On March 3, 1870 Catherine married William Sparks, presumably at her home in St. Clair Township, Bedford County. William was born May 1845 near Bloody Run, Bedford County, the son of John and Barbara Sparks. William's sister Delilah was married to John Q. Adams, whose brother George later married Catherine's sister Joanna.

Catherine was pregnant with their only child, Hugh William Sparks, when they were married. Hugh was born on April 28, 1870.

John and his brother Jonas Sparks fought in the Civil War. He had enlisted in January 1862 in Company D, 101st Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers. He was taken a prisoner at Plymouth, North Carolina, on April 20, 1864, and was released on March 3, 1865, and was mustered out with his company on June 25, 1865, at New Berne, North Carolina. He had been 6 feet tall, with fair complexion, blue eyes, and dark hair, and he was a laborer at the time he was enrolled.

Sometime in the 1870s Catherine and William moved to Portage, Cambria County. They were joined by her parents, and her two sisters, Joanna and Barbara, and their families.

On July 18, 1890, William Sparks, suffering from Bright's Disease and rheumatism, which he attribued to his Civil War service, applied for an invalid pension from the US Government. In 1891 the examining board found him suffering from a severe rheumatism and anchylosis of the left hip and recomended that he receive a pension. He was issued Invalid Certificate No. 592,590 and placed upon the pension roll. The pension did not provide much money, but is was a welcome relief.  At the time of his death in 1915, he was receiving a pension of $19.00 per month.

Hugh married Agnes Melhorn. They were the parents of three daughters: Kathryn (Sparks) Farren, Mary Josephine (Sparks) Cicotello, and Zeda (Sparks) Quinn. Hugh worked as a coal miner for the Forge Coal Company for many years.

On January 29, 1908 Catherine died at their home in Portage at the age of 60. Her obituary gave the cause of death as tuberculosis.

William died on January 10, 1915. He was 69.

Catherine and William are buried near their son Hugh at Wilmore United Brethren Cemetery, Wilmore, Cambria County, PA. Her parents and two sisters are also buried there.