Sparks, David Jasper

SPARKS, SIMMS, BREWER, MARTIN

Posted By: june (email)
Date: 1/1/2004 at 20:13:21

Osborne County Kansas

David Jasper Sparks (son of Jeremiah S Sparks and Nancy Simms Sparks)came to Kansas as a young boy 21 years of age in 1878. He settled in Bull City Osborne County, Kansas. He worked for General Bull in his store. He hauled freight and supplies for the store from Russell, Kansas. He was on one of these trips when the General was killed. (By a pet elk)

He took a homestead claim (160 acres) and a timber claim (160 acres) north of Bull City four and one-half miles in Grant township. He dug a one room dugout and lived in it first.

He married Clarissa Prisillia Brewer on April 1, 1880. He then built a larger 2 room sod house next to the 1st dugout. They lived here until after the next 2 children were born. He then build a frame house one-fourth mile north on the opposite side of the road on the timber claim It was here that the rest of the family was born.
David was educated in a Quaker Seminary in Iowa and was always interested in education and church work. He donated the corner of his homestead, where he had built the sod houses, for the school building (Willowdale School) and the church (Willowdale Evangelical United Brethern Church). These continued here until the community became enlarged. The school became consolidated with the school district to the north and became Fairdale School. There was a parsonage built in its place, but the church was later united with the Congregational Church in Alton, Ks, The building was torn down. The property then reverted to the then owner of the land adjoining it as was requested in the original deed.

Dave lived on this farm until 1915 moving into Alton Ks at times in the winter where the children might attend high school. He raised wheat as the major crop: also alfalfa for the cattle and he raised hogs. He operated his own threshing machine and threshed wheat all
over the neighborhood.

He was always willing to be of service to the community. He served many years on the school board and also became class leader in the Willowdale Church when there was no minister attending. The ministers divided their preaching with 3 other rural churches in the north and west communities.

He became interested in the southern coastal part of Texas. He sold real estate for that area and in 1915 he traded his property for property in Collegeport, Texas and moved there with his wife and 3 youngest children. He became postmaster there in Collegeport and remained there until 1918 when they returned to Alton, Ks. He lived in Alton until 1924. He then moved to Seattle Washington and resided there until his death on July 17, 1925. His remains were brought back to Alton for burial in the Alton cemetery.
He was a charter member of the Alton Custer Lodge of Odd Fellows, also the Masonic Order and the Modern Woodmen of America.

The larger number of the family migrated to the west and around Seattle, Wa where they lived until they have all died there. Areta Miller was the only one who remained near Alton with her family all her life. Jerry moved in later life to Michigan. Almina Martin still lives in Seattle, the only surviving child at this time.

The children of David and Clarissa are:
1. Nellie Viola Sparks December 11, 1880-November 08, 1956
2. Claude J. Sparks September 30, 1883-September 08, 1945
3. John Theadore Sparks December 04, 1885-June 01, 1957
4. Mable Orpha Sparks February 21, 1888-February 21, 1888
5. Laura Areta Sparks January 11, 1890-October 14, 1969
6. Ethel Leone Sparks February 11, 1892-October 26, 1973
7. Jerry Clifford Sparks January 29, 1894- March 01, 1969
8. Esther Jane Sparks October 06, 1894-April 09, 1955
9. Lovell Adair Sparks September 13, 1898-August 15, 1961
10. Almina May Sparks November 20, 1900-February 13, 1988