August 5, 2023
Pages 2540-2542
Whole Number 123
DESCENDANTS OF 44.6.5.7 JAMES SPARKS (1860-1928)
OF JACKSON COUNTY, KENTUCKY
(Editor's Note: In the June 1974 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 86, we published the second part of an article dealing with descendants of 44. Isaac Sparks, Sr. (ca.1740-ca.1815) of Estill County, Kentucky. On page 1656 of that issue, we published data about James Sparks, a great-grandson of Isaac Sparks. At the time of publication, we had limited information about the family of James Sparks (1860-1928). We are pleased to add further information about this family that has been provided by descendants.)
44.6.5.7 James Sparks was born August 25, 1860, in Jackson County, Kentucky. He was a son of 44.6.5 Robert and Mary Ann (Wood) Sparks and a grandson of 44.6 Isaac and Frances (Crawford) Sparks. On January 11, 1883, he married 44.6.7.9 Sarah Jane Sparks. She was born in June 1866 and was a daughter of 44.6.7 John G. and Mary Jane (Murphy) Sparks. John G. Sparks was a brother of 44.6.5 Robert Sparks, thus James and Sarah Jane were first cousins. They had three children before her untimely death sometime between 1892 and 1896.
44.6.5.7.1 (44.6.7.9.1) Mary Jane Sparks was born in January 1886. She married David Fowler and they had six children:
44.6.5.7.1.1 (44.6.7.9.1.1) Raymond Fowler,
44.6.5.7.1.2 (44.6.7.9.1.2) Lola Fowler,
44.6.5.7.1.3 (44.6.7.9.1.3) Ernest Fowler,
44.6.5.7.1.4 (44.6.7.9.1.4) Walter Fowler,
44.6.5.7.1.5 (44.6.7.9.1.5) Jimmy L. Fowler, and
44.6.5.7.1.6 (44.6.7.9.1.6) Mary Hilda Fowler.
LUTHER and CYNTHIA ANN (SPARKS) YOUNG
44.6.5.7.2 Cynthia Ann Sparks was born September 22, 1887. She married Luther Young on September 18, 1909. He was born September 25, 1882, and was a son of Harrison and Emily Frances (Cole) Young. Cynthia Ann died December 14, 1932, and Luther died January 19, 1978. He was a merchant and postmaster. He and Cynthia Ann had four children:
44.6.5.7.2.1 Leoda Young,
44.6.5.7.2.2 Rhoda Young,
44.6.5.7.2.3 Clayton Young, and
44.6.5.7.2.4 Nettie Pearl Young.44.6.5.7.3 Robert Sparks was born June 12, 1892. He married Lillie Mae Keith, a daughter of William and Agnes Keith. Robert died April 6, 1964. He and Mae had ten children:
44.6.5.7.3.1 William C. Sparks,
44.6.5.7.3.2 Nannie C. Sparks,
44.6.5.7.3.3 Rhoda A. Sparks,
44.6.5.7.3.4 Effie J. Sparks,
44.6.5.7.3.5 Hazel B. Sparks,
44.6.5.7.3.6 Robert Sparks, Jr.,
44.6.5.7.3.7 Cynthia M. Sparks,
44.6.5.7.3.8 James E. Sparks,
44.6.5.7.3.9 Etta M. Sparks, and
44.6.5.7.3.10 Darrell E. Sparks.
After the death of his first wife, Sarah Jane, James Sparks married (second) Catherine ["Kate"] Fowler, ca. 1896. She was born June 6, 1875, and was a daughter of Lewis C. and Nancy Jane (Sparks) Fowler. (See page 1663 of the June 1974 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 86, and page 1757 of the September 1975 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 91.) James and Kate (Fowler) Sparks had nine children:
44.6.5.7.4 Sherman Sparks, son of James and Kate (Fowler) Sparks, was born on August 19, 1898. He died February 4, 1959.
44.6.5.7.5 Ruford Sparks was born March 3, 1900. He married Grace Alcorn and they had six children:
44.6.5.7.5.1 Rebecca Catherine Sparks,
44.6.5.7.5.2 Eugenia Sparks,
44.6.5.7.5.3 Christine Sparks,
44.6.5.7.5.4 Armeda Sparks,
44.6.5.7.5.5 Ruford Sparks, and
44.6.5.7.5.6 Thomas G. Sparks.44.6.5.7.6 Wade Sparks was born ca. 1902. He married Mary Josephine ["Josie"] Duggins and they had three children:
44.6.5.7.6.1 Christine Sparks,
44.6.5.7.6.2 Mary Sparks, and
44.6.5.7.6.3 Denelda Sparks.44.6.5.7.7 Ada Sparks was born ca. 1904. She married Edward Ballard and they had eight children:
44.6.5.7.7.1 James C. Ballard,
44.6.5.7.7.2 Opal Ballard,
44.6.5.7.7.3 Mary Ruth Ballard,
44.6.5.7.7.4 Edward Ballard,
44.6.5.7.7.5 Raymond D. Ballard,
44.6.5.7.7.6 Dorsy Lee Ballard,
44.6.5.7.7.7 Glendon W. Ballard, and
44.6.5.7.7.8 Bobby Gene Ballard.44.6.5.7.8 Raymond Sparks was born in 1906. He married Hazel Matlock. They had no children.
44.6.5.7.9 Edna May Sparks was born in October 1908. She married (first) Joseph Charles Miller and they had three children:
44.6.5.7.9.1 James L. Miller,
44.6.5.7.9.2 Charles K. Miller, and
44.6.5.7.9.3 Wayne G. Miller.Edna May married (second) FNU Griffin.
44.6.5.7.10 Lewis Chester Sparks was born on December 16, 1910. He married Frances Revine and they had two children:
44.6.5.7.10.1 James Sparks and
44.6.5.7.10.2 Terry Sparks.44.6.5.7.11 Isaac Sparks was born February 11, 1914. He married (first) Ella Mae Hildreth and they had four children:
44.6.5.7.11.1 Loretta J. Sparks,
44.6.5.7.11.2 Sherman D. Sparks,
44.6.5.7.11.3 Douglas G. Sparks, and
44.6.5.7.11.4 Denice A. Sparks.Isaac married (second) Cynthia MNU.
44.6.5.7.12 Letha Sparks was born March 3, 1917. She died March 11, 1918.