Napoleon Spragens:

Napoleon Spragens....a man born 7 years before the county would break out into Civil War. A man whose name could be recorded next to the names of black children whose father's were not identified, only the names of their owners.  A man who would marry three times, raise three boys on his own, farm the land he would only rent for years, and eventually be laid to rest in the same county he lived out his years in.

I have learned more about Napoleon that I ever thought I would.  In some ways, I am better able to track his life than I am that of his sons.  His eldest son being my great grandfather, Chester.

Napoleon was born June 7, 1856 in Henry county, Kentucky.  A census record 4 years later shows he was the third child of Joel and Mary Spragens.  His father, Joel, is a merchant who has $200 in valuable real estate to claim. I have to assume this was doing pretty well for the time.  He has a 17 year old eldest brother named Alonzo who is listed as a laborer.  A 7 year old sister named Victoria and a younger brother recorded as A.W. Spragens who is 1 year old.  I have to wonder if Napoleon named his own youngest son John A.W. in honor or memory of his brother A.W.

The next census record catches up to the family in 1870.  Napoleon is 14 years old and living in Rolling Fork, Casey, Kentucky with his mother, sister Victoria who is now 18, and a younger sister, Letha who is 11.  There is no longer reference of brother Alonzo who we must assume move out to start his life, nor of his younger sibling A.W.  I later find that A.W stands for Aletha W, which is why A.W. no longer shows on record.

8 years later on August 22, 1878, Napoleon is 22 years old and is getting married in Hancock county to a 16 year old girl who goes by S._.A. Bowles.  My best guess for what the initials stand for is her name is Sallie.  I found a Sallie Bowles who lived in Kentucky for this time frame.  It is a first marriage for both of them. No parents are identified in these records.

Two years later we catch up to Napoleon at age 24 and it would appear that his life has taken a tragic turn. He is still living in Hancock County, but he is a boarder.  Sometime in the past two years, Napoleon has lost his wife as he is listed as a widower.  He is also listed as a farmer; a profession that will follow him the rest of his life.

But while it would appear Napoleon's life has become very sad, a brief marriage clue shows that on January 27, 1881, Napoleon remarries Mahala Ford.  There are no further details given.

The next time that we find Napoleon in the records, it is 21 years later.  He is in his early 40's and is still listed as a widow, but now he is living in Spencer County, with this three sons, Chester, Ralpha, and John A.W.  Sometime between 1896 and 1900, Napoleon lost his second wife, Mahala, to unknown circumstances.  Mahala will turn up many time later on marriage license records as Chester's deceased mother however.

Napoleon will not be without comfort of a family in his later years.  In the years to follow, Napoleon will marry again to Hallie Sutt.  Per a 1910 census, they had been married 6 years which means they were married in 1904.  Napoleon and Hallie's marriage was one of youth and experience.  Napoleon is 51 years Hallie's senior!  The record shows they have two living children from the married.  However, there are three children listed; two sons and a daughter.  The eldest son, Dick, is 13 years old and thus can not be a child from their marriage. I do not know what to make of this.  Dick is also short for Richard and I have found no Richard's in any census records relating to Napoleon.  Could this be a young boy from Hallie's past who took Napoleon's name?  Or even perhaps a relative that Napoloeon saw as a son?  The two children who are more likely from the marriage are Flosie, 6, and Ray, 3.  It is also note worthy that Napoleon is going by "Pole" and he is continuing to do what he does best, farm on rented property in Little Mountain, Kentucky.

Forward 10 years to 1920, Pole and his family show up again.  This time, there is no record of Dick.  Pole is 60, Hallie is 29, and their children, Flosie and Roy are 16 and 14.  There is a third name on the list.  A Taylor Sutt who is listed as Pole's father in law.  This is certainly Hallie's father.  It is interesting to note, that Pole says he can read and write, but Hallie and her father can not do either.  Fortunately, their children are able to.  By this time, Pole has left the farming life.  He is now working as a laborer in a warehouse.  His daughter, Flosie, is a waiter at a boarding house.

Death will find Napoleon 9 years later at the age of 73.  Per his death certificate, he passes on Aug, 29, 1929 at 11 p.m.  He is still married to his young bride, Hallie.

Hallie's life with continue after her husband's death, although in 1940 at age 59, Hallie list herself as a widow which shows she never married again.  She is living with her 35 year old son, Roy, who apparently in his life was not rich in love and is listed as single.  Even earlier at age 23, Roy is shown as living with Hallie.