Biographical Sketch of Rev. W. S. Dennis, Wright County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, 
Pulaski, Phelps and Dent Counties, Missouri" The Goodspeed Publishing
Company, 1889.
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Rev. W. S. Dennis was born in Roane County, Tenn., in 1831, and is a
son of Joseph and Mary (Brown) Dennis, who were born in Tennessee in
1802 and 1806, and died in Wright County, Mo., in 1880 and 1878,
respectively.  They became residents of Missouri in 1859, and were the
parents of fourteen children, eleven of whom are living at the present
time.  The paternal grandparents, Joseph and Mrs. (Beason) Dennis, 
were born in Tennessee, and became the parents of nine children.  The
grandfather died at the age of eighty years.  Edward Brown, the mater-
nal grandfather, was born in Tennessee, and lived in McMinn County,
where he was accidentally killed.  He was a hatter by trade.  His wife
was Miss Dyer, and lived to the extreme old age of one hundred and one
years.  Gideon Dennis, an uncle of Rev. W. S. Dennis, was a Baptist
minister, and a strong Union man during the late war.  While out hunt-
ing he was caught by the rebels and taken to Libby Prison, where he
died of starvation.  Our subject grew to manhood and was married in
Tennessee, the latter event taking place October 9, 1851, to Miss Mary
Burke, who was born October 11, 1835.  The following are their child-
ren: Martha L., wife of M. M. Cooley; William Henry, Joseph, Theodocia,
John A., Milton E. and Roetta.  Those deceased are: Phoebe, aged twenty
six years; Sarah E., aged twenty years, blind from the time she was
three years old; Jason E., died in childhood; Cynthia C., at the age
of two years; and two infants.  The mother of these children died
September 14, 1883, and Mr. Dennis afterward married, December 25,
1884, Miss Nancy Irwin, who was born in East Tennessee in 1859.  They
have three children: Allie May, Ezra S., Della A., and one that died in
infancy.  Since 1856 Mr. Dennis has resided in Missouri, having been a
resident of Camden County until 1867.  Since January of that year he 
has lived in Wright County.  He was ordained a minister of the Baptist
Church October 9, 1867, and has been a local preacher ever since that
time.  He owns an excellent farm of 309 acres, and is in a prosperous
condition financially.  He is a Master Mason, a Republican in politics,
and is a member of the G. A. R., having served in the Union Army in
the Light Artillery during the late war, and received his discharge
November 20, 1865.

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