Pictured: Cathy, hubby, & kids (now grown), pose for their 1st family photo, in Summer 2001. The adoption became finalized in early 2002.

Bio: The Sparks family lives on the East side of Nashville, in a cantankerous 78 year old Tudor Revival cottage. Hubs is a talented freelance writer, former columnist, community theatre actor, college instructor, and occasional doctoral student, aside from his day job. That full-time gig is doing client services for the leader in software used by professional tax preparers, so I'm what's called a "tax widow" from late December-April, as he works 10-12 hour days, 6 days a week. Our oldest son, who has an intellectual disability, is a talented artist, who never meets a stranger. He enjoys mainstream and special needs fellowships, camp, playing Special Olympics sports, concerts, and going to dances, movies, and restaurants on dates. He is gearing up for appropriate independence, as a young adult. To that end, he'll be heading to a post-secondary school with dorms, after he vacates his tiny apartment at home. (All aboard the EMPTY NEST EXPRESS---woo-hoo!) Our daughter is a graduating senior at a college in the Midwest, who spent much of her Freshman year in Siberia, earning a 3.7 gpa! She is recently married to an ordained seminary grad, and they've opened their home to our 1at foster grandson. The youngest lives in another Southern state, enjoying blue collar work, gaming, and community college, when life allows. He and his bride have given us granddaughters born in late 2015 and summer of 2017. They have a 3rd little one on the way in September 2018. I (Cathy) enjoy genealogy, writing, graphic design, travel, and entertaining. I'm hoping to become certified in counseling and life coaching, following a career in ministry, non-profit, and social work. We attend a diverse church, loosely affiliated with the So. Baptist denomination, which also offers community-based Bible study groups & Sunday worship.

Tennessee Research Interests Include SURNAMES:
Allen---Loudon
Arnold---Rutherford, Wilson
Austin---Dickson, Madison
Blair---Washington
Boze---Smith
Brooks---Overton, Loudon
Brown---TN, County Unknown
Buford---Davidson (Af. Am.)
Cardwell---Smith
Chapman---Loudon, Cumberland, Roane
Colwell---TN, County Unknown
Conatser---Fentress
Crisp---Blount
Crowder---Blount
Cry/Crye---Cumberland, Loudon, Bledsoe, Anderson, Bradley, Blount
Estes---Davidson, Wilson, Hickman, Haywood, Dickson, Knox, Smith
Gibbs---Smith, Hickman
Gore---Smith
Goodner---Bradley, Smith, Dekalb
Grasham---Smith
Hagins/Higgins---Bradley
Hall---Dickson
Heaton---Montgomery
Hendrick---Blount, Stewart
Henson---Loudon, Blount
Hudgins---Franklin, Williamson, Hickman
Humphrey/Humphreys/Humphries---Blount, Washington, Monroe, Loudon
Johnson---Davidson (Af. Am.)
Jones---Overton
Kefauver---Monroe
Kellar---Cumberland, Blount
Kemp---Wilson, Smith
Knight---Davidson, Smith, Montgomery, Macon
Knight---Davidson (Af. Am.)
Lacy---Hickman
Laird---Washington
Ledbetter---Overton, Fentress
Livingston---Fentress
Lyons---Overton, Scott
Matthews---Smith, Coffee, Warren, Davidson
Maynard---Smith
McLean---Cumberland, Montgomery
McClung---Washington
McKinley---Loudon, Knox
McLin---Lincoln, Blount, Washington, Hawkins
Miller---Cumberland, Rhea
Montague---Smith
Mullins---Dickson, Overton
Parker---Jackson, Smith
Patton---Williamson
Petty/Patty/Paty---Smith, Dekalb, Hickman, Davidson, Obion
Phillips---Overton, Smith
Poor/Poore---Knox, Overton
Puckett---Rutherford
Ramsey---Overton, Putnam, Morgan
Ransom---Unicoi
Reeder/Reader---Overton, Fentress
Robbins---Overton, Fentress, Pickett, Jackson, Blount
See/Seay---TN, County Unknown
Sells---Overton, Fentress
Sheets---Hawkins, Loudon, Monroe, Blount, Knox
Smith---Smith, Cumberland, Davidson, Montgomery, Macon
Staley---Dickson
Stepp---Fentress
Stewart---Bradley, Blount
Stone---Hickman, Davidson
Thompson---Loudon, Carroll
Tilson---Loudon, Greene, Unicoi
Tinnel---Loudon, Roane
Toler---Montgomery
Tuck---Cumberland, Blount
Tyler---Hickman
Vance---Smith, Giles, Williamson
Wampler---Loudon, Bradley, Monroe, McMinn
York---Fentress
Young---Maury
NOTE: This is primarily my side of the family, direct lineage. In a couple of instances, the surnamed family is related by marriage, & is very closely allied with the family. Our children are adopted, & their line is noted as Af. Am.. We consider their family tree, of which little is, thus far, known, to be grafted onto ours. I am happy to collaborate, or to share any family history information I find.

Pictured: Cathy, hubby, & kids (now grown), pose for their 1st family photo, in Summer 2001. The adoption became finalized in early 2002.

Bio: The Sparks family lives on the East side of Nashville, in a cantankerous 78 year old Tudor Revival cottage. Hubs is a talented freelance writer, former columnist, community theatre actor, college instructor, and occasional doctoral student, aside from his day job. That full-time gig is doing client services for the leader in software used by professional tax preparers, so I'm what's called a "tax widow" from late December-April, as he works 10-12 hour days, 6 days a week. Our oldest son, who has an intellectual disability, is a talented artist, who never meets a stranger. He enjoys mainstream and special needs fellowships, camp, playing Special Olympics sports, concerts, and going to dances, movies, and restaurants on dates. He is gearing up for appropriate independence, as a young adult. To that end, he'll be heading to a post-secondary school with dorms, after he vacates his tiny apartment at home. (All aboard the EMPTY NEST EXPRESS---woo-hoo!) Our daughter is a graduating senior at a college in the Midwest, who spent much of her Freshman year in Siberia, earning a 3.7 gpa! She is recently married to an ordained seminary grad, and they've opened their home to our 1at foster grandson. The youngest lives in another Southern state, enjoying blue collar work, gaming, and community college, when life allows. He and his bride have given us granddaughters born in late 2015 and summer of 2017. They have a 3rd little one on the way in September 2018. I (Cathy) enjoy genealogy, writing, graphic design, travel, and entertaining. I'm hoping to become certified in counseling and life coaching, following a career in ministry, non-profit, and social work. We attend a diverse church, loosely affiliated with the So. Baptist denomination, which also offers community-based Bible study groups & Sunday worship.

Tennessee Research Interests Include SURNAMES:
Allen---Loudon
Arnold---Rutherford, Wilson
Austin---Dickson, Madison
Blair---Washington
Boze---Smith
Brooks---Overton, Loudon
Brown---TN, County Unknown
Buford---Davidson (Af. Am.)
Cardwell---Smith
Chapman---Loudon, Cumberland, Roane
Colwell---TN, County Unknown
Conatser---Fentress
Crisp---Blount
Crowder---Blount
Cry/Crye---Cumberland, Loudon, Bledsoe, Anderson, Bradley, Blount
Estes---Davidson, Wilson, Hickman, Haywood, Dickson, Knox, Smith
Gibbs---Smith, Hickman
Gore---Smith
Goodner---Bradley, Smith, Dekalb
Grasham---Smith
Hagins/Higgins---Bradley
Hall---Dickson
Heaton---Montgomery
Hendrick---Blount, Stewart
Henson---Loudon, Blount
Hudgins---Franklin, Williamson, Hickman
Humphrey/Humphreys/Humphries---Blount, Washington, Monroe, Loudon
Johnson---Davidson (Af. Am.)
Jones---Overton
Kefauver---Monroe
Kellar---Cumberland, Blount
Kemp---Wilson, Smith
Knight---Davidson, Smith, Montgomery, Macon
Knight---Davidson (Af. Am.)
Lacy---Hickman
Laird---Washington
Ledbetter---Overton, Fentress
Livingston---Fentress
Lyons---Overton, Scott
Matthews---Smith, Coffee, Warren, Davidson
Maynard---Smith
McLean---Cumberland, Montgomery
McClung---Washington
McKinley---Loudon, Knox
McLin---Lincoln, Blount, Washington, Hawkins
Miller---Cumberland, Rhea
Montague---Smith
Mullins---Dickson, Overton
Parker---Jackson, Smith
Patton---Williamson
Petty/Patty/Paty---Smith, Dekalb, Hickman, Davidson, Obion
Phillips---Overton, Smith
Poor/Poore---Knox, Overton
Puckett---Rutherford
Ramsey---Overton, Putnam, Morgan
Ransom---Unicoi
Reeder/Reader---Overton, Fentress
Robbins---Overton, Fentress, Pickett, Jackson, Blount
See/Seay---TN, County Unknown
Sells---Overton, Fentress
Sheets---Hawkins, Loudon, Monroe, Blount, Knox
Smith---Smith, Cumberland, Davidson, Montgomery, Macon
Staley---Dickson
Stepp---Fentress
Stewart---Bradley, Blount
Stone---Hickman, Davidson
Thompson---Loudon, Carroll
Tilson---Loudon, Greene, Unicoi
Tinnel---Loudon, Roane
Toler---Montgomery
Tuck---Cumberland, Blount
Tyler---Hickman
Vance---Smith, Giles, Williamson
Wampler---Loudon, Bradley, Monroe, McMinn
York---Fentress
Young---Maury
NOTE: This is primarily my side of the family, direct lineage. In a couple of instances, the surnamed family is related by marriage, & is very closely allied with the family. Our children are adopted, & their line is noted as Af. Am.. We consider their family tree, of which little is, thus far, known, to be grafted onto ours. I am happy to collaborate, or to share any family history information I find.