John Wesley SPARLING / Mary Isabelle COVEYOU

INDEX

[348] J.W. SPARLING, Supervisor for Seney township, Schoolcraft county, Mich�igan, may be termed a self-made man and is one whose push and en�terprise would make him a desirable acces�sion to any community. He dates his resi�dence in the northern peninsula from 1880, which year he left his native heath in Can�ada and came, via Chicago, to Marquette. He found employment as a common laborer in the lumber woods with Ransom, Burtiss & Marsh, a Chicago firm, and remained with them two years. In the autumn of 1882 he engaged with Perry, Pierson & Company scaling logs, and the next spring went to South Manistique and took a clerk�ship in the company's store. He held that position till 1885, when, in November, he came to Seney for that company's success�ors, the North Shore Lumber Company, as office clerk in charge of the distributing warehouse. After two and a half years he waspromoted as superintendent of their lumber�ing operations, a position he still holds.
Ever since becoming identified with Seney Mr. Sparling has taken a laudable in�terest in its affairs. He casts his vote and influence with the Republican party, has been recognized by his fellow citizens as worthy of official position, and has on two occasions been elected to office. In 1886 he was made Township Treasurer, and in the spring of the present year, 1895, he was elected Supervisor for Seney township.
Mr. Sparling was born in Bruce county, Ontario, Canada, September 11, 1860, and grew to manhood on his father's farm, his mental culture being limited to training in the common schools. His father, Loftus Sparling, was born in county Armagh, Ire�land, in 1821, son of George Sparling, and in his youth came across the Atlantic with his father and located in Canada. There he grew up and married Miss Mary Ann Baker, like himself, of Irish origin, and they became the parents of ten children, eight of whom are living, namely: Lydia ]., wife Robert Wickett; Eliza Ann and John C., all in Bruce county, Ontario; Mrs James Nicoll, Pine Plains, Manitoba; W. J., West Superior, Wisconsin; Edward E., Seney, Michigan; J. W., whose name graces this article; and Loftus D., a school-teacher at Sintaluta, Manitoba.
J. W. Sparling was united in marriage at Cadillac, Michigan, July n, 1890, to Miss Mary I. Coveyou, daughter of Frank Coveyou, a Frenchman, and nee Mary I. McCarroll, of Irish parentage. The other members of the Coveyou family are Jennie, wife of George Wall, of Cadillac; and Ed�win, Mack and Ida, near Petoskey, on the home farm. Mr. and Mrs. Sparling's chil�dren are three in number and as follows:
Mary Lena, aged four years; Lawrence Alberton, two years; and Francis Ellis, four months.

- Memorial record of the northern peninsula of Michigan. Chicago. Lewis Pub. Co.. 1895 Pages 151,152

[347] Baptized by Rev Isaac B Tallman. Richard ???

[1374] Death cert gives dob as 15 jan 1896

[734] Staying with sister Isabel and husband Clarke Butterfield.

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