Fannie Irene Courts

1875 - Bef 1910  (35 years)

• Name	Fannie Irene Courts
  Birth	1875	Sparks Settlement, Aurora, Jefferson Co, Texas
  Gender	Female
  Census	12 Jun 1880	Beaumont (District 40), Jefferson Co, Texas
  	12 Jun 1880 Beaumont (District 40), Jefferson Co, Texas 210 Court, William 21 work at saw mill TX - TX Darinda, 22 wife Texas Georgia Texas Danie 3 dau TX Benton 1 son TX 211 J.M. COURT Self M Male W 50 LA Wagoning ENGLAND LA Julia A. COURT Wife M Female W 43 TN Keeping House NC AL Helma (Helmer) COURT Son S Male W 18 TX Wagoner LA TN James COURT Son S Male W 15 TX At Home LA TN Annie COURT Dau S Female W 12 TX At Home LA TN Lillian COURT Dau S Female W 8 TX At Home LA TN Fannie COURT Dau S Female W 5 TX At Home LA TN Emmet COURT Son S Male W 3 TX At Home LA TN Viola COURT Dau S Female W 11M TX At Home LA TN 213 Court, Clifton 25 1855 raftsman TX LA TN Fannie 26 1854 TX TN TN Ella M. 3 1877 TX (Peter Stockholm & Pierre Frugia in this community. No Sparks or Blocks or Burrrells. Must be Beaumont proper.)
  		1880 Texas, Jefferson County, Beaumont (District 40) Census Courts, James Madison and Julia Sparks Courts, and Helmer, James, Annie, Lillian, Fannie, Emmett, Viola, also Clifton Courts and family and William Courts and family.
  Death	Bef 1910	Jefferson Co, Texas
  Other-Begin	30 Sep 1952	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	court case: Smith graves
  		McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead 1952 Article Beaumont Enterprise; "Early Burials Found on Neches"; "One of Area Private Cemeteries Uncovered on DuPont Tract"
  		Court Cause No. 16187: "W.P.H. McFaddin, Jr., et al, vs. Unknown Heirs of Caroline Sparks, et al" 30 Sep 1952 named deceased persons to-wit: Caroline Sparks, Edward Sparks, John L. Sparks, William Sparks, Joseph Sparks, Susan Sparks Crawford, Phillip Crawford, James C. Sparks, Lura Sparks Spriggs, James M. Court, Julia A. Court, James F. Court, Lillian Court Smith, Irvin Smith, Francis Court Sparks, Viola Court Sparks, Madison Court, Sarah A. Court, Edna Court, Beulah Court, a Mrs. E. Bordeman and child... 45.7 acres on T.F. Smith homestead tract; included in league bought by J.S. Johnson in 1924, who later conveyed the property to E.I. DuPont in 1952, at which time private cemetery was discovered. Court proceedings to have the remains relocated. The following family members not named in the suit but were included in cemetery records: in Grave 1 were: Tilda Courts, Homer Courts, Caudine (Claudie) Courts, Estie baby Courts, Carmel Courts, (unknown), Buff Courts, (unknown), James C Sparks Sr, Fred Frugia (unknown), Genevia Frugia), Florence Frugia (unknown), Brad Courts Sr.
  Other-Begin	10 Aug 1961	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	court case: Smith graves
  	Court Cause No. 16107 W.P.H. McFaddin, Jr., et al vs Unknown Heirs of Caroline Sparks, et al Court Cause No. 18399 W.P.H. McFaddin, Jr., et al vs Robert S. Frugia, et al Court Cause No. 20324 W.P.H. McFaddin, Jr. et al vs. Coy V. Courts, et al (Sr.) On this 10th day of August 1961, came on to be heard the application of the plaintiffs in the above entitled and numbered cause for an order of the court showing that the plaintiffs have complied with the judgments previously entered in said cause and further showing that the plaintiffs or their successors in interest are entitled to the free and unrestricted use of the land hereinafter described, as set forth in plaintiff's petition in the above entitled and numbered causes... (pgs 10-13 of attached pdf)
  		McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead Forest Lawn Index Card on occupants of graves.
  Burial	McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  		McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead Grave 3 FRUGE, Fred ? ---- FRUGE, Genevia prob sis of Pete Fruge Jr who m Julia Courts, d/o Elias FRUGE, Alice - not sis to Genevia; she's buried in Magnolia. FRUGE, Florence, ? ---- SPARKS, Edward ? ---- SPARKS, Caroline Martha Caroline Smith m Solomon Sparks ---- SPARKS, Viola Courts dau of James & Julia ---- SPARKS, Frances Courts prob Fannie Irene Courts d/o James & Julia, m Jacob S Sparks (son of ?) ----
  		McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead McFaddin Cemetery was located on property south of Beaumont, in Port Neches, Central Gardens at a location within the grounds of where DuPont is now. The cemetery was discovered in the Fifties, and due to the impending construction of the plant. (See attached newspaper coverage). There were about 30 people buried there whose remains were subsequently placed in four separate concrete boxes and relocated to Forest Lawn Cemetery where they were laid once again to rest in the Garden of Peace section. The headstones for the four graves are all identical, reading simply "TF Smith Homstead Tract Cemetery." The detailed list of occupants only exist on an index card in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park records (see copy attached). All of these people were either residents or descendants of the Sparks Settlement, also called Aurora, (what later became Port Arthur. The families were predominantly the Sparks, Courts and Gentz families and other family names who married into these families. Sparks Settlement was abandoned in late 1800s due to storms and disease; even the houses were moved. Most of them started another community in the Port Neches, Central Gardens area where they started a new cemetery - i.e. what was called the McFaddin Cemetery. Sparks Cemetery was also abandoned. The occupants of that cemetery, those who died while the community was active, were never moved; only recognized by a historical marker placed in a boulevard on DeQueen at Lakeshore (see photo). There is some false information on the Internet that the remains in Sparks Cemetery were removed to Forest Lawn. But what I have been able to discover is that is not the case. It is the later cemetery, McFaddin Cemetery, that was removed. There is also some belief that the cemetery was used even into the 1920s for burial needs; but that also seems to be mistaken information. The were fine and strong and brave pioneers who I am so proud to call my ancestors. They helped build our community here, and somehow, I hope to bring to mind the signifcance of those four plain little headstones marked simply "TF Smith Homestead Tract Cemetery."
  		McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead
  		McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Garden of Peace Section
  		McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Garden of Peace Section
  Notes	1880: Not listed in James' household. Frances Courts Sparks listed in T.F. Smith Homestead graves - also a Joseph Sparks. Is J.S. Sparks Joseph? Court, Fannie Irene (*1870 - ) - female spouse: Sparks, Jacob S. (~1869 - ) - m. 13 JAN 1892 in Jefferson County, TX ----------child: Sparks, Dhi (~1892 - ) ----------child: Sparks, Pearl (~1894 - ) ----------child: Sparks, Herbert Custard (~1897 - 1918) ----------child: Sparks, Ray (~1900 - ) ----------child: Sparks, Alice (~1903 - ) ----------child: Sparks, Nettie B. (~1905 - ) --------------------------------------------------------
  Person ID	I536	Roots
  Last Modified	16 Dec 2012

  
  

  Father	James* Madison Court,   b. 1829, Louisiana d. Aft 15 Aug 1899, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age > 70 years)
  Mother	Julia* Ann Sparks,   b. 13 Oct 1836, Franklin Co, Tennessee d. 25 Jan 1925, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 88 years)
  Marriage	15 Oct 1850	Jefferson Co, Texas   [1]
  	Name: James Courts Marriage Date: 15 Oct 1850 Spouse: Julia Ann Sparks Marriage County: Jefferson Marriage State: Texas Source: County Court Records - FHL microfilm # 1311466 license 12th day of October 1850 by I.K. Robertsosn, county clerk marriage 15th day of October 1850 by William Chisholm, Justice of the Peace, Precinct No. 5.
  		James Madison Court and Julia Sparks Marriage Certificate 15 Oct 1850 Beaumont, Texas
  Documents		Courts, James and Julia Ann Sparks Marriage certificate license 12 Dec 1850 recorded by I.K. Robertson, county clerk of Jefferson County, Texas marriage performed by Wm Chisholm, Justice of the Peace, Jefferson Co, Texas Precinct 5 provided to me by Jaye Hendon on 10/13/2015
  Family ID	F203	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Jacob Sidney "Little Jake" Sparks,   b. 17 Oct 1869, Mentz, Colorado Co, Texas d. 6 Dec 1940, Luling, Caldwell Co, Texas (Age 71 years)
  Marriage	13 Jan 1892	Jefferson Co, Texas   [2]
  Children	1. Dye Vernon Sparks,   b. 1893, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas d. 13 Apr 1953, Luling, Caldwell Co, Texas (Age 60 years)   2. Pearl Sparks-Allen,   b. 1894, Texas d. 23 Dec 1927, Houston, Harris Co, Texas (Age 33 years)   3. Herbert Custard Sparks,   b. 28 Dec 1897, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas d. 09 Oct 1918, Bay City, Matagorda Co, Texas (Age 20 years)   4. Ray James Sparks,   b. 13 Mar 1898, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas d. 19 Mar 1960, Luling, Caldwell Co, Texas (Age 62 years)   5. Alice Sparks,   b. 1903, Texas d. Aft 1910, of, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 8 years)   6. Nettie Sparks,   b. 1905, Texas d. Aft 1910, of, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 6 years)
  Family ID	F263	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	5 Apr 2011

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 1875 - Sparks Settlement, Aurora, Jefferson Co, Texas Marriage - 13 Jan 1892 - Jefferson Co, Texas Death - Bef 1910 - Jefferson Co, Texas Other-Begin - court case: Smith graves - 30 Sep 1952 - Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas Other-Begin - court case: Smith graves - 10 Aug 1961 - Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas Burial - - McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Documents

  Sparks and Aurora Originally published in about 1940, and published on the Internet by "Old and Sold, Turn-of-the-Century wisdom for today." Tells of life among the Sparks and families who lived in the Sparks Settlement in the mid to late 1800s. (d) http://www.oldandsold.com/articles11/port-arthur-4.shtml

  
  

• Sources

  [S371] Marriage license. [S354] Marriage Books A&B Jefferson Co 1837-1899.