James Freeman Sparks

James Freeman Sparks was the son of Thomas and Mary (Howe) Sparks.  He was born on July 23, 1818, at Summit, Schorarie, New York.  August 20, 1837, Sylvia Calkins became his wife.  For many years, they made their living by farming in Sections 21 and 22 of Sherwood Township, Clark Co., WI.   He died June 1, 1902, at Nevins, in Clark County, Wisconsin and was laid to rest in the Sherwood Cemetery.

Sylvia Calkins was born September 5, 1813, and died on January 23, 1871, in Plainfield, Wisconsin where they'd established their home in 1869. After Sylvia's death, James moved to Nevins, Clark County, WI and resided there with his oldest daughter, Elizabeth.  James and Sylvia were the proud parents of eight children:

(1) Sarah Elizabeth Sparks, daughter of James F. and Sylvia (Calkins) Sparks, was born May 8, 1838, in Liberty, Sullivan Co., New York. She was affectionately known as "Aunt Lib." She wed David Sparks, a first cousin, October 26, 1857, in Sullivan County, New York. Following David's death, May 28, 1860, Sarah Elizabeth, married a Mr. Bennett.  The marriage ended in divorce without children. Jan. 14, 1880, she married a widowed farmer, David St. Germain.  They had no children together.

Sarah and David Sparks had two children:

(A) Ascenith Sparks, born Nov. 3, 1858, in Great Bend, Pennsylvania, died Jan. 5, 1929. She married Andrew Lawson on Nov. 3, 1878; he was born Feb. 16, 18149, in Denmark and died in 1929; both are buried in Sherwood Cemetery. They were married by her great uncle, the Rev. Robert D. Sparks, apparently in Plainfield. They adopted a boy, Ralph, who was born June 10, 1895.  He later lived near Neillsville with his wife, the former Nettie Lauderville. They had two sons, Arlo and Howard.

(B) David Sparks, Jr., was born Jan. 7, 1660; he died in 19143. He married Clara Crawford of Plainfield on Sept. 28, 1886. She was born Feb. 22, 1868, and died in 195k; she. was a granddaughter of Nancy (Sparks) Wood and was thus a cousin of David. They had four children: Mabel, Gladys, Vernon, and Ascenth.

(2) Emily Sparks, daughter of James F. and Sylvia (Calkins) Sparks, was born July 10, 1814]., in Sullivan Co., New York, and died Apr. 11, 1881. She married Charles McNally on Nov. 28, 1857. He was born May 27, 1837, in Bangor, Maine. Both are buried in Binghampton, New York. They had the following children:

Children of Charles and Emily (Sparks) McNally:

(A) Amy Sylvia McNally, born Nov. 28, 1858, in Sullivan Co., New York
(B) James Richard McNally, born Apr. 8, 1861, in Sullivan Co., New York
(C) Amanda McNally, born Feb. 9, 1863, at Lenox, Susquehanna Co., Pennsylvania; died Oct. 7, 19k2, at Wyoming, New York

 She married William King on July 28, 1881. He was an express messenger for the Baltimore & Ohio R.R. He died June 8, 1935; both are buried in Rochester, New York They had a son who died as a young boy and a daughter named Edna King; she married Arthur Loveny on Feb. 17, 1914, who died in Dec., 1965. They had three daughters: (1) Janet Loveny, born Apr. 8, 1917, married Edward L. Davies in 1936; (2) Helen Loveny (adopted) born March 17, 1918; she married Charles Adair In 1935; and (3) Phyllis Loveny, born Feb. 21, 1925; she married Robert B. Ritz on July 29, 1942.

(D) Fannie McNally, born Nov. 2, 1869, at Glenwood, Pennsylvania She married B. B. Thornton.
(E) Charles Sherwood McNally, born June 27, 1872, at Glennwood, Pennsylvania
(F) Idella McNally, born Aug. 5, 1865, at Lenox, Pennsylvania; died Jan. 12, 1898. She married a Mr. Caswell.
(G) Jerome McNally.
(H) James Richard McNally, born April 8, 1861, in Sullivan Co., New York.

(3) Thomas Sparks, son of James F. and Sylvia (Calkins) Sparks, was born July 12, 1815, in Sullivan Co., New York; died Feb. 8, 1911.

He was married to Bloomy Ellis on Aug. 22, 1869, at Plainfield, Wisconsin She was born Aug. 22, 1850, in Winnebago, Wisconsin, and died  Oct. 28, 1917.  Both are buried in Sherwood Cemetery. They lived on a farm near the Sherwood town hail, in a log house, one of the last in the vicinity. They were known as Uncle Tom and Aunt Bloomy. They had the following children:

(A) Elnora Sparks, born June 9, 1870, at Pine Grove Township, Portage Co, Wise., and died April 30, 1937, at Janesville, Wisconsin She married Gilbert Ellis on July 5, 1888; he was born Feb. 27, 1867, and died March 17, 192k. Both are buried in Plainfield Cemetery. They first lived in Sherwood, thence in 1893 moved to Pine Grove Township where he farmed and also had a grocery store. Later they moved to Bancroft, Wise., where he and his sons operated a livery and dray line, first with horses, thence autos. The following children were born to them: (1) Viola, born April 17, 1889;
(2) Minnie, born May 27, 1890; (3) Bertha, born Aug. 31, 1891; (1) Albert, born Feb. 12, 1893; (5) Sylvia, born Sept. 25, 1894; (6) & (7) Earnie and Vernie, twins, born Aug. 22, 1896; (8) Sarah K., born Dec. 30, 1897; Belle, born Feb. 3, 1900; (10) Thomas I., born Apr. 2, 1903; (11) Elmer, born June 29, 1906; and Earl, born Aug. 27, 1908. (it was Albert’s wife, Marion, who did considerable work on this family tree before she died.)
(B) William Dexter Sparks, born May 5, 1872, at Pine Grove Twp.; died Dec. 3, 1958, at Wisconsin Rapids, Wise. He was married to Cora Murray on Oct. 21, 1895. They lived at both Pine Grove and Sherwood. She died in 1967. They had the following children: (1) Bert, born July 21, 1895 (2) Thomas, born Dec. 1, 1897; (3) Gertrude, born Feb. 7, 1900;
(5) Steila, born Mar. 13, 1905; (5) Melvin, born Apr, 10, 1905; (6) Orros, born Aug. 12, 1912; and (7) Earl, born April 19, 1915.
(C) Emily Sparks, born Aug. 25, 1876, in Sherwood; died 1968. She married Clark Calkins in 1895. He was born Aug. 12, 1869, in Sullivan Co., New York, and died May 11, 1950. Both are buried in Sherwood Cemetery. He was a son of Isaiah and Phoebe (Whipple) Calkins, also the nephew of Sylvia Calkins, wife of James Freeman Sparks, When living in Sherwood, he operated a grocery store near the town hail. Their children were: (1) Jennie, born May 18, 1895; (2) Maud Joy, born Mar. 31, 1896; (3) Isaiah Whipple, born Apr. 1, 1898; (4) Ward Leon, born Jan, 28, 1900; (5) Guy, born Mar. 24, 1902; (6) Hays Eugene, born Mar, 3, 1905; (7) Hannah Amanda, born June 17, 1910; and (8) Harold, born May 11, 1913. All were born in Sherwood, except Harold who was born in Almond, Wisconsin There was also a son named Donald, who died in infancy in 1908.
(D) Jessie Sparks, born Aug. 9, 1878, in Sherwood; died Apr, 10, 1961, in Wisconsin Rapids. He married Amelia Diehn Meddough on Dec. 15, 1916. She was born Dec, 3, 1880, and died Aug. 3, 1918, in St. Paul, Minn. No children,
(E) George Sparks, born Sept. 30, 1880, in Sherwood; died June 22, 1958. He married Coral Belle Schenek on Sept. 25, 1905, She was born July 3, 1885, in Pine Grove and died Jan, 27, 1961. Both are buried in Plainfield Cemetery. Their children were:
(1) Fern, born Apr. 12, 1906; (2) Vera, born Nov. 10, 1907; and (3) Dora, born Apr. 22, 1911. All born at Pine Grove.
(F) Arthur Sparks, born Oct. 20, 1883, in Sherwood; died Apr. 9, 1952. He married Sophia Eggen on July 10, 1911. She lives
now in Wisconsin Rapids. They had two children: (1) Henry, born May 14, 1913; and (2) Vivian, born Dec. 29, 1917.
(G) Sylvia Sparks, born Sept. 10, 1888, in Sherwood; died Apr, 13, 1921; buried in Sherwood Cemetery. She married Dave Janes, a cousin, Their children were: (1) Edna Mae, born July 21, 1907; (2) Ellen Marie, born Mar, 18, 1910; (3) Irma Bloomy,
born July 31, 1911; (4) Joseph Arthur, born Sept, 13, 1912; and (5) Arnold, born July 25, 1915.

(4) Hannah Sparks, daughter of James F. and Sylvia (Calkins) Sparks, was born May 18, 1858, in Sullivan Co., New York, and died Jan., 1, 1917, at Crane, Montana, She married Byron Potter Pickering on Sept. 28, 1866, at either Great Bend or South Gibson, Pennsylvania Byron was born Dec. 31, 1850,. at South Gibson, Pennsylvania, and died Jan, 11, 1920, at Crane, Montana. Both were buried on their son Myron's, farm in a private cemetery.
 

(5) John Sparks, son of James F. and Sylvia (Calkins) Sparks, was born on October 10, 1851, we believe in Sullivan Co., NY. He died at Sherwood March 11, 1915 and was buried at Sherwood. He was married in 1885 to Augusta Messing at Sherwood. She was born Aug. 29, 1868, and died in 1916 at Sidney, Mont. Their children were as follows:

(A) Herbert Sparks1 born Jan. 22, 1886, in Sherwood. He left there about 1906, married and lived on a farm near Tomahawk, Wisconsin Although his wife passed away several years ago, ho is still living on his farm (1969). There were three children: (1) Harold, (2) Maxine, and (3) Gale.
(B) Hanford Sparks, born Oct. 3, 1867, in Sherwood; died about 1965.  He settled in Merrill, Wise., about 1906. He married Lilly
Wageland in 1916. Their children wore: (1) Irene Carol (2) Harlow Everett (3) Lloyd John (4) Bernice Ione (5) Marjorie Elaine (6) Gertrude Arlene and (7) George Frank.
(C) Frank I.ewis Sparks, born June 27, 1889, in Sherwood; died Feb., 1969, in Sidney, Moat. He married Helen Myers in 1936; she
was born Mar. 28, 1912. Children: (1) Loran Frank (2) Lloyd Albert and (3) Wayne.  All were born in Sidney.
(D) Mindwell Amanda Sparks, born April 12, 1892 at Sherwood; died Feb. 3, 19145, at Sidney, Mont. She married Everett Baldwin on Aug. Ii, 1912, at Sidney. He was born June 5, 1892; died June 13, 1957. Children: (1) Myrtle Vivian, born Aug. 214, 1913, married tester Rozell on Dec. 8, 1930; (2) Evelyn Bernice born Apr. 10, 1915, married Guy Ensign Nov. 24, 1938; (3) Wesley Earl, born Aug. 30, 1918, died April, 1952; (14) Agnes Augusta married Glen Howard, Dec. 31, 1938, married (second) James McCluland, and married (third) William Mueller; (5) Beulah Mindwell married Kenneth Ketchum Feb., 1944.
(E) Florence Sparks, born June 22, 1896, at Sherwood; died in 1956 or 1957. She married Lou Nicolls and they lived near Custer, S.D., in the Black Hills region. They had four children: (1) Vivian; (2) Robert Lee; (3) Lake lone; and (14) Corben Canton.
(F) Clifton Sparks, born Feb. 2, 1901, at Sherwood. He died in 1966, He married Loma Brigs and they lived near Sacramento, Calif. Children: (1) Augusta; (2) Wilbur; (3) Beatrice Ione; (4) Mildred; (5) Elery; (6) John; (7) Martha; and (8) Roger.
(G) Elery Sparks, born June 27, 1903, at Sherwood; died in 1918.
(H) Bernice Ainanda Sparks, born Dec. 26, 1906, at Sherwood. She married James Cunduff in December 1922. Children: (1) William; (2) Helen; (3) Cora Bell; and (4) Ruth Rebecca.
(I) Glance M. Sparks, born Jan. 31, 1911, at Sherwood; married Shorty DeVries in 1929 at Sidney Mont. He died on April 1, 1940. Children: (l) Johnsie; (2) Siebrigje; (3) Phyllis; and (4) Milton.
(J) Robert Sparks, born March 27, 1913, at Sherwood. He married Mildred Boggs at Sidney. Children: (l) Robert Clifton; (2) Virginia Lee; (3) Myrtle; and (4) James.

(6) James Sparks, son of James F. and Sylvia (Calkins) Sparks, and a twin of John Sparks, was born Oct, 10, 1851, in Sullivan Co.., New York He died on Jan. 11, 1928, at Beloit, Wise., and is buried in Plainfield Cemetery beside his mother, Sylvia Sparks. For several years, he lived at the home of his brother, John. In 1901 he married Ada Hail, & widow, at Nevins, Wisconsin, where she and her daughter Emaline were staying. She was born on Sept. 3, 1865. James and Ada had two daughters:

(A) Jewell, born Oct. 10,1903, married Donald Scott; and

(B) DoIly Maria, born Mar. 23, 1906, died 1963; she married (first) Keith Hill and (second) Robert Behrens.

(7) Jesse Sparks, son of James F. and Sylvia (Calkins) Sparks, was born Nov. 18, 1855, in Sullivan Co., New York, and died in 1950.. He married Laura Messing in 1892. She was born June 28, 1873, at Almond, Wise., and died in 1938. Both are buried in the Sherwood Cemetery. Their children were:

(A) Hattie May Sparks, born Jan. 21, 1893; died May 23, 1963. She married Reuben Fields, who died in April 1968, Both are buried in the Sherwood Cemetery. They had two sons: (1) Wilbur, who is married and lives in Granton, Wise.; and (2) Alfred, who teaches school.
(B) Edith Ethel Sparks, born Dec. 31, 189k, at Sherwood. She married Bert Todd, who died on Feb.. 27, 1969. Children: (1) Mildred; (2) Elaine; (3) James Robert; (5) Russell; (5) Maxine; and (6) Rebecca,
(C) Esther Naomi Sparks, born March 16, 1897; died Jan.. 26, 1924; buried in the Sherwood Cemetery. She married Alfred Anderson,
(D) Helen Sparks, born May 31, 1699, at Sherwood; died May 5, 1963. She let a colorful life as a school teacher in the nearby district schools.. She never married.
(E) Hazel Sparks, twin of Helen, born May 31, 1899; died 1951.
(F) Daniel Sparks, born Feb, 28, 1904, at Sherwood.

(8) Robert William Sparks, son of James F. and Sylvia (Calkins) Sparks, was born on Feb. 28, 1859, in Sullivan Co., New York; he died on Sept. 5, 1936, at Hood River, Oregon. He married Julia Messing on Oct.. 3, 1883, She was born Nov. 5, 1861, at Almond, Wisconsin, and died Aug. 13, 1939, at Hood River. They lived on a farm at Nevins, Sherwood Twp., for many years where all their children were born. In 1905 the family, with all the children except the oldest daughter, migrated to Oregon, settling in the Hood River district. They had ten children:

(A) Laura Grace Sparks, born Sept. 22, 188k; died July 28, 1909, in Wisconsin Rapids, whore she lived after marrying Michael Mason in June 1903. They had two children: (1) Lloyd, born June 8, 1904 at Nevins; and (2) Margaret, born July 22,1906, at Wisconsin Rapids.
(B) Myra Viola Sparks, born March 30, 1886, at Nevins; died July 8, 1968 she married Grover McKee on July 3, 1908, at Vancouver, Wash. He was born March 9, 1885, and died Nov. 25, 1951. Children: (1) Edyth born June 1, 1911, married Isaac Bowman on Jan. 10, 1940 (2) Kenneth, born June 1, 1911, married Ruth L. Larson on Aug. 9, 1941; (3) Grace, born Sept. 8, 1918, died Nov. 10, 1918; (4) Robert, born Apr. 25, 1921, married Theda Hall on Aug. 3, l944; and (5) Margaret, born Sept. 21, 1924, married Earl Jorgenson on Oct. 8, 1948.
(C) Edna May Sparks, born May 27, 1887, at Nevins. She went west with her parents and married a Charles Dickson in Oct. 1907. She died May 28, 1926, from an accident, wall dying in her sleep, she stepped out of a second story window, They- had one son, Harold Clifford, born Sept. 2, 1908, died Jan. 6, 1926.
(D) Bessie Naomi Sparks, born Oct. 28, 1888, at Nevins; died Dec. 12, 1962. She married Ernest Monroe, March 1k, 1913.
(E) Cyrus Clyde Sparks, born April 8, 1890, at Nevins; died Feb. 6, 1921, at Hood River. Never married.
(F) Margaret Elizabeth Sparks, born Dec. 1, 1892, at Nevins; died Nov. 8, 1918, at Hood River.
(G) Inez Lillie Sparks, born Nov. 8, 1894, at Nevins; died May 18, 1928, at Hood River. Never married.
(H) Walter George Sparks, born Aug. 25, 1898, at Nevins; he married Eva Getchel.
(I) Kenneth Rollin Sparks, born Dec. 17, 1900, at Nevins. He married Lillian Lucille McDonald. Children: (1) Virginia, born July 28, 1925, married Kenneth Jubb; (2) Earl, born Aug. 8, 1926, married Betty L. Osentowski; and (3) Mike, born Oct. 9, 19k6.
(J) Loren Milton Sparks, born Aug. 20, 1902, at Nevins; married Edith Mae Harper. They have one child, Julia LaVelle, born July 14, 1924; she married William Frank Seebauer.

John, Jesse, and Robert Sparks (all sons of James Freeman Sparks) lived on small farms in the vicinity of  Byron and Hannah (Sparks) Pickering in Sherwood Township, Clark County, Wisconsin. They were Hannah's brothers.  The farms in that area tended to be unprofitable and not lucrative enough to support large families with the necessary food and clothing. Byron and Hannah were their "back-up supporters" who provided a helping hand and food when necessary. When Byron operated his mill, he employed them and the money they earned was always welcomed.  He also hired them and their sons for farm labor.

Nevins, Wisconsin had no significant employment possibilities other than farming for the young people. Consequently, when they were old enough, they left home to seek employment in more populated villages and towns.  The girls often moved away as a result of marriage.

Robert unsuccessfully attempted to supplement his meager farm income. So, when the Pickerings moved west, Robert also packed up his family and belongings to make a new home on the West Coast and homesteaded a claim near Hood River, Oregon.

John Sparks chose to remain at Nevins, but after his death, his wife Augusta, along with their younger children and third son, Frank, removed to Sidney, Montana and Augusta remarried.  An older daughter had also settled there and the Pickerings were nearby too.

Jesse Sparks also remained at Nevins where he and his children managed to improved their farm. His daughter, Helen, taught in the nearby schools while living at home and helping with the care of the family.

James Freeman Sparks, known as Grandpa Sparks to the inhabitants of his locality, is remembered as a  loveable and colorful individual. Although lived with in the house and with the family of his oldest daughter, Elizabeth, he made frequent visits to his daughter Hannah and his four sons, along with other nearby relatives. This offered him a pleasurable variance to living in just one place and a chance to enjoy his entire family. It was not unusual to see him making his way along the rough roads, carrying a carpet bag stashed with a few personal belongings and a supply of Liniment, pills and salve, to peddle along the way. The spending money this provided bought him some financial independence.

At his death, James Freeman was survived by seven children and nearly one hundred grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.