gn="c
Pages 6
Whole Number 1
We chose this title, SKRAPS, to head our section devoted to miscellaneous bits of information, announcements, etc., for two reasons: One, because it suggests the word SCRAPS, which means fragments or pieces. (Please ignore the other definition of the same word, which is discarded material, or rubbish!) And the second reason is--well, spell it backwards!
The Sparks Quarterly is being printed on an 8" x 11" sheet, so that it can be filed in a notebook. We hope to have holes punched in the paper we use in the succeeding issues so that they will fit into a three-ring notebook. Such a book can be obtained at any 5 & 10 cent store.
The officers of THE SPARKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION are non-salaried; each is devoting his time to the project. The money received from the membership dues will be devoted entirely to The Sparks Quarterly, which will improve in quality of printing, etc., and increase in number of pages per issue, depending upon the total membership.
Included in this initial issue is a blank for membership in THE SPARKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION, and for subscription to The Sparks Quarterly, as well as a blank to record your own Sparks lineage. We hope you will return it promptly to Paul E. Sparks, 155 North Hite Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky.
Whole Number 3
SKRAPS
SKRAPS was crowded out of the June issue, but is back this time, we hope to stay. With the January 1954 issue we hope to expand the SQ to eight pages. In addition, we hope to begin a QUESTION-ANSWER department for the purpose of helping our membership solve any genealogical problems they may have.
Our membership includes persons from twenty-nine states. It is interesting to note in passing that most of our membership has come from names you have sent to the EDITOR. Please continue to send these names to us.
Our HISTORIAN-GENEALOGIST, William Perry Johnson, has spent considerable time during the summer on a genealogical "junket" which took him to Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and western North Carolina. We hope to hear more about his trip at a later date.
We have received so many nice comments about the SQ, we couldn't begin to acknowledge all of them in our limited space.
However, we do feel that we should say "Thank you", to the Everton Publishers, Logan, Utah, and to The Filson Club, Louisville, Kentucky, for their remarks.
Historian-Genealogist.
Whole Number 5
SKRAPS
This is the fifth issue of The Sparks Quarterly, and we are happy to announce that our project has been a success. Our membership is now over two hundred, and is continually growing. We will be able to continue publication of The Sparks Quarterly; and with the cooperation of all members, we can make this into a well-knit, smoothly-functioning organization; and we can soon boast of having assembled the largest collection of Sparks lore in the world! If you are interested in any phase of the history and genealogy of the Sparks family, and have not already joined us, won't you do so soon? Also, if you have just overlooked sending your renewal for your subscription, won't you sent it in soon?
We are indebted to Charles H. Smith (No. 16), 213 Dewey Street, Edgewood, Pittsburgh, 18, PA, for the motto which appears underneath the heading of The Sparks Quarterly. As Mr. Smith wrote: "This affords our members something to think about, and is a source of family pride."
All members of THE SPARKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION are requested to send in at their earliest convenience (Many have already done so) a sketch giving as much information as they can regarding their branch of the Sparks family, as far back as possible. The staff of the Association will endeavor to bridge the gap between these lineages submitted by the members and the early Sparks immigrants to America. This will be a slow and tedious process, but it can be accomplished if we all work together on it. All members are urgently requested to search their attics, basements, old trunks, bureaus, and any other place that they might find old Bibles, letters, family records, pictures of older members of the family, or anything pertaining to the past generations of the Sparks family. We would be happy to feature on the front page of each issue of the Quarterly one or more pictures of the past generations of Sparkses, say those over 100 years old. Does anyone have a picture of a Sparks born in the 1700s? (Photography became increasingly popular following the Civil War.) Which member of the Association has the oldest Sparks picture?
Back numbers of The Sparks Quarterly are available, at twenty-five cents per copy, or $1.00 for each volume of four issues. Make your request to the Editor, Paul E. Sparks, 155 North Hite Ave., Louisville 6, KY.
Readers may wish to send an extra copy of a particular issue to a friend or relative. Also, members who join THE SPARKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION in 1954 will want to obtain for their files the four issues published in 1953.
It has been suggested that members of THE SPARKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION obtain from their local newspapers items pertaining to anyone named Sparks, and send them to the Editor of the Quarterly. Items such as births, deaths (obituaries), marriages, or any item of historical or genealogical interest that pertains to any person named Sparks will be of interest and future importance. In this way we can build up a file on present day members of the family, and thus contact relatives that we heretofore have not known about.
Page 31-32
Whole Number 5
SKRAPS
This is the fifth issue of The Sparks Quarterly, and we are happy to announce that our project has been a success. Our membership is now over two hundred, and is continually growing. We will be able to continue publication of The Sparks Quarterly; and with the cooperation of all members, we can make this into a well-knit, smoothly-functioning organization; and we can soon boast of having assembled the largest collection of Sparks lore in the world! If you are interested in any phase of the history and genealogy of the Sparks family, and have not already joined us, won't you do so soon? Also, if you have just overlooked sending your renewal for your subscription, won't you sent it in soon?
We are indebted to Charles H. Smith (No. 16), 213 Dewey Street, Edgewood, Pittsburgh, PA, for the motto which appears underneath the heading of The Sparks Quarterly. As Mr. Smith wrote: "This affords our members something to think about, and is a source of family pride."
All members of THE SPARKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION are requested to send in at their earliest convenience (Many have already done so) a sketch giving as much information as they can regarding their branch of the Sparks family, as far back as possible. The staff of the Association will endeavor to bridge the gap between these lineages submitted by the members and the early Sparks immigrants to America. This will be a slow and tedious process, but it can be accomplished if we all work together on it. All members are urgently requested to search their attics, basements, old trunks, bureaus, and any other place that they might find old Bibles, letters, family records, pictures of older members of the family, or anything pertaining to the past generations of the Sparks family. We would be happy to feature on the front page of each issue of the Quarterly one or more pictures of the past generations of Sparkses, say those over 100 years old. Does anyone have a picture of a Sparks born in the 1700s? (Photography became increasingly popular following the Civil War.) Which member of the Association has the oldest Sparks picture?
February 2nd, 1954, Indian Creek Lodge, Stone Mountain, Ga.
Dear Mr. Sparks:
My sister, Julia McIntosh Sparks, passed away January 12th. She was loved by so many and will be greatly missed by friends and relatives. Julia was so much interested in your work, and enjoyed the SPARKS QUARTERLIES so much. I have all my sister's records of the Sparks family, and if I can be of any help, I hope you will let me know.
Sincerely, Mrs. Nellie (Sparks) Allen
2310 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, New York.
(Editor's Note: To Mrs. Allen, and to her brother, Dr. George W. Sparks, we extend our deepest sympathy. We, too, will miss "Cousin Julia.")
Back numbers of the Sparks Quarterly are available, at twenty-five cents per copy, or $1.00 for each volume of four issues. Make your request to the Editor, Paul E. Sparks, 155 North Hite Ave., Louisville 6, KY.
Readers may wish to send an extra copy of a particular issue to a friend or relative. Also, members who join THE SPARKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION in 1954 will want to obtain for their files the four issues published in 1953.
It has been suggested that members of THE SPARKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION obtain from their local newspapers items pertaining to anyone named Sparks, and send them to the Editor of the Quarterly. Items such as births, deaths (obituaries), marriages, or any item of historical or genealogical interest that pertains to any person named Sparks will be of interest and future importance. In this way we can build up a file on present-day members of the family, and thus contact relatives that we heretofore have not known about.
Whole Number 7
S KRAP S
At the time The Sparks Family Association was formed, and during the publication of the first issues of The Sparks Quarterly, Russell E, Bidlack, the Secretary—Treasurer, was excused by his fellow officers from most of the duties connected with that office. This was occasioned by the fact that he was working on his Ph.D. thesis, which left him very little time to devote to his favorite hobby--genealogy. The thesis was successfully completed and the Ph.D, granted in June of this year, leaving him free to assume the full duties of his office.
About this time, however, Paul E. Sparks, who had served both as President of the Association and as Editor of the Quarterly, was making plans to complete his doctorate in education, and he enrolled for the summer term at the University of Indiana. In order that he might devote as much time and energy to his doctoral program as possible, Paul requested that one of his fellow officers assume the editorial responsibilities. Dr. Bidlack has agreed to succeed Paul as Editor of The Sparks Quarterly, with his wife, Melva (Sparks) Bidlack, acting as Secretary-Treasurer. In order to relieve Paul of some of his duties as President, Oral A. Sparks, of Clio, Iowa, has agreed to serve as Vice-President of the Association. A biographical sketch of our new Vice-President will appear in the next issue of the Quarterly. The new editor feels certain that the membership deeply appreciates all that Paul has done for the Quarterly in the past and that each one of us wishes him success in his doctoral program. This advice and assistance will be requested frequently as future issues of the Quarterly are prepared.
Whole Number 8
SKRAPS
This is the last issue of The Sparks Quarterly to be published in 1954, and it completes Volume II. Accompanying this issue is a report by the Secretary—Treasurer, Melva Sparks Bidlack, showing receipts and expenditures for 1954. The officers of the Association are pleased to announce that the membership has grown to 255, and they sincerely hope that each of these Sparks descendants will renew his or her membership for 1955. The Quarterly cannot be sent to those who do not renew.
Because, in the past, some members have contributed more than the annual membership dues cf $1.00, it has seemed advisable to set up three types of membership for the future:
Active Membership, Annually $1.00
Contributing Membership, Annually- 2.00
Sustaining Membership, Annually -- Any amount over $2.00
The Sparks Quarterly will be sent to all members of the Association on the same basis, regardless of type of membership, but the 1955 membership cards will indicate the type of membership to which each is entitled.
The fact that many of you have contributed more than the active membership dues ($1.00) in the past, plus the fact that we now have 92 more members than we did a year ago, gives the officers reason to believe that we can again increase the size of The Sparks Quarterly. In 1953 each issue contained six pages; in 1954 the pagination was increased to eight; in 1955 we plan to have ten pages in each issue. (it will be noted that the present issue contains ten pages.)
Several members have complied with the Editor's request in the last issue and have sent the names and addresses of persons named Sparks found in their local telephone directories. Form letters have been mailed to most of these people and the favorable response leads the Editor to request that other members send him similar lists.
A limited number of copies of all back issues of the Quarterly are still available to members who may not have a complete file of the eight numbers published so far. These are available at the rate of twenty-five cents each.
Another death among the membership has been called to the Editor's attention. On October 11, 1954, "Uncle Harve" Sparks died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Robert Johnson, in Pearl, Kentucky--a small mountain community on the Kentucky Tennessee border about twenty miles from Middlesboro, Kentucky. "Uncle Harve" claimed to be the oldest man in Kentucky, having celebrated his 111th birthday last April 17th; he gave his birth date as April 17, 1843. The son of Ransom and Martha (Rainey) Sparks, "Uncle Harve" Sparks outlived three wives. His first wife was Liz Mulhollin-no ohildren. He married, second, Tilda Murray, by whom he had children named William, George, Elizabeth, Martha and Sarah. His third wife was Omega Pennington, by whom he had Henry. In the last years of his life, "Uncle Harve" had a good appetite, could hear well, and could see well enough to read his family Bible. He walked with the assistance of a cane and the aid of members of his family. Middlesboro, Kentucky, population 14,482, was the largest city he ever saw.
Whole Number 10
SKRAPS
When The Sparks Family Association was organized in March, 1953, one of our most enthusiastic charter members was Dr. Proctor Sparks of 2828 Hampton Street, Ashland, Kentucky. At that time the founders of the Association were not at all certain that enough Sparks descendants would be interested in the investigation of family history to make the organization a success, but Dr. Sparks was optimistic and predicted that within two or three years there would be a membership of at least three hundred. In order to encourage the officers, Dr. Sparks announced that he would donate one hundred dollars to the Association when that goal was reached. Early in 1955 the three hundredth member joined and our president, Paul E. Sparks, notified Dr. Sparks of our success. True to his promise, Dr. Sparks mailed his check for one hundred dollars to the Secretary-Treasurer. The officers, on behalf of every member of The Sparks Family Association, extend to Dr. Sparks their sincere thanks, and they promise to do all in their power to make the Association and The Sparks Quarterly worthy of his confidence.
Those members of the Association who trace their ancestry ‘to persons living in North Carolina will be interested to learn that two of their officers, William Perry Johnson and Russell E. Bidlack, have launched a new publication called The North Carolinian, A Quarterly Journal of Genealogy and History. The first two issues (March and June, 1955) have been published and, judging from the many words of praise which subscribers have written to the editors, The North Carolinian is meeting a definite need. Each issue contains thirty-two pages (measuring 8 1/2 x 11 inches) and is attractively printed and bound. The purpose of The North Carolinian is to aid in the collection, preservation, and dissemination of prevously unpublished records which will facilitate genealogical and historical research in North Carolina. Among the records being published currently are the following: the 1800 census of North Carolina, Quaker marriage records including the names of witnesses to these marriages, abstracts of pension applications of North Carolina soldiers of the Revolution, abstracts of wills, deeds, and tax records, Bible records of North Carolina families, and reviews of new books and articles relating, to North Carolina genealogy. The subscription rates are $3.50 per year, or $1.00 for a single issue, The editorial and business address is Box 531, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Mrs. Florence K, Rode, 125 Wheeler Avenue, Los Gatos, California, would appreciate any information which members could give her regarding the family of her grandfather, Lemuel A. Sparks. He was born somewhere in Indiana on January 29, 1824, and died in Oakland, California, in 1893. He was a farmer by occupation and crossed the plains to Portland, Oregon, in 1850, On February 27, 1847, he married Catherine Swan Masten, a widow, Who was the daughter of George Swan; she was born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1819. The marriage took place either in Missouri or in Illinois. Lemuel A. Sparks had two brothers, Frank Sparks and William Sparks. On the back of a photograph of William and his wife there is the stamp of a gallery in Rushville, Illinois.
Once more it is our duty to report the death of a member of the Association-a duty which is particularly painful since the deceased was the father of our President, Paul E. Sparks. On February 14, 1955, James B. Sparks, age 75, of Yatesville, Kentucky, died in the King's Daughters' Hospital at Ashland following an illness of several months. Funeral services were conducted at. the Bradley Gap Freewill Baptist Church at Yatesville and burial was in the Sparks Cemetery at Yatesvslle. Mr. Sparks was a retired farmer. He was born January 18,:1880, at Yatesville, a son of the late Colby and Martha (Chaffin) Sparks. He married Sarah Elizabeth Conley, daughter of Isaac Redmond and Martha (Sexton) Conley, on November 2, 1905. Mrs. Sparks died February 9, 1922. Surviving are three daughters. Mrs. Fred Davis of Ashland; Mrs, Warren Murphy of Akron, Ohio; and Mrs. Roy Fields of Catlettshury, Kentucky; two sons, Paul E, Sparks of Louisville, and James E. Sparks of Yatesville; four sisters, Mrs. Nora Jobe and Mrs. Frank Graham. both of Akron; Mrs. Flora Williams of Louisa, Kentucky; end Miss Rosa Sparks of Louisa; and thirteen grandchildren.
Whole Number 11
SKRAPS
In the article entitled "70.1.3.3 Colonel William C. Sparks and His Descendants" which appeared in the June, 1955, issue of the Quarterly there is an error.
The death date given for 70.1.3.3.12.1 Elijah Sparks (born 1868) son of 70.1.3.3.12 Samuel Alexander Sparks, was mistakenly given as 1897. Elijah Sparks lived until 1951. (Correction made). John Sparks of Kensington, Maryland, has provided an additional note of interest to this same article. He reports that 70.1.3.3.11.1 Clarence Sparks (1873-1919), son of 70.1.3.3.11 William Crain Sparks, Jr., had three children by his second wife, Mamie Carter, as follows:
70.1.3.3.11.1.1 William S. Sparks, born December 21, 1900, in Bartlett, Texas, now lives in New York City and is Vice President of R.C.A. He married in 1922, Sarah Hadis.
70.1.3.3.11.1.2 Jeannette Sparks, born December 27, 1902, in Bartlett, Texas, now lives in Washington, D.C.
70.1.3.3.11.1.3 John Sparks, born June 23, 1904, in Waco, Texas, married in 1933, H. Elizabeth Fritts, who was born in White Post, Virginia, in 1911. They have one daughter, 70.1.3.3.11.1.3.1 Sydney Elizabeth Sparks, born in Washington, D.C., on July 17, 1937.
[Webmaster: all additions made];
Whole Number 12
SKRAPS
Your Editor, with the assistance of William Perry Johnson, is gathering material for an article on the Sparks Family of Culpeper County, Virginia. We hope to include as many descendants as possible of 21.1 Thomas Sparks (son of 21. John and Mary Sparks) and his wife, Mary Towles daughter of Stokely and Ann Towles. Thomas Sparks lived and died in that part of Culpeper County which became Madison County in 1792-3, about two and one-half miles from Slate Mills, Virginia. He was born ca. 1720 and married Mary Towles ca. 1740. Thomas and Mary (Towles) Sparks had the following children:
21.1.1 John Sparks, married Phoebe Smith and lived in Madison County, Va.;
21.1.2 Ann Sparks, married Jacob Aylor;
21.1.3 Humphrey Sparks, married Milly Nalle (or Noel) ca. 1780 and was living in Scott Co., Kentucky, between 1800 and 1820;
21.1.4 Lucy Sparks, married James Kilby;
21.1.5 Henry Sparks, born 16 June 1753, married Lucy Clark in Madison Co., Va., in 1776, served in the Revolution and was later pensioned, moved in 1795 to Franklin Co., Kentucky, and in 1800 to Owen Co., Kentucky, where he died 14 August 1836;
21.1.6 Thomas Sparks, Jr.;
21.1.7 Mary Sparks, married first, Russell Vawter, and second, James Smith
21.1.8 Frankey Sparks.
21.1.9 Mildred Sparks, born ca. 1761.
Thomas Sparks mentioned all of these children, as well as his wife, in his will dated 10 December 1784, probated 19 February 1787. Anyone having data on descendants of this family is requested to write to Russell E. Bidlack, 1709 Cherokee Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48104.
With this issue we complete the third volume of The Sparks Quarterly. Furthermore, THE SPARKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION is now three years old. Had the founders of the ASSOCIATION realized how many Sparks descendants would be interested in supporting a family organization, they would probably have begun organizing several years earlier. Nearly four hundred descendants have joined the Association and, although several have passed away during the past three years and a number have failed to renew their membership, we feel confident that no other family organization can boast of a more rapidly growing and enthusiastic group. We have been very pleased with the financial support given the ASSOCIATION during 1955. The fact that many members contributed more than the active membership dues of one dollar, along with the gift of one hundred dollars by Dr. Proctor Sparks of Ashland, Kentucky, has made it possible to increase the size of the Quarterly. Whether we can continue to issue sixteen pages each quarter during 1956 will depend, of course, upon our receipts for next year. Our Secretary-Treasurer will mail out a financial statement late in December along with a form for members to fill out when sending their 1956 dues. We hope that you will all renew your membership promptly and that as many of you who can will become contributing members (two dollars) or sustaining members (any amount over two dollars) for 1956. We have many hundreds of pages of Sparks history waiting for publication and the rapidity with which these data can be printed and distributed is entirely dependent upon receipts.
The officers of the Association would like to take this opprtunity to wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to each of our members.
Whole Number 14
SKRAPS
Persons bearing the name Sparks can be proud that they belong to a family which has produced an impressively large number of famous sons. There have been a few, of course, who have had their shortcomings. Such a one was JOHN SPARKS who was born in 1758 on the South Branch of the Potomac River and is buried in a small enclosure near the Mt. Vernon road a short distance from Newark in Licking County, Ohio. In a History of Licking County, Ohio, published by N. W. Hill in 1881 (page 335) we are told that John Sparks was "one of the ‘queer' characters around Newark in an early day." The author goes on to say that "he was generally seen barefooted walking along the streets and alleys with a fishing pole on his shoulder for he was a true disciple of Izaac Walton. He had an overpowering repugnance to labor and irresistible vagabonding proclivities." In spite of these undesirable characteristics, however, John Sparks possessed one claim for distinction--in 1803, when Pres. Jefferson organized an exploring expedition to cross the Continent, John Sparks joined it and thus became a member of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. The purpose of this expedition was to explore the Louisiana Territory immediately after its purchase from France. The party started from the vicinity of Saint Louis, Missouri., on 14 May 1804. They passed up the Missouri River and by late October had traveled about 1600 miles. They wintered at the camps of the Mandans and Minnetarees in what is now North Dakota, and it was from this point that John Sparks was sent back to Washington with dispatches. He arrived late in the summer and was honourably discharged. He never married. He died on 28 February 1846 at the age of 88.
Correction NOTE from Issue 137:
A correction to the above statement has been provided by Everett L. Sparks of Edwardsville, Illinois. We quoted from A History of Licking County Ohio published by N. H. Hill in 1881, page 335, regarding a John Sparks who, according to this source, had been born in 1758 on the South Branch of the Potomac River. He died on February 28, 1846, age 88, and was buried in a small enclosure near the Mt. Vernon road a short distance from Newark in Licking County, Ohio. He never married.
According to this account, John Sparks's chief claim to fame had been that in 1803 he was a member of the famous Lewis & Clark Expedition, the purpose of which had been to explore the Louisiana Territory that President Jefferson had purchased for the United States from France.
Everett L. Sparks is the official Historian for the Lewis & Clark Society of America, with headquarters in Wood River, Illinois, from whence the expedition left. Mr. Sparks reports that no one named Sparks was a member of the this exploring party and that the claim made by John Sparks was simply not true. Mr. Sparks goes on to note that "after the expedition returned safely there were literally hundreds of young men who claimed they had been with Lewis and Clark." Even today, according to Mr. Sparks, many people claim to descend from imaginary members of the Lewis & Clark party.
We are grateful to Everett L. Sparks for calling our attention to this mistake. While we are sorry to learn that the Sparks family was not represented in this exciting episode in American history, we are glad to set the record straight. Since John Sparks never married, we assume that no one has tried to use his unfounded claim to join the Lewis & Clark Society of America.
According to the Old Northwest Genealogical Quarterly (Vol. 12, pp. 15 & 224), 102.1 John Sparks had a brother named 102.2 George Sparks who also came to Licking County, Ohio, from Virginia at an early date. 102.2 George Sparks and his wife, Nancy MNU, are buried near St. Louisville, Ohio, on the top of a high hill on a farm owned a few years ago by Craig Hutchinson. Two well-preserved monuments bear the following inscriptions:
George Sparks, died February 5, 1868, in the 96th year of his age. Nancy Sparks, wife of George, died November 3, 1842, ae. 67 y., 10 d.
Should anyone have further information on this family, he is requested to send it to the Editor, Russell E. Bidlack, 1131 Granger Ave., Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Whole Number 15
SKRAPS
During the four years of our Association's existence, many Sparks descendants have become interested in their family history for the first time. The founders of the Association hoped that this would result and they have not been disappointed. One of those who has become most enthusiastic is Perry H. Sparks, Postmaster of Hamlin, Texas. (His address in Hamlin is Box 127.) Perry descends from the William Sparks whose pension application appeared in the March and June, 1954, issues of the Quarterly. He is gathering material for an article on the descendants of this William Sparks, but has extended his research to include all branches of the Sparks family which settled in Texas. He has added many new members to our roster and has collected an impressive amount of Sparks data. Members with Texas connections will enjoy corresponding with Perry and the officers of the Association wish to thank him publicly for his contributions.
Occasionally a member writes that an issue of the Quarterly has failed to reach him. It is only to be expected that once in a while a copy will become lost in the mail, and your editor must admit that he has sometimes missed a name or addressed an envelope incorrectly. We are only too happy to correct these mistakes by sending another copy when a member informs us that he is lacking a given issue.
Members are urged to continue sending us names of prospective members. A form letter is sent to each person named Sparks or known to be a Sparks descendant whose name and address we can obtain. We particularly appreciate receiving names from city directories and telephone books. There are hundreds of people all over the country who would be happy to join the Association if they only knew about it. Help us contact these people!
Whole Number 16
SKRAPS
With this issue we complete the fourth volume of The Sparks Quarterly. We hope that in the eighty pages of Sparks history which comprise this volume we have succeeded in solving some of the genealogical problems which have plagued members of the Association and that we have preserved family records which will prove helpful to future generations. The Quarterly is being placed in a number of historical libraries where it will be preserved, while many our members have indicated that they are carefully maintaining complete files to be passed on within their immediate families.
It is with pleasure and pride that we report a total of ninety-nine new members during 1956. This means that a total of nearly five hundred Sparks descendants have joined the Association during the four years of its existence.
Our Secretary-Treasurer will mail out the Association's financial statement early in January with a form to fill out for renewing membership for 1957. The success of the Quarterly depends, of course, on the amount received in membership dues. We hope that all members will renew their membership and that all who can will become either contributing or sustaining members for 1957.
It has been thought best to wait until after the Christmas mail rush to mail out this issue, which prevents the officers from wishing you all a Merry Christmas in advance. We would, however, like to express our hope that you did have a pleasant holiday and that the New Year proves to be a prosperous and happy one for each of you.
Whole Number 17
SKRAPS
The following poem, entitled My Kin (author unknown) was sent to your editor by Mrs. Ruby Sparks Burnham, 265 Wentworth Ave., Salt Lake City, Utah.
| If you could see your ancestors | If you could see your ancestors | |
| All standing in a row, | All standing in a row, | |
| Would you be proud of them or not? | There might be some of them, perhaps, | |
| Or don't you really know? | You wouldn't care to know. | |
| Some strange discoveries are made | But there's another question, which | |
| In climbing family trees, | Requires a different view. | |
| And some of them, you know, do not | If you could meet your ancestors, | |
| Particularly please. | Would they be proud of you? |
Whole Number 18
SKRAPS
A large portion of the September issue of the Sparks Quarterly will be devoted to a genealogical record of the descendants of 25. Martin Peeples Sparks (1786-1837) through his son, 25.2 Thomas Hunter Sparks (1814-1863), This record has been compiled by Major Charles H. Smith of Pittsburgh 18, PA. Maj. Smith' s mothers Sara Jane (Sparks) Smith, was the daughter of Thomas H. Sparks.
Martin Peeples Sparks was sheriff of Morgan County, Georgia, as early as 1818, but it has not been learned where he was born. It is believed that he had a brother named Carter Walton Sparks (1797-1877) who settled later in Floyd County, Georgia. A few years before his death, Martin P. Sparks moved from Morgan County to that section of Paulding County which became Polk County, Georgia, in 1851. Anyone having knowledge of this family is requested to write to Maj. Smith immediately in order triat this record may be made as complete as possible.
Whole Number 19
SKRAPS
Again it has been deemed best to postpone the publication of Major Charles H. Sparks's account of the Martin P. Sparks and Thomas H. Sparks families of Morgan, Paulding, and Polk Counties, Georgia. New data keeps coming to light as more descendants are contacted and more records searched. Rather than publish an incomplete record, we prefer to wait for a few more months.
Whole Number 20
SKRAPS
With this issue of the Quarterly The Sparks Family Association passes an important milestone--this is the twentieth issue and marks the end of five successful years of publication. During these years, over 500 Sparks descendants have joined the Association and the Quarterly has grown from a six-page to a twenty-page periodical. We regret that we are going into our sixth year with a financial deficit, but are confident that membership dues in 1958 will put us in the black again. We wish to thank publicly three members who have generously contributed toward reducing this deficit:
Mrs. Florence K. Rode, 125 Wheeler Ave., Los Gatos, California
Dr. Aubrey L. Sparks, 1180 Maywood N.W., Warren, Ohio
Lt. Col. Enoch P. Sparks, Ordnance Tank-Automotive Command, 1501 Beard St., Detroit, Michigan.
Our Secretary-Treasurer, William Perry Johnson, will mail out the Association's financial statement early in January with a form to fill out for renewing membership for 1958. We hope that as many as possible will renew as Contributing or Sustaining members, for the amount received in membership dues will determine the suacess or failure of the Quarterly. Remember that Active Membership dues are $2.00, Contributing Membership dues are $3.00, and Sustaining Membership dues are any amount over $3.00.
Whole Number 21
SKRAPS
Although your editor usually tries to remain impersonal while writing SKRAPS, he takes the liberty of using the first person on this occasion. I hope that the members of the Association will forgive me if I sound a bit boastful in the following announcement. At 11:07 A.M. on Saturday, March 15, Mrs. Bidlack's and my fourth child was born at the University of Michigan Woman's Hospital in Ann Arbor. This one is another boy, our third, and weighed in at nine pounds. He is a fine specimen in his father's partial judgment. We have named him Harold Wilford Bidlack, "Harold" after my father and Mrs. Bidlack's brother, and "Wilford" after my maternal grandfather. Mrs. Bidlack, from whom he receives his SPARKS blood, is doing splendidly. I am able to blame Harold for the fact that the Quarterly is a little late this time.
I should like also to express publicly my gratitude to the large number of Association members who so generously contributed to eliminate the 1957 deficit in the publication of the Quarterly. When checks began coming in during the Holidays, some of them without even an accompanying letter, I knew "something was up." From bits here and there I was able, eventually, to identify Major Charles H. Smith of Pittsburgh as the "instigator of this plot." When I confronted him with the evidence, he confessed to having sent out, at his own expense, an appeal to each member of the Association. I am quite undeserving of Major Smith's kind words, but, being human, I was greatly pleased. The many words of appreciation received from the members were also most heartening. From the records sent me by our Secretary-Treasurer, it appears that renewals have been coming in at a record rate, the great majority received thus far being for either contributing or sustaining memberships. We are delighted with your generosity. The expected postal service increase will hit us rather hard, but even with that it appears that we should have no financial problems in 1958.
After receiving so many kind letters regarding my work as Editor, I was just about to begin to walk on air, but the following postal card brought me down to earth again. "Please Understand that I'me no longer interested in the Sparks Association. I will not spend another 2 cents to recieve another copy So please do not write me again. Their are Sparks every Where but I do not care to Know about them So please Keep your news to your self so far as I'me concerned." (The card was signed but I shall refrain from revealing the name of the ex-member.) I flatter myself that this is an opinion entertained by only a small minority of the membership. My main concern is: Why did she join in the first place?
A copy of the index to the first five volumes of the Quarterly has now been sent to everyone who has become either a contributing or sustaining member for 1958, or has sent fifty cents for it. Should anyone not have received his copy, please drop the Editor a card. As members examine this thirty-seven-page index, they cannot but be impressed with the amount of work which our President, Dr. Paul E. Sparks, devoted to it.
This would be an appropriate time for every member to check his file of the Quarterly to be sure that it is complete (pages 1 through 292). Occasionally it is bound to happen that a copy is assembled incorrectly, with perhaps one or more pages lacking. If anyone finds that he has an imperfect issue or page, let the Editor know and a replacement will be sent without charge.
We hope to increase the membership of the Association substantially in 1958. We have a form letter which we send to everyone known to be a Sparks descendant and are always pleased to receive lists of persons named Sparks copied from telephone or other directories.
Whole Number 23
SKRAPS
The record of the descendants of Thomas Hunter Sparks, which Major Charles E. Smith is preparing for publication in the Quarterly, will appear in the December, 1958, issue. Maj. Smith has had considerable difficulty tracing some of the descendants.
Paul E. Sparks has prepared for future publication in the Quarterly a complete listing of all the Sparks families who were enumerated on the 1850 census of Indiana. We also have completed a similar compilation of all Sparks families enumerated on the 1850 census of Alabama which also will be published in the Quarterly as we have space. Meanwhile, if there are members who are anxious to have the Sparks listings in any particular county of Indiana or Alabama, your editor will be glad to send you the data which we have.
All members of the Association are urged to constantly be on the "look-out" for historical data pertaining to persons named Sparks. When any of you have occasion to check census records, county histories, or other historical materials and happen across data on a Sparks family, even though it is not your line, please copy it and send it to one of the officers of the Association. Many of you have done this in the past and more than once data so sent has provided the "missing link" in another member's line. Remember, also, that we are constantly trying to enlarge our membership. When you meet someone named Sparks, tell him about the Association and the Quarterly and send us his name and address so that we can send him a special invitation. Remember, the more members we have, the larger we can make the Quarterly, and the more family data we can publish.
Perry Sparks of Hamlin, Texas, recently sent us this quotation from the works of Macauley: "A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendants."
Whole Number 24
SKRAPS
With this issue we complete the sixth volume of The Sparks Quarterly and likewise mark the close of the sixth year of the existence of The Sparks Family Association. During 1958, 310 individuals and 13 libraries paid dues totaling $1008.82. Of these 310 individuals, 57 joined the organization during the year. We regret that 45 old members failed to renew their membership during 1958, but we are not discouraged. We are convinced that no other family association has as loyal and enthusiastic a membership as does our organization, and that our future is bright.
As was announced in the financial statement which members received some time ago, Russell E. Bidlack will serve as Secretary-Treasurer as well as Editor next year, while William Perry Johnson will once more assume the title of Historian-Genealogist. Paul E. Sparks will continue as President. Members are requested to send their renewals for 1959 to Dr. Bidlack promptly. Your cooperation on this matter will greatly simplify the financial record keeping of the Association.
During 1959 we shall continue to print records of the family taken from various primary sources, as well as genealogies of individual branches of the family. Maj. Smith's family group records of the children of Thomas H. Sparks will appear, and, through the efforts of Col. William C. Robertson and Mr. M. A. Sparks, we shall be able to trace many more of the descendants of Josiah Sparks of Baltimore County, Maryland. Paul E. Sparks's compilation of the Sparkses on the 1850 census of Indiana will also be published.
Whole Number 25
SKRAPS
The contents of the present issue of the Quarterly seemed to keep growing as the pages were typed, with the result that we have been unable to include all that we had planned. We had expected to begin printing Paul E. Sparks' compilation of the Sparks families listed on the 1850 census of Indiana, but this must wait until the June issue.
1959 membership dues from over two hundred of our members had been received by the end of March. Well over one hundred members who paid their dues in 1958, however, have not paid for 1959. We are sure that nearly all of the latter group have simply misplaced their notices, fully intending to send their checks but have forgotten. If you are one of those who have neglected to send their 1959 dues, won't you do so soon?
Again may we remind all members of our constant hope to attract new members. We know that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Sparks descendants who would like to join our organization if they only knew of its existence. We send invitations to everyone known to be a Sparks descendant whose name and address we obtain. We are especially pleased whenever a member sends us the names and addresses of Sparkses found in telephone directories.
Whole Number 180
SPARKS TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS
McKENZIE, CARROLL/WEAKLEY COUNTIES, TENNESSEE
The following tombstone inscriptions have been copied for us by Col. John Sparks of Martin, Tennessee. He found these stones in the Shiloh and McKenzie Cemeteries at McKenzie, Tennessee. See also pp. 4547-77 of the December 1995 issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 172, for references to some of these tombstone inscriptions in an article entitled: "Nathan Sparks (1775-1844), Son of Matthew and Sarah (Thompson) Sparks, of North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee
| Rev. George W. Sparks | Sue O. [Sparks] |
| 1906 - 1964 | 1909 - |
| Lonnie T. Sparks | Ethel C. [Sparks] |
| 1874 - 1944 | 1883 - 1964 |
| Gordon [Sparks] | Gertie Joiner Joy [Sparks] |
| October 3 1896 - August 18, 100 | August 21, 127 - September 22 163 married daughter |
| Tennessee Pvt. US Army March 29, 1924 WW I |
|
| S T K S H T W S | |
| Isaac Sparks | Jane L. Sparks, wife of Isaac Sparks, |
| Mason | |
| D. Fb. 27, 178 | b. October 18, 1817, d. January 16, 1898 |
| Aged 72 yrs. 8 mos. 2 da. | |
| Sleep father dear and take thy rest | |
| God called thee home. He thought it best | |
| It was hard indeed to part with thee | |
| But Christ's strong arm supporteth me. | |
| C. P. Sparks, 1842 - 1918 | M. T. Sparks, 1836 - 1897 |
| Father and mother | |
| Lucie A. [Sparks], dau. [of] Wm. M. and Sarah A. Sparks, | |
| b. 7 October 1860 - d. September 3, 1868 | |
| Wm. M. Sparks | Sarah A. [Sparks] |
| April 1, 1834 - December 29, 1889, | July 27, 1838 - February 11, 1910, |
| Age 55 yrs. 8 mos. 28 das. | Age 71 yrs. 6 mos. 4 das. |
| Sam T. Sparks 1866 1947 | Ida S. Sparks 1868 1958 |
| Kizzie Sparks 1874 1959 | Curtis Sparks 1872 1948 |
| (McKenzie Cemetery) | |
| Elmer T. Sparks 1877 - 1939 | |
| wife Pearl C. 1879 - 1961 | |
| dau. Mildred 1905 - 1920 | |
Whole Number 17
ANNOUNCEMENT OF INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP DUES
When The Sparks Family Association was formed in March, 1953, membership dues were set at $1.00 per year and a six-page Sparks Quarterly was issued. Later it was decided to introduce "contributing" and "sustaining" memberships to give recognition to those who wished to contribute more than just $1.00. Meanwhile, the Quarterly has gradually grown from six pages to twenty, yet, until now, active membership dues have remained at only $1.00 per year. The officers of the Association are certain that all members must realize that a quarterly of the present size could scarcely be published if all members sent only $1.00. In fact, it has been only because a rather large number have sent several times that amount that it has been possible for us to accomplish what we have. Furthermore, it has been necessary for your editor to spend countless hours doing the routine typing, assembling, and mailing of the Quarterly--duties above and beyond those connected with the editorship--because funds have not permitted him to hire this extra work done by a clerical assistant. Your editor has enjoyed making this contribution, but professional duties now make it necessary that he limit himself just to the editorship of the Quarterly. Any "spare" time could be spent doing research on the Sparks family.
Therefore, since the cost of publishing the Quarterly has more than doubled, the officers of The Sparks Family Association feel that it is now necessary that membership dues be raised to meet this added expense. Present members may renew their 1957 membership at the former rate, but, effective with the publication of this, the March, 1957, issue, all new memberships will be at the following rates:
Active membership---------------$2.00
Contributing membership---------$3.00
Sustaining membership-----------Any amount over $3.00
Many of the back issues of the Quarterly have almost become rarities, and it will soon be necessary to reprint some of these in order to keep them in print. Therefore, the price for each back issue will be raised to fifty cents. Old members, however, who have incomplete files, may purchase back issues at the former rate of twenty-five cents each if they send their orders before June 1, 1957.
FIVE YEAR INDEX TO The Sparks Quarterly TO BE PUBLISHED
Dr. Paul E. Sparks, President of The Sparks Family Association, has compiled an index to the first five Volumes of The Sparks Quarterly. It covers the twenty issues published from March, 1953, through December 7, 1957, and lists all names of persons and places mentioned in these 270 pages. The preparation of this index has required many hours of painstaking work, but users of the Quarterly in years to come will be saved countless hours of searching. It will form a vital part of every complete file.
The index runs to almost as many pages as one of the issues of the Quarterly and will be ready for distribution in January 1958. The officers have considered carefully how it should be distributed, since the cost of publication will be rather high and Association funds do not permit us to distribute it free of charge. Following is the method decided upon: It will be sold for fifty cents per copy, but to those who become Contributing or Sustaining members in 1958, a copy will be sent free of charge. In other words, those who renew as active members ($2.00) will have to pay fifty cents extra if they wish a copy of the index, but those who send $3.00 or more as their dues for 1958, will receive a copy without additional charge. We feel confident that members will agree that this is a fair method of distribution.
Whole Number 32
SKRAPS
During the next five years, 1961-1965, the United States will be observing the centennial of one of the most tragic wars of history, and one of the most dramatic chapters of America's past. Although a century has passed, not all of the Civil War's wounds have completely healed, and bitter memories still partially divide the North from the South. Yet the War's centennial is being observed in all parts of the country, and an earnest effort is being made everywhere to preserve both sides of its history. Civil wars have always been the most heartbreaking of wars, for they divide families, pit brother against brother and neighbor against neighbor. Branches of the Sparks family fought on opposite sides, and some of the individual branches were divided to the point that brother did actually fight brother.
No better insight can be gained of the Civil War than to read the letters of soldiers and civilians written during the conflict. Among the souvenirs of many of our members there are letters written by ancestors who took part in the War, some on the Confederate side, some on the Northern. During the next five years we hope to publish a number of these letters in the Quarterly. If you have Civil War letters written by Sparks ancestors, won't you either loan them to the editor or make copies for his use? Their publication in the Quarterly will assure their preservation for future generations.
With this issue, we complete another volume of The Sparks Quarterly. The editor hopes that the issues of 1960 have been of interest to the members and that many of you have found new information on your own Sparks ancestors in their pages. The financial statement for 1960, which accompanies this issue, shows a considerably smaller deficit than last year. The Association had a good year in 1960--each of you may assure its having a good year in 1961 by paying your dues promptly.
Page 632-633
Whole Number 37
SKRAPS (A FEW FAMILY MEMORIES)
by T. Merrill Sparks
(Editor's Note: The manuscript of the preceding record of the descendants of Asa Egbert Sparks was sent for proofreading to one of Asa's great-grandsons, Merrill Sparks of Hollywood, California. When he returned the manuscript with a number of important additions on his own line, Merrill enclosed this interesting sketch, which the editor is taking the liberty of sharing with the rest of the members Memories such as these give meaning to names and dates on a family tree.)
William Anderson Sparks (1846-1924), like most fathers, told his children of events that touched his life. He had come from a family of preachers. Grandfather, uncles and father were Methodist ministers. And if he rebelled against the religious encirclement, it was perhaps understandable. He recalled the familiar sight of his father, Asa Egbert Sparks, (born 1817), going to church to preach and leading the horse. If the reverend got tired, he rode. Otherwise, he'd walk. And there was the common practice of his uncles' and other ministers' arrival at the Sparks home. Young Dan (as William A. was called) was promptly ordered to take care of the horses while the preachers strolled sociably inside. A gracious act on the part of the host but one often tiring for the son. And so the story goes (as related by the namesake-grandson, Asa E. Sparks, born 1874) that the Reverend Asa sent his son, Robert, out to plow a field. The boy left horses and plow in the field, went off and joined the Union Army. Later he was captured and imprisoned in the notorious Libby Prison at Richmond, Virginia. Tales of the time there still linger in the family: A Southern woman arrived giving out sweet-smelling but poisoned apple-pies. A group of fancily-dressed Southerners came visiting and behind them tagged their poodle. The dog mysteriously disappeared and Robert said he himself partook of the poodle-dog dinner. He claimed also to have seen the legs cut off of a fellow-prisoner. The main diet at Libby was parched corn. The Confederates drove their wagons into the encampment, opened the end-gates and dumped the corn on the ground. The prisoners gathered it into improvised containers, parched it and ate it. Later he and two others dug a tunnel beneath a small rivulet running through the camp and attempted their escape. His two comrades were captured. Robert got away to the North and without seeking his own military unit, retarned home, sick. He stayed two weeks and then returned to the Army. But for his "desertion," he was transferred to the 36th Illinois Infantry "to make good the time lost." He was finally mustered out of service in October, 1865. Robert's younger brother, William A. Sparks, was a horseshoer during his time in the service. The war over, W. A. married, and in 1872 went by wagon from Woodford County, Illinois, to a homestead near Elm Creek, Nebraska. Indians were still active there, but Fort Kearney was just six miles away. Here until 1894 they struggled with the land. That summer of 1894 saw a great drought and the Sparks family, along with two other families, formed a group of eleven covered-wagons, with twenty horses and twenty cows, that set out for Foster, Missouri. Rivers were forded and animals died en route. Even after arrival there, hardships continued. The ague (chills) plagued them and after the harvest of two crops, they headed for Iowa and settled down on a happy farm there near Mount Etna. William A. Sparks's youngest son, David G. (born 1890) lives not far from that boyhood farm, in Mount Etna, Iowa. Dave collects American pioneer objects as one of his hobbies. One item that has a special significance for him is the long musket his father brought home from the Civil War. And it holds additional interest for him because stamped on the metal part of the gun is "Harper's Ferry, 1823".
Whole Number 36
SKRAPS
With this issue we complete the ninth volume of the Quarterly end have passed page 600. The Association has had a good year, with our total receipts exceeding $1,000. It is true that we closed our books for 1961 with a deficit of a little over $100, but we are confident this will soon be wiped out. Forty-three new members were added during the year. The financial report of the Secretary-Treasurer is being mailed out separately from the Quarterly this year with the hope that more members will be thus reminded to send their 1962 dues promptly. It is hoped that many will feel that they can afford to become Contributing or Sustaining Members in 1962.
Page 638
Whole Number 37
SKRAPS
At the time of the typing of the mats for this issue of the Quarterly, membership dues for 1962 have been received from nearly two-thirds of the Association's members. Many generous checks have been made payable to the Association, and our financial outlook for 1962 looks good. However, 110 members who paid in 1961 have not as yet sent their dues for 1962. If you are among these 110, may we hear from you soon?
Whole Number 47
SKRAPS
We are pleased to be able to report that 35 people have joined The Sparks Family Association during the past six months, who, with the ten new members reported in March, give us a total of 45 new members thus far in 1964. However, we regret to report that 74 members who paid their dues in 1963 have failed to do so in 1964. Thus, we are far from holding our own with regard to our total membership. It is rather startling to note that, during the almost twelve years that the Association has been in existence, no fewer than 856 individuals have joined, yet our total membership today stands at but slightly over 300. We are sure that most of the 74 who paid in 1963 but not in 1964 do not really wish to drop their membership. Yet we have sent two reminders to each one. What shall we do?
Whole Number 48
SKRAPS
Another volume of The Sparks Quarterly has now been completed. A financial report of the ASSOCIATION accompanies this issue. It will be seen that during 1964 we lost ground in both membership and financial condition. Needless to say, your editor hopes that 1965 will prove to be a better year and that our many devoted members, who have stayed with us year after year, will make new efforts to secure additional members. The professional obligations of your editor make it increasingly difficult to give the many hours of his time necessary for the publication of the Quarterly. There are nearly forty letters piled on his desk from members and persons interested in the Sparks family that await his attention. Some members seem to feel that in exchange for their dues they are entitled to extensive research on his part, while others complain of his failure to publish material on their particular branch of the family. There are times when he is sorely tempted to give up what has been purely a labor of love for over a decade, and if support of the Association continues to decline, he will be forced to do so.
Page 894
Whole Number 49
SKRAPS
It is a pleasure for the Secretary-Treasurer of The Sparks Family Association to report that, at this writing, nearly half of our members have paid their 1965 dues. Many of these have paid at the contributing and sustaining rates (two have sent checks for $25.00) and there is reason to hope that the financial status of the Association will be great improved this year if the remaining half of our members pay their dues at the same rate. We are enclosing a notice with this issue of the Quarterly for each member from whom we have not received dues.
One of our members wrote recently to point out the value of genealogical queries. Not only does the query offer the possibility that someone seeing it may be able to provide the answer, but it also records in permanent form the information that the querist has regarding his Sparks ancestry. For someone else, either now or in years to come, this query may provide iLportant information. We are always happy to include queries regarding a member's Sparks ancestry. There is no charge. Please make your query as detailed as possible, giving all the information that you have, so that these data may be helpful to others.
Several of our members have suggested that dues in the Association should be increased next year. The officers have, therefore, decided to increase active membership dues in 1966 to $3.00 per year. Contributing membership dues will be $4.00, and sustaining membership dues will be any amount over $4.00. The old rate, however, will continue throughout 1965.
Whole Number 51
SKRAPS
We regret to report that at the end of September, sixty-nine members who had paid their dues in the Association in 1964 have failed to do so in 1965.
Page 1898
Whole Number 98
SKRAPS
In the early issues of the Quarterly, we used the heading "SKRAPS," the reverse spelling of Sparks, for odds and ends of Sparks history. We revive it here to appeal to our members to share with your editor "skraps" of family data which you may have tucked away in a family Bible or an old trunk in the attic. During the past thirty years, Dr. Paul E. Sparks and your editor have accumulated a vast collection of Sparks genealogy. We are slowly organizing these data and sharing them with our members through the Quarterly. Despite this vast data bank of Sparks history already in our possession, we are constantly seeking more information to enable us to tie together and interpret what we have. On many occasions family records supplied by a member have provided the clue or the proof needed to link one record with another to identify a lost ancestor or prove a relationship.
Since January 1, we have added nearly 100 new members to the Association, the largest increase in membership for many years. There is obviously a greater interest in genealogy across the country today than at any time in our history. The solutions to a great many genealogical mysteries are in the hands of these new members as well as our old members. We beg you to tell us what you know about your Sparks ancestors, copy or loan us old letters and documents, and interview the elderly members of your family and record whatever they can recall about the family. With the death of every elderly Sparks, there are lost forever valuable genealogical data--unless some thoughtful relative records those memories before death erases them. We are almost always able to add information to that which is submitted by a member, while the information that you submit will, sooner or later, help someone else.
We are always pleased to publish (without cost) queries regarding the Sparks ancestry of our members. We like for these to be as detailed as possible, for the query itself often becomes a source of information for someone else.
Whole Number 141
The descendants of 1.2.1.2.1.5.1.y.4 JOHN CALVIN SPARKS (born September 2, 1873, died July 1, 1949) will hold a family reunion in Madras, Oregon, on July 3-5, 1988. For additional information about this Sparks gathering, write to Virginia R. Pugh, Madras, Oregon 97741.