Preface
I was called to be the chairman
for the Sparks Stake, Valley Ward Relief Society Sesquicentennial program in
1992. The March evening was to include a historical presentation featuring many
of the past presidents. Having no need to be a historian before; I felt it a
daunting task to trace our church roots. Burning questions spun into a frenzy
of activity to discover the identity of the first Relief Society president and
develop a story line for each president thereafter. I came to realize it was an impossible task
with the information I could glean at the time.
Somehow during my research, I
ran across a yellow lined notepad my father, Farrel Ross, wrote on about the
origins of the Sparks Branch in 1910. It seemed to me a miracle that he
documented the first Relief Society president’s name. Other names and dates no
one knew filled the page. Regardless of who I questioned about the early
decades of the branch organization, no one knew all the answers, including my
father.
The experience in ’92 gave me a
fleeting thought that a centennial would be in order for the year 2010.
Thinking 18 years was an interminable amount of time to worry about a
centennial, I tucked the notes, pictures and written history away without a
second thought.
Seventeen years later while
reviewing some family history, I came across the same yellow lined paper
entitled, “History of the Church in Sparks.” The first date written was, “1909,
missionaries were sent from the California Mission to conduct church meetings
in Sparks.” I then realized I was
looking at a date one hundred years ago.
I felt completely overwhelmed
with a desire to promote a centennial event to commemorate the auspicious
occasion of the organization in our area. Unclear as to proceed, I thought I
could contribute my sesquicentennial Relief Society information and my father’s
church related pictures taken while he was a professional photographer. I’m not
a writer by profession; I had no intention of writing a volume of history. I
had something far less in mind, maybe a scrapbook I could copy off for those
who were interested.
My brother-in-law, Melvin
Knight, who was serving in the Sparks Stake Presidency at the time, approached
me about doing a bigger enterprise. He had grand plans to prepare a 500 page
book, throw in a tri-stake celebration, form a committee to help me, and do it
all within 7 months. The centennial celebration was a huge success. It included
many hundreds of displays, slide shows, pictures, music and talks. The
tri-stake committee did a fantastic job.
Since then, the history has been
a work in progress, full of delays and frustration punctuated by many miracles,
but clearly taking more than 7 months. For the most part, I received a great
deal of support. The Lord directed me to people and places I would never dream
of. A vast majority of acquired information was from 1941 onward. I discovered
general knowledge of earlier decades was scarce. Living in a transient area proved to be
detrimental for easy access of information. Those who could authenticate
information had either moved or died.
Beginning a history with only a
few facts meant the hunt was on. Far more time, money and effort were exerted
getting acquainted with the early saints. Those saints who forged through very
different, difficult times so they could raise their children in the gospel. As
a result, I gathered more than enough information about the organization,
buildings, missionaries and people to write several volumes
My first focus ranges from the
years 1910-1941. It also includes a short history of the very earliest of
saints who traversed through our area. The second starts in 1941 with the
history of the new Reno Stake of Zion, and ends in 1974 when the Reno North
Stake was divided and Sparks Stake was organized. The third will include the
formation of the Sparks Stake, and more particularly the Reno temple
construction and dedication. It will include a list of all the branch
presidents, bishops and stake presidents from 1910-2010.
I never set out to research, compile or write a scholarly work. I must
say up front, this history is abundantly full of information that contradicts
some local legends and dates. I don’t
feel comfortable with the scrutiny new facts may illicit. As a result, I offer my apologies for
information that may contradict some sources that others feel are more
legitimate. With that as a consideration I’ve tried to document where I can,
considering my circumstances. History, at its best, can be inaccurate. Take for
example, the address of the original C Street chapel built in Sparks. There
have been four different addresses written in various documents. I chose one
that seemed reasonable.
Earlier generations were called
on to sacrifice their time and means far more than we do today. In several
cases the early saints had children who slipped beyond the confines of church
activity. They expressed to me their disgruntled feelings about their parents’
whole hearted devotion to the church. Regardless of their posterity’s
interpretation, the forefathers of the church in our area were indomitable
characters who laid the foundation for growth and prosperity.
I felt a compelling drive to
tell stories of common folks who made an impact through their concerted
efforts. As it turns out, I discovered that a blog might be the best format to
disseminate the information and pictures I’ve collected.
My hope for this effort is to
partially fill the void left by untold tales of the past. I assume the blog
will be used as a resource for family history as much as anything else. I am
sure some of the stories and people I write about will not be known to their
families. There should be something for everybody. Some will find laughter,
some will find awe, but in the end it should meet the Lord’s standard which is
to show His hand in all things.
Join me in the journey each week
as we explore our local history through this blog. My many thanks to Steve Nord
who set up the Facebook page and this blog. He will be a regular contributor.
We ask that you leave comments on the blog if you have any further insight or
information regarding our topics.
~Anita Hicks~
No comments:
Post a Comment