Vital Information
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Sarah Spooner Giles | FaG #66783383 |
| Born | 14 Apr 1831 | FaG #66783383 |
| Birthplace | England (county unknown) | FaG #66783383 |
| Died | 10 Apr 1907 (age 75) | FaG #66783383 |
| Death Place | City of St. Louis, Missouri | FaG #66783383 |
| Burial | Gatewood Gardens Cemetery, St. Louis, MO (no marker) | FaG #66783383 |
| Father | Abraham_Spooner (England) | FaG bio |
| Mother | Unknown | |
| Spouse (1st) | Henry_Snelling (b. 1830, England; d. 1864, St. Louis) m. in England | FaG #66783383 |
| Spouse (2nd) | John_Giles_Sr (b. 1816, England; d. 31 Mar 1876, St. Louis) | FaG #285946988 |
| Children (Snelling) | Morris_Snelling (1855-1926), Nellie_Snelling_Adams (1856-1944), Georgina_Saffaro_Snelling_Johnston (1861-1938), Rolland_Snelling (1862-1928) | FaG memorials |
| Children (Giles) | John Giles Jr. (1867-1930), Watson_R_Giles (1868-1941), Sarah_Agnes_Giles_Hawkins (1872-1912), Robert_R_Giles (1876-1901) | FaG memorials |
Biography
Sarah Spooner was born on April 14, 1831, in England. Her father was Abraham Spooner; her mother's name is unknown. The specific county or parish of her birth has not been identified.
She married Henry Snelling (b. 1830, England) in England before emigrating to the United States. The family was living in St. Louis, Missouri by October 1855, when their eldest child Morris was born there. They had four children together: Morris (1855), Nellie (1856), Georgina Saffaro (1861), and Rolland (1862). Henry died in 1864 in St. Louis, leaving Sarah a widow with four young children.
Sarah subsequently married John Giles Sr. (b. 1816, England), also an English immigrant. They had four more children: John Jr. (1867), Watson R. (1868), Sarah Agnes (1872), and Robert R. (1876). John Giles Sr. died on March 31, 1876, in St. Louis, and was buried at Holy Ghost Evangelical and Reformed Cemetery. An obituary appeared in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat on April 3, 1876.
Sarah survived her second husband by over 30 years. Her youngest son Robert died at age 25 in December 1901 (reported in The St. Louis Republic, December 22, 1901). Sarah died on April 10, 1907, at age 75, in St. Louis. She was buried at Gatewood Gardens Cemetery (formerly New Picker Cemetery / St. Louis Memorial Gardens) in the family plot (Section I, Lot 67), which has no individual marker.
Through her son John Giles Jr. (1867-1930), who married Maude Dickenson (1878-1946), Sarah is the paternal grandmother of Ira Mollett Giles (1902-1970), and thus a direct ancestor of Jacqueline Britt Eggers.
Document Sources
| Document | Type | Vault Note |
|---|---|---|
| Find a Grave #66783383 | Memorial (secondary) | Sarah Spooner Giles memorial |
| Find a Grave #285946988 | Memorial (secondary) | John Giles Sr. memorial; includes newspaper clipping and MO death record |
| Children's FaG memorials (#66783648, #66783763, #85222596, #31334094, #45003712, #26772282, #114268294) | Memorials (secondary) | Corroborate parentage, dates, locations |
| St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 3 Apr 1876 | Newspaper | John Giles Sr. obituary (not yet transcribed; behind paywall) |
| The St. Louis Republic, 22 Dec 1901 | Newspaper | Robert R. Giles death notice (not yet transcribed; behind paywall) |
Research Gaps
- Abraham Spooner: No dates, no wife's name, no specific English location. FaG bio says only "Daughter of Abraham Spooner."
- English origins: County/parish unknown. 1841 and 1851 English census records could reveal Abraham Spooner's household (Sarah would have been 10 in 1841, 20 in 1851). These records are behind paywalls (Ancestry, FindMyPast).
- Immigration: Family was in St. Louis by Oct 1855 (Morris's birth). Passenger records from 1854-1855 (via New Orleans or East Coast) could confirm names, ages, and English parish. Behind paywalls.
- Henry Snelling: Parents unknown. Birth location in England unknown. Death/burial record in St. Louis (1864) could provide details.
- Sarah's death certificate: Missouri death records from 1907 could name parents and exact birthplace. Available through Missouri State Archives.
- Georgina's middle name "Saffaro": Origin unknown. May be a family surname (maternal?) or a variant spelling.