Edward Sparling Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 911-912

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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EDWARD SPARLING, a successful agriculturist, residing on the east bank 
of the James river, in Spink county, is the possessor of a fine tract 
of two hundred and forty acres, through which the river winds for a 
mile and a half, and it is to his own energy, perseverance and honesty 
his success is due. Mr. Sparling is a native of Bruce county, Upper 
Province of Canada, and was born October 22, 1855. A sketch of his 
parents, William and Mary (Trelford) Sparling, appears elsewhere in 
this volume. 

Our subject came to Dakota with his brother Henry in 1878, locating his 
land directly across the river from his brother's farm. When fire 
visited the property of his father our subject was in Deuel county with 
four oxen and a wagon. He sent his father the wagon and one yoke of 
oxen, and with the other yoke started for the Wisconsin pineries, 
sometimes riding astride one of the oxen, and sometimes going afoot. 
The first winter in the pineries he cleared two hundred dollars, and 
for the first six winters after the family located in Dakota he made 
regular trips to the woods, spending his winters and returning for the 
spring work to the Dakota home. 

Mr. Sparling was married in 1886 to Miss Delphine Smith. Mrs. Sparling 
is a lady of excellent education, and was one of the first teachers in 
Spink county. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sparling, and 
are named as follows: Ruth, Lola, deceased, May, Esther, Nellie and 
Dorothea. The family are well known throughout their community, and 
enjoy the respect of all.