I have been in hot "root pursuit" of my Sparks line.....again. I have not been able to find James Silas Sparks after 1870 census where he resided at age 17 with his parents, John P. and Anna in Chamois, Osage Co., Mo. He married my ggrandmother, Marie Alexander the following year and she gave birth to my grandmother, Lorena Sparks in 1873 in Willow Springs, Missouri. I have never found a trace of either Marie or James Silas since. Then I started thinking...(scary, I know!) 1.- What if he died young 2.- They divorced.........and Marie remarried. The one fact that sets Marie apart is that she and her parents were all born in France. I went back to 1900 Howell Co. census and looked for: France France France with the first name "Marie" And Voila....I found a Marie Jenkins...correct age, from France...both parents also. Are there any records available for divorces? Where would I find them? My next question: May I please have a lookup for the marriage of a Marie (Alexander, Sparks) Jenkins in Howell Co. I found this Marie in the 1900 - 1910 - and 1920 censuses in Willow Springs as a widow...so would have to be before 1900. I know this is a long shot, and I may be grasping for straws, however, I am a little more than excited at the possible prospect! Lorena