This  photo is of my paternal grandfather, (Ira) Lark Fields and his brother, (James) Archibald Fields when they were youngsters. It is from a tin type that he gave me not long before he died. Grandpa (Lark) was about seven years old in the photo, and his brother Arch was around eleven. He told me that their mother was determined to get their photo taken and put them in the wagon and headed for Shoals. He said they 'got into it' during the ride and both were pretty 'sore' by the time she pulled the team of horses up to the studio. She threatened them with the horse whip if they didn't behave. But you can tell that his brother Arch was still not very happy. I don't know why their little sister Dosie, didn't come along. She would have been about four at that time. 

James Archibald  Fields was born March 18, 1867 in Baker Township, Martin Co., and died November 21, 1946 in the Dunn Memorial Hospital, Bedford, Indiana. 

There were fifteen children in the family. Lark and Arch's parents were William Fields and his wife, Margaret Ann Lanter. Many of their children died of dreaded diseases before they ever grew up. They lived in Baker Township, in the area then called "Mountain Springs" and not far from Cale. Where their farm was located, is now part of Crane Naval. My dad was named William also, after his grandfather.

There were twin boys born between Lark and Arch, but one died ten days after birth because he was 'too small', and the other, Richard "Grant" died at age three of Diphtheria. My grandpa was eight months old, and he also got the disease but miraculously, he survived.

 The rest of my mother's family lived in the Spice Valley Township area, between Huron and Bryantsville which is of course in Lawrence County. My mother's grandparents, Henry and Rachel Johnson Terrell, lived in Martin County, Halbert Township, until around 1860. But alas, I have no photos of them................Penny Fields Gardner