front window on the north side
Furnished by Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Witt
This window was damaged during remodeling of auditorium.
It has been repaired at a cost of about $25,000.00. (See Repaired window)
"W. J. Witt and the Shirey family of Cherokee County, Alabama, came to this county in 1860 and settled west of Jonesboro. Tom Sparks and family settled in the same community. William J. Witt, son of Joseph M. and Cynthia (Lawrence) Witt, born in 1809 and 1810 respectively, married Matilda Adeline Shirey, daughter of Enoch Shirey and Martha (Sandford) Shirey. Their daughter Martha C. Married A. W. Sparks and their daughter, Cynthia Jane, married Z. T. Matthews. Mr. Sparks purchased land near Burvilla (name of a school located on W. Matthews Road, about halfway between present Gee St and Oaklawn Cemetery) from Mr. McElrath of Jonesboro. This land was later known as the Evans farm. Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Tom Sparks, married Homer Parr, an early attorney of Jonesboro, who came here after the war from Cape Girardeau. Their children- James E., well known banker of Jonesboro; who married Floy Rogers; Nell married Morris Lyde; Tom, who died in 1923; Edith married Fred Purcell of Warren. Delia Sparks married Albert S. Stone of Harrisburg, now residents of Jonesboro. Tom Sparks, Jr. also resided in Jonesboro for many years."