Memorials › Jeptha Pepsy "Jep" Parks

Jeptha Pepsy "Jep" Parks

26 Jan 1844 – 15 Sep 1894

Birth26 Jan 1844
Death15 Sep 1894
CemeteryBeulah Methodist Church Cemetery
Marthaville , Natchitoches Parish , Louisiana , USA
Added byEllis Clayton on 30 Jul 2025
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8758229

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h/o Margaret J

Bio

Jeptha P. Parks was born in 1844 in the Pinckney Community, Newton County, MS. He was the son of John Parks and Nancy Cooksey. He married Margaret Jane Sessums, his second cousin, in January 1865. Jeptha had a lively personality like son Robert Leroy. Jeptha, Margaret and family moved to Texas about 1880. The trip was by ox cart. They crossed the Mississippi River on a cable driven ferry. They later returned to Louisiana and settled in Marthaville in Natchitoches Parish. After Jepthas's death, Margaret returned to Mississippi with sons Johnnie, Robert Leroy and Sam. She lived with Sam until her death in 1931. One account of Jeptha's death was that he hunted in the rain for three days, his clothes stayed wet and he took pneumonia and died as a result. He fought in the Civil War from two states: Mississippi and Texas. Private with the Pinckney Guards, Company B, 8th Mississippi Infantry. He was wounded at Franklin, TN., Discharged at Vicksburg. Waull's 39th Regiment (Texas Legions) at Galveston. His grandaughter Ila Parks Claffee stated that he was a valiant soldier and very brave, that he was a scout and knew the woods like an Indian. He could get through the woods quickly and quietly. He sneaked up behind a Yankee soldier once sitting by a tree and broke his neck. 1850 United States Federal Census Record Name: Jeptha Parks Age: 7 Est birth year: abt 1843 Birth place: Mississippi Race: White Gender: Male Home in 1850 : Newton, Mississippi 1860 United States Federal Census Record Name: Jepsy Parks Age in 1860: 19 Birth Year: abt 1841 BirthPlace: Mississippi Home in 1860: Not Stated, Newton, MS Gender: Male Post Office: Decatur Household Members: Name Age Nancy Parks 28 Hiram Parks 21 Jepsy Parks 19 Samuel Parks 15 Catharine Parks 13 Elmira Parks 7 Civil War record: On roll of Prisoners of War captured at Blakely, AL and taken to Ship Island, MS. April 15, 1865 Roll 16 sheet 56 Private Co D Reg't 35 J.P. Parks was taken prisoner of war at Citronelle, AL on May 4th 1865 and paroled at Meridian,MS on May 12, 1865 1870 Newton co MS census household 72 lists Jeptha P Parks 25, Margaret J. 24, John 3 and Anny 2. His mother Nancy lived next door. Birth: abt 1845 - Mississippi Residence: 1870 - Township 8 Range 11, Newton, Mississippi 1880 Newton co MS census Jeptha P. PARKS Self M Male W 36 MS Farmer GA GA Margaret J. PARKS Wife M Female W 33 MS Keeping House MS Born Ireland John PARKS Son S Male W 13 MS Farm Laborer MS MS Annie PARKS Dau S Female W 11 MS At Home MS MS Louisa PARKS Dau S Female W 5 MS At Home MS MS Nancy PARKS Dau S Female W 9 MS At Home MS MS Leeroy PARKS Son S Male W 3 MS At Home MS MS Leila PARKS Dau S Female W 1 MS At Home MS MS 1880 United States Federal Census Name: Jeptha P. Parks Home in 1880: Beat 1, Newton, Mississippi Age: 36 Estimated birth year: abt 1844 Birthplace: Mississippi Relation to head-of-household: Self (Head) Spouse's name: Margaret J. Father's birthplace: GA Mother's birthplace: GA Occupation: Farmer Marital Status: Married Race: White Gender: Male Household Members: Name Age Jeptha P. Parks 36 Margaret J. Parks 33 John Parks 13 Annie Parks 11 Louisa Parks 5 Nancy Parks 9 Leeroy Parks 3 Leila Parks 1 Notes of Harold Graham: for JEPTHA P. PARKS: Jeptha was the only son of John Parks and Nancy Cooksey to survive beyond the days of the Civil War and Reconstruction. He fought in that war from two states, Mississippi and Texas, first entering the war as a private with the Pinckney Guards, Company B, 8th Mississippi Infantry, and later joining Waull's 39th Regiment (Texas Legions) at Galveston. He was wounded at Franklin, Tennessee, while serving with the Pinckney Guards. Jep was married in January 1865, Newton County, Mississippi, to second-cousin Margaret Jane Sessums, born 13 December 1848, Pinckney community, Newton County, Mississippi. Jep and Margaret were members at Pinckney Baptist Church as late as 1874. Jeptha lived for a number of years in the Pinckney community of Newton County, later moving to the Hazel community in southwestern Newton County near the Lake Campgrounds. One of the earlier deeds is recorded in Deed Book 1, Newton County, Mississippi, on pp. 193--194: Indenture dated 29 October 1875 from J. L. Dansby to Jeptha Parks for consideration of $20 "bargained sold & quit claimed unto said Jeptha Parks all my rights, title, and interest" in following lands: W 1/2 of SE 1/2 of SE 1/2 of S 29 T7 RILE containing 80 acres. According to the late Rev. Otho Jennings of High Point, North Carolina, his mother Louisa Carrie Parks Jennings left Mississippi at the age of six; therefore, according to this interpretation, the year of departure was 1880. A series of deeds, all dated in the year 1885, suggest that Jeptha either left Newton County in this year or returned to dispose of his land at this time. These separate deeds were made to a niece, Perneicia Caroline Cooper, his sister Martha Ledlow and to a nephew, W. H. Parks. An inventory of these deeds include Newton County Deed Book 7, p. 372, J. P. Parks to P. C. Cooper, 23 September 1885 Newton County Deed Book 7, pp. 447-448, J. P. Parks to William Parks, 18 December 1885 Newton County Deed Book 7, p. 472, J. P. Parks to Martha Ledlow, 18 Dec. 1885

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