January 28, 2021

Pages 4890-4892
Whole Number 180

Inscription from Gravestone of
Virginia N. (Sparks) Baker (1892-1923)
Highland Cemetery, Coulee City, Washington Copied

EVELYN (PURDY) COLLINS
Great-Granddaughter of Daniel and Rebecca (Horton) Sparks
Picture

[Editor's Note: On pages 3902-3903 (Item G, 8) of the March 1992 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 157, information was published about Daniel Sparks and his family. He was a son of 1.2.1.2.1.8.7 Matthew and Alsey (Osburn) Sparks and had been married to Rebecca Susan Horton ca. 1871, probably in Johnson County, Kentucky. He lived for a while in Elliott County, Kentucky, but sometime between 1880 and 1900, he moved to Kenton County, Kentucky. Relatives have assumed that this is where he died in 1929.

[A great-granddaughter of Daniel Sparks, Evelyn Collins, Bellingham, Washington, 98226, has furnished some corrections to that article and has given additional information about the family of her ancestor. For the sake of uniformity, we are republishing a portion of this article; however, the same alpha-numeric outline is used.]

1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8 Daniel Sparks, son of Matthew and Alsey (Osburn) Sparks, was born June 11, 1846. He married Rebecca Susan Horton ca. 1871, probably in Johnson County, Kentucky. She had been born in November 1851 in, Carter County, Kentucky, and was a daughter of Reece Duff and Susan (Cox) Horton. The first four children of Daniel and Rebecca Sparks were born in Johnson County but when the 1880 census was taken, the family was in Elliott County, Kentucky. Sometime between 1880 and 1900, Daniel Sparks moved his family to Kenton County, Kentucky, where they were enumerated on the 1900 census.

Apparently, some members of Daniel’s family became chronically ill. Having heard of some healing waters at Soap Lake in the state of Washington, Daniel moved from Kentucky to Washington about 1907. He died at Wenatchee, Washington, on December 8, 1927, and was buried in the Baird Cemetery, now known as the Highland Cemetery, located about six miles west of Coulee City, Washington. Rebecca died at Wenatchee on May 2, 1930. They had nine children.

1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.1 John N. Sparks was born ca. 1872. He married Mollie Osburn. He died in 1899.

1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.2 Reece Duff Sparks was born ca. 1875. He was obviously named for his maternal grandfather, Reece Duff Horton. He married Elizabeth Elkins.

1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.3 Jesse M. Sparks was born on March 6, 1876. He married Nola Gambill. He was a streetcar motorman in Covington, Kentucky, in 1900.

1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.4 William Flanery Sparks was born August 5, 1878. He was living in a boarding house in Ashland, Kentucky, when the 1900 census was taken. He married Goldie Lee Bowling sometime later. He died in 1970.

1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.5 James N. Sparks was born in October 1881. He was a streetcar motorman in Covington, Kentucky, when the 1900 census was taken of Kenton County.

1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.6 Susan Alsey Sparks was born July 7, 1884. She was married twice. Her first husband (name unknown) died as the result of an auto accident. Her second marriage was to James D. ["Tom"] Baker. He had been married to Susan's sister, 1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.9 Virginia N. Sparks, who had died in 1923. (See below.) Susan and Tom are said to have moved to Tacoma, Washington. Apparently Susan had no children.

1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.7 Martha Elizabeth Sparks was born September 29, 1885, at Bruin, Kentucky. She was married twice. Her first marriage was to Brutus Ashcroft about 1901, probably in Kentucky. She and Brutus had two children:

1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.7.1 Damon Robert Ashcroft
1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.7.2 Bertha Lee Ashcroft, both born in Kentucky.

After the death of Brutus, probably in 1905, Martha and her children went to the state of Washington, probably with her parents. It was there, on November 27, 1913, that she married (second) John Arthur Purdy at Ephrata. He had been born on February 11, 1874, in Marion County, Kentucky. He died at Orting, Washington, on April 9, 1946. Martha died there on November 10, 1966. She and John had four children:

1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.7.3 John Arthur Purdy, Jr.. John Arthur Purdy, Jr. is the father of Mrs. Collins who has furnished much of the information contained in this article.
1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.7.4 James Horton Purdy
1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.7.5 George Thomas Purdy
1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.7.6 Elsie Purdy.

1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.8 Sarah Eliza Sparks was born on August 30, 1888, in Elliott County, Kentucky. She died on March 8, 1907, at Soap Lake, Washington, probably from tuberculosis. She was buried in the Highland Cemetery near the grave of her father.

1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.9 Virginia D. Sparks was born on November 30, 1892, in Kentucky. She was married twice. Her first marriage was to Bernard Reinking, and they had two sons:

1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.9.1 Hoyt Reinking
1.2.1.2.1.8.7.8.9.2 Dan Reinking.

After Bernard's death in an automobile accident, Virginia married (second) James D. ["Tom"] Baker. (See above.) Virginia died at Wenatchee, Washington, on January 13, 1923, from tuberculosis. She was buried in the Highland Cemetery near the grave of her father.

[Editor's Note: The photograph on the cover shows the old Baird Schoolhouse adjacent to the Highland Cemetery. Typical in design of country one-room schools throughout the United States in the 19th century, the Baird School was built of local, unfinished lumber, with narrow windows. A belfry or bell tower above the vestibule was also typical, its bell serving to denote the passing of time and to warn the tardy pupil. It was also used to alert the community to an unusual event, such as a fire or major accident. In this photograph, Evelyn Collins is shown copying the inscription from the tombstone of Virginia (Sparks) Baker in Highland Cemetery, located near Coulee City, Washington.]

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