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Below is a sample of a family biography included in the Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Cleveland County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed in 1890.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details in a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

John C. Sparks, farmer and stock-raiser, Gray Woods, Ark. In Franklin County, Tenn., in 1849, was born to Solomon and Jane (Champion) Sparks, a son, whom we now take as the subject of this sketch. He was the eldest of five sons and five daughters, four sons and three daughters now living, and received but a limited education. He was married in 1870 to Miss Martha E. Benson, daughter of Stephen and Sarah G. Benson, who were originally from North Carolina, but came to Dallas County, Ark., about 1852, and there received their final summons. Mrs. Sparks was born in North Carolina and died in 1883, leaving two sons and a daughter. She was a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. Spark's second marriage occurred in 1886 to Miss Nannie J. Faucett, a native of Cleveland County, and the daughter of Joseph A. and Nannie Faucett, natives of North Carolina. Her parents afterward moved to Arkansas and Mrs. Faucett died in Cleveland County soon after. Mr. Faucett is still living and resides at Pine Bluff. He was a soldier in the late war. To Mr. and Mrs. Sparks was born one child, a son. After his first marriage Mr. Sparks settled in the woods on his present farm, which consists of 1,000 acres of the best land in the county. He now has 150 acres under cultivation and is one of the most extensive stock-raisers in Cleveland County, raising annually about 100 head of cattle and about 200 hogs. In politics he is Democratic. Mrs. Sparks is a member of the Methodist Church. Mr. Sparks parents were born, reared and married in Franklin County, Tenn. In 1852 they moved to Dallas County, Ark., where they resided for about ten years, and then removed to what is now Cleveland County, Saline Township. There they improved a good farm and there died in 1874 and 1869, respectively. Mr. Sparks was a farmer, and was justice of the peace for some time in Cleveland County. He was in the Tennessee Regiment Infantry during the Mexican War, and also served about two years in the Confederate army during the late Civil War in the Arkansas Cavalry. While at home on a furlough he was captured and imprisoned at Little Rock for about four months. His father, Jonathan Sparks, was also a native of Tennessee, but came to Dallas County, Ark., where he died, about the beginning of the war; he was also a farmer. The maternal grandfather, Randall Champion, was a farmer and died in Tennessee.

This family biography is one of 75 biographies included in the Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Cleveland County, Arkansas published in 1890.  For the complete description, click here: Cleveland County Arkansas History, Genealogy and Maps

      View additional Cleveland County, Arkansas biographies here: Cleveland County, Arkansas Genealogy

This site features a growing collection of more than 375 Arkansas Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Massachusetts Missouri North Carolina Ohio Tennessee Texas County History and Genealogy titles.  Click on the links above or the navigation buttons on the upper left sidebar to view other titles available. Click on the SEARCH tab to search our entire inventory.

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