Sparks College - Yearbook (Shelbyville, IL)

Page 13 text:

The Power Behind The Scene The father of Mr. Henry D. Sparks, Mr. Bateman R. Sparks, was twice married. To the first union were born four children, John E., George A., Isaac, and Ernest M., all of whom are dead - Isaac dying in infancy. The father, Mr. Bateman R. Sparks, was later married to Miss Mary Jane Shupe. To this union were born two children, Mary Catherine and Henry D. They were both born on a farm near Toledo, Illinois. Miss Mary C. Sparks married Mr. Luther Bruster, who died in the infuenza epidemic. She afterwards married Mr. Charles Wade. Mrs. Wade now lives in the hospital in Moweaqua, Illinois. Both of Mr. Henry D. Sparks ' s parents and his sister were working members of the United Brethren Church. The father was a trustee of two churches at the time of his death. Both grandfathers of Henry D. Sparks were ministers, fraternal. Baptist; maternal, United Brethren. Mr. Bateman R. Sparks was named for a well-to-do bachelor, Mr. Bateman Ross, who lived in Terre Haute, Indiana. Mr. Ross told the father of Bateman R. that, when his namesake was old enough to be away from home, he should be sent to him, and he would give him as good an education as money could buy, and he had the money to do so. Years later when the father of Bateman R. felt that the son was old enough to be away from home, going to school, he sent the young man with his brother Sam in a covered wagon to see Mr. Ross. (The Sparks family lived in the country in Vigo County, Indiana). Brother Sam and the prospective student saw Mr. Ross at a distance. Sam called to Mr. Ross, asking him if he wanted to take a boy to raise. Mr. R oss, not knowing who the boys were, said, I will go in and talk it over with sister. He was gone a few minutes. Bateman R. got homesick and said, Sam, he does not seem to know his business. Let us go on home. And they did. Mr. Bateman R. Sparks came that close to his one great educational opportunity. This unfortunate incident perhaps made him resolve that his son Henry would get an education, and he never wavered from that position. The son attended country school in Cumberland County, Illinois - White Oak. The directors usually hired a beginner or the cheapest teacher available. School terms were as short as the law would permit. Then came high school. His father paid the tuition. The home was about three miles from the school in Toledo, Illinois, the family having moved from the home where Henry was born. He walked, rode a horse, rode in a two-wheeled cart, or went almost any way he could to get to high school. He was never tardy. At different times, he had frozen dinner. The lunch was in the stable where he kept his horse, not in a deep freeze. He was surely a country jake. One evening after Henry D. came home from high school, he told his father that he was going to an apple cutting that night. The father replied, Do you think attending an ' apple cutting ' among that group of young people, who have no interest in education or anything else much, goes along with high school? The lad didn ' t go. Father Sparks was the head of the house. His boy knew that his word was law. The son never attended a dance or played a game of cards. The father often said, Cards are a gambler ' s tools. After graduating from high school in 1896, Henry taught school and went to college. He taught four years in three schools - Union, Center, and King, all in Cumberland County, Illinois. The last year he taught at King, he received $50. a month. One director did not sign the contract - said it was too much, even though the teacher had a college degree. Teaching was interspersed with going to col- lege. It was necessary for him to teach in order to continue his college education. Henry graduated from Dixon College, Dixon, Illinois; Rochester Normal University, Rochester, Indiana; and Westfield College, Westfield, Illinois; and attended the University of Chicago. He holds four college degrees, Bachelor of Oratory, Bachelor of Science, Master of Accounts, and Master of Arts. He holds a state supervisory certificate in Illinois. Mr. Henry D. Sparks and Miss Lillian Bowes were married in Rock Island County, Illinois , near Taylor Ridge, in June, 1905. They have two children, Roger and Madge. The children graduated from Shelbyville High School (both of them have perfect-attendance records). Sparks College, and the University of Illinois. Madge took her first year of college in Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois. Both children taught extensively in Sparks College. Roger taught accounting and Madge stenography. Mrs. Sparks was a good teacher. Teach- ing was her life. She loved it. She passed to the Great Beyond July 1,1958.

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Roger R. Sparks was born in his grandparents ' home in Rock Island County, Illinois, but has spent prac- tically his entire life in Shelbyville. He is a graduate of the Shelbyville public schools. Sparks College (study- ing both accounting and stenography), ari d the University of Illinois. After graduating from the Uni- versity, Roger took charge of the Ac- counting Department of Sparks College. Except for two and one- half years in the army during World War II, he has held this position ever since. Roger became manager of the school in the fall of 1958. Madge Sparks was born in Shelbyville, and has always called it home. She is a graduate of the Shelbyville public schools. Sparks College (accounting and stenography) , and the University of Illinois. She had her first year of college in Knox College, Galesburg, Illmois, and took the teacher-training course in Steno- typy given by LaSalle Extension University in Chicago. She has taught all stenographic subjects in Sparks College, as well as helping out a few times with accounting.

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After graduation from Rochester Normal, Mr. Sparks was employed as a teacher. He went to Madison, Indiana, during the middle of the year 1905-1906, and took over the com- mercial department inthe high school. Because of his training in public speaking, he was asked, upon his arrival, to coach the high school play - a copyrighted manuscript play, My Friend from India. During his stay in Madison, he coached all the high-school plays. One of the plays put on by him was Our American Cousin - the play that was being staged when President Lincoln was assassinated. He was promoted from the com- mercial department to the high-school princi- palship. The commercial department of the high school was in a grade-school building across the street from the high-school building. As the school authorities thought the principal should be in the high-school building, the principal taught English there. Henry got along well with the students. One week he was out four days on account of sickness, and when he walked into the assembly on Friday, he was cheered so loudly that a member of the school board who lived almost a block away heard the cheering. He got $1,000 a year as principal - and that was considered a good salary. Mr. W. A. Jessup, who later became president of the University of Iowa, was the city superintendent at the time Henry was the high-school princi- pal. Henry came to Shelbjrville soon after high-, school commencement in 1908, decided to start a business-training school in Shelbyville, Illinois. Shelby Business College opened September 7, the first Monday in September, 1908, with thirteen students. The Apostle Paul affirms that Christians ought to be active in every good work of the community. Henry has done this, serving twice as president and once as secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. He has been president and secretary for seventeen years of the Rotary Club, as well as a District Governor, which office he served with dis- tinction. Two new clubs - Cowden and Blue Mound - were organized during his tenure in office. He was a32d-degreeMasonandShriner. He has served eighteen years with distinc- tion as a Representative in the Illinois General .Assembly. He worked under four Governors, Small, Emmerson. Horner, and Green. He was a member of the Committee on Education during the eighteen years. He was very active in the promotion of the welfare of the public schools, and was instrumental with other friends of education in raising the school distribution fund, twice. He was active on the Appropriations Committee, trying at all times to get a dollar ' s worth for the taxpayer ' s dollar. He was ever independent in his thinking and his voting. The constitution of the State of Illinois distinctly prescribes that each session of the Legislature be opened with prayer. The Legislature provides a minister to offer prayer each day, but occasionally the minister may be called away, when the Speaker must fill in. Mr. Sparks was asked to offer the prayer several times. One night just before midnight. Speaker David Shanahan came from the speaker ' s rostrum and said, Mr. Sparks you know we will start tomorrow ' s session just after mid- night. Will you please offer the prayer? Mr. Sparks knew that the membership of the Legislature included members of various religious beliefs. In a few minutes, he wrote the following prayer; We recognize Thee, O God, as the ruler of all nations and the hearts of men. We desire Thy guidance in our deliberation. May Thy rich grace and loving kindness be and abide with us all, both now and forever more. Amen. Henry sought out a place of worship as soon as he arrived in Shelbyville. He learned in early years the greatest lesson of life, that God wants men and women to worship Him in the beauty of holiness, that It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Like Abraham of old, wherever he pitched his tent, there he erected his altar of worship. He served faithfully as Chairman of the Official Board of the Christian Church of this city for 33 1 3 years. He has been an elder inthe Church 50 years. He applies the principle of the Golden Rule in his dealings with men. He is liberal in his relation with other churches. He has often been heard to say, I don ' t care to what church you belong, but I think you should work at the job. Constancy and fidelity are a part of the life of this humble man. Here is a man who is really concerned with the kind of morals that work for the good of the community to which he belongs, and for the true welfare of the society of which he is a goodly member. Henry D. Sparks believes and teaches, That except the Lord builds the house, he labors in vain who builds it. With this kind of a man promoting it, need we wonder that Sparks College has been a worth-while part of this community for lo ! these FIFTY YEARS. H. O, Janes