Loren is home schooled along with her four brothers and sisters. She likes art of all kinds; she plays the viola, acts in many plays, and is a talented young visual artist who likes to draw, paint, carve, and make just about any kind of craft. She drew a detailed tree that will appear on the cover of a book being written about Abraham Lincoln's connections to the Forkland community.
Loren also enjoys exploring the natural world and swimming.
Stories like these from Sparrow descendants are needed for the book about Lucey Shipley Hanks Sparrow, Lincoln's maternal grandmother, who settled in the community with her second husband, Henry Sparrow.
The book will be on sale at the Oct. 10-11 Forkland Festival.
"We intend to tell the story of the Sparrows, their descendants and related families," said Pat Williams, who is compiling information for "Roots, Trunks & Branches - Abraham Lincoln's Connections to the Forkland Community."
Descendants of the Sparrows are asked to help with information about the descendants of the eight Sparrow children and their spouses - Mary "Polly" and Ben Whitehouse; Thomas and Sallie Smith and his second wife, Sallie's sister, Mary; Henry Jr. and Ailsey Smith; George and Susan Ingram; Margaret "Peggy" and William Ingram; Elizabeth and Clairborne Franklin; Lucinda and James Campbell; and James and Nancy Hindman and his second wife, Parthenia Van DeVenter.
Two daughters of Polly Sparrow and Benjamin Whitehouse remained in the Forkland community. Jane married Mastin Edwards and Lucinda married Mason Edwards. Both raised their families on Scrubgrass Creek and some of the descendants continue to live there.
A while after Lucey died, Henry moved in with Polly and Ben Whitehouse and lived there until his death.
Although much research has been done, the burial place for the Sparrow and Whitehouse couples has not been found.
Genealogical database
Many of the family descendants attended the official opening of Forkland's Lincoln Museum in March and brought genealogical information, photos, newspaper articles and other information about Sparrow descendants and related families (Shipleys, Berrys and Mitchells).
"We are compiling an extensive genealogical database that will be published in the book and a companion compact disc," said Williams. "We would be very grateful for any additional material that you can provide to us to aid this project," she added.
In addition to genealogical materials, the book will include a chapter on deceased Sparrow descendants and deceased members of related families, starting with Henry and Lucey's grandchildren and ending recently. Williams wants interesting stories illustrating where the Sparrows lived and how they lived, with interesting and/or amusing incidents and related photos, documents and newspaper clippings.
"Write stories in your own words, which we will edit as necessary," Williams said. "We are not looking only for famous deeds or heroic acts, just interesting stories that have been passed down. We particularly need information on the Sparrow families and their descendants that moved to Anderson County, Ky., and other places."
As an example, when Wayne Thurman, museum director, who is married to a descendant of Henry and Lucey Sparrow, was growing up, he attended Anderson County schools. Many times when his class required a substitute teacher, that teacher was Ezra Sparrow, the well-known preacher, teacher and genealogist of the Sparrow family. Wayne said that he enjoyed having Sparrow as a substitute teacher since he talked, recited poems and told the class about all kinds of history about the Sparrow family.
