married Florence Elma Parks on January 29, 1950.
44.6.1.15.3.3 Francis Robert Steel was born February 24, 1928. He married Joyce Ethelda McBride on October 14, 1956. He has been most helpful to us in the preparation of this article, and he has furnished the photographs reproduced on page 3993 and above.44.6.1.15.4 Mary Rose Steel was born December 20, 1894. She died on February 9, 1896.
44.6.1.15.5 Grace Underwood Steel was born December 9, 1896. She married Charles Leonard McCoun. He died on May 13, 1947, and Grace died on April 5, 1981. They had three children.44.6.1.15.5.1 Jean Eleanor McCoun was born March 21, 1919. She married William Ruskauff.
44.6.1.15.5.2 Marjorie Frances McCoun was born June 2, 1922. She married Richard Channing Moore.
44.6.1.15.5.3 Catherine Grace McCoun was born January 26,1932. She married Lorane Layton Ledford.44.6.1.15.6 Nora Nourse Steel was born December 4, 1898. She married FNU Beck.
44.6.1.15.7 Margaret Dyne Steel was born November 26, 1900. She married FNU Gerke.
44.6.1.15.8 Edward Fountain Steel was born December 2, 1901. He died on January 6, 1902.
44.6.1.15.9 Henry Sparks Steel was born May 18, 1903. He died at Huxley, Iowa, on December 7, 1963.
44.6.1.15.10 Catherine Elizabeth Steel was born September 7, 1905. She died on July 24, 1906.
44.6.1.15.11 Nellie May Steel was born September 4, 1909. She married FNU Baldwin. She died on January 1, 1981.
