January 23, 2022

Pages 5719
Whole Number 199

QUERY - J. C. SPARKS (1828-1877)

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Ron Jones, 119 Helen Drive, Fullerton, CA, 92835-3520 - alohajones@earthlink.net seeks information about his gr-gr-grandfather, J. C. Sparks, possibly AKA J. Coleway Sparks or James Calvin Sparks. He writes as follows:

My Great-great-grandfather was a J. C. SPARKS. He married a POLLY ANN RHODES on 9 August, 1853, at an unknown location. She was born in South Carolina, perhaps in the Spartanburg area. Their daughter, Polly Ann (Sparks) Jones, kept a family Bible in which she noted that her father, J. C. Sparks, was born March 11, 1828 in South Carolina. The first child of their marriage was JAMES G. (or middle initial L.) SPARKS, born in an unknown location in August 1854. James G. Sparks died November 1, 1895 and was buried in Center, Shelby County, Texas. I would add that the family of his mother, Polly Ann, has many Rhodes relatives living in Shelby County in east TX.

The second child of J. C. Sparks was POLLY ANN LEVINA SPARKS, AKA "Levina"' or "Viney" was born 14 May 1857 In TN. Seven other children (total of 9) followed:

Eligia Mangrum Sparks, born 18 December 1858, died 16 February 1863
Nancy Sparks, born January 8, 1861, died 11 March, 1862
Rachel Elizabeth AKA "Lizzie," Sparks, born 13 December, 1863, died 24 July 1880
Marthaan [sic?] H. Sparks, born 3 October 1866, died 17 September 1880
Burrel [sic?] T. Sparks, born 27 September 1868, died 18 March1883
Berry Ed Sparks, born 11 November 1871, died January 17, 1882
Emly [sic?] Loutila Sparks, born 19 February 1875, died 14 August 1882

All were born (and buried) in an unknown location, and only James G. and "Levina, " lived more than 17 years.

J. C. Sparks died 10 July 1877, at an unknown location. His grave stone is beside his wife. His wife, Polly Ann (Rhodes) Sparks died in Shelby County, TX, in 1901 and was buried there alongside her daughter, Polly Ann Levina Sparks, at the Mount Olive Baptist Cemetery in Shelby County.

Now about the name J. C. Sparks: His son-in-law, my grandfather, was not born when J. C. died, but my grandfather did note at one time that J. C . was known as Calvin. The name on the J. C. memorial stone is James Calvin. The only record of J. C. in the Mormon Family History Records calls him J. Coleway Sparks. I did contact Mr. James Edward Daniel of Missouri, who had listed this name, and he could not document his source for the name Coleway.

Levina Sparks married Hardy Jones (whose parents and uncles also lived in Shelby County) in 1881 at age 24 years (apparently a first marriage for her and definitely a second marriage for him) Hardy's parents and siblings lived in Shelby County - as did Hardy, briefly. The marriage of Levina and Hardy occurred in Hill County, Texas, where Hardy was living at the time, having been widowed at Mount Calm, Limestone County, a year earlier. The Levina (Sparks) Jones Bible notes the births of their seven children:

Linnie Jones, 1 December 1882
Eva Jones, 13 March 1884
Otto Jones, January 13, 1886 (at Sipes Creek, Commanche County, TX)
Hardy Jones (Jr.) January 30, 1888, died 15 October 1905 and noted in Bible
Lee Arnold Jones, 13 May 1890 (near Moffat, Bell County, TX)
Dee Roy Jones, February 2, 1892 (near Moffat, Bell County, TX)
Audley Blackburn Jones, 23 February 1894 (in TX)
Plesent Hyram Jones [sic?], 18 February 1895 (died ca. 1898 & buried in Panola County, TX & in Bible)

Any information or suggestions about J. C. Sparks or Polly Ann Rhodes Sparks would be appreciated.