Francis A. SINKS family

Quoted from: SINKS: A FAMILY HISTORY - Page 66 & 67 - The Francis A. SINKS family
Submitted By: Mary Zinzilieta

Francis SINKS died on 17 January 1909 in West Frankfort.  
Delphia lived until December 11, 1931, when she also died in West Frankfort.  
They are buried at Oddfellow's Cemetery in West Frankfort, a few hundred yards 
from the Cemetery of the Trinty Methodist Church where Salem and Sarah (BALDWIN) SINKS 
are buried. A Methodist Minister, the Reverend Z. T. WALKER, came from Washington, 
Indiana to preach the funeral sermon. The Congregational Church closed its doors not 
long after Francis died. An obituary, typical of the time for its flowery style, 
appears in the appendices.

Before turning to children, let us examine the ancestry of Philadephia (HOPPER) SINKS, 
Francis' wife. We know fairly little of her paternal ancestry. Her grandparents were 
Thomas and Philadelphia (FERGUSON) HOPPER, who moved from Tennessee to Jefferson County, IL, 
sometime prior to the 1830 Federal Census. Delphia's father, Joshua, was born in Tennessee 
about 1813. Much more is know about her maternal line. Not only did some of her maternal 
relatives publish biographical sketches in "Portrait and Biographical Record of Clinton, 
Washington, Marion and Jefferson Counties, Illinois, but Lenna SMITH prepared a document, 
"Smith Family Notes" for the Smith Family Association. Delphia was a descendant of Abraham 
and Joanna (BATEMAN) SMITH of Tyrrell Co., NC. Abraham died sometime before 11 Oct 1800 and 
directed in his will that the family move to Tennessee. By 1802, they had settled in Hickman Co., 
Tennessee. Isaac SMITH, son of Abraham and Joanna, married Millie HASSELL in Hickman Co. 
on December 20, 1803. She was born in Tyrrell Co., NC on November 18, 1874, and was the 
daughter of Benjamin and Mary "Polly" (CORNWELL) HASSELL. (Mary "Polly" CORNWELL may be CASWELL.)  
Isaac enlisted in the army during the "War of 1812" and served as a corporal in Captain 
CARUTHER's Company, 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Militia. 

Polly Nix SMITH, the seventh child of Isaac and Polly, was born on December 17, 1818.    
She married Joshua HOPPER and they had three children of whom we have knowledge:  
Linda, Philadelphia born December 26, 1838, JCI, and Joyce born 1841, IL.  Linda may 
have married a BALDWIN. Joyce married Bird CONLEY and moved to LeGrande, Oregon.  
After Polly's death, which was before the 1850 Federal Census was taken, Joshua married 
a woman named Adeline. It is difficult for us to distinguish Delphia's half siblings from 
her full siblings. Our list, which is based on the memories of older family members, may 
well be incomplete.....Then begins the children of Francis and Delphia (HOPPER) SINKS.