My Genealogy Hound

JOEL PARKS was born near his present residence in 1837, son of William and Mary (Thurston) Parks. The father was born in North Carolina in 1786, and was a farmer by occupation. He came to Lincoln County, Tenn., when a young man and purchased 300 acres of land near Fayetteville, where he resided until 1850, when he removed one-half mile northwest of Fayettville, where he resided until his death in 1863. He was a successful farmer owning over 600 acres of land. The mother was born in North Carolina, and died in 1840: Of their eleven children, four are living: Elizabeth (widow of Hugh Thomison), Martha (Mrs. John Roach), Catherine (widow of Joseph Cashion), and Joel, our subject, who was educated in the schools of his native county. He made his parents’ house his home until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in Company K, Eighth Regiment Tennessee Infantry, and fought at Perryville, Murfreesboro, Resaca, Marietta, Jonesboro, Franklin, Nashville, and other engagements of minor note. He was wounded at Murfreesboro by a shell, and was released from active duty about one month. He returned home in December, 1864, and lived on the old home-place with his sister, Mrs. Cashion until 1876, when the estate was settled. In October, 1878, Mary, daughter of Frank Renegar, became his wife. She was born in Lincoln County in 1850, and has borne her husband one daughter—Sarah Elizabeth. In the spring of 1877, he erected a house on his portion of the old homestead, where he moved and has since resided. He is a Democrat in politics, and cast his first presidential vote for S. J. Tilden in 1876. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity.