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Classification: Biography
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William A. Dennis
William A. Dennis was born in North Carolina April 9, 1833, and
is the son of Jesse and Unity (Stanley) Dennis, natives of North
Carolina, and of Scotch and English descent. Jesse Dennis was a
farmer and pioneer of Henry and Howard Counties, also of Wisconsin,
where he died in 1868, aged eighty years. W. A. Dennis, at the
age of seventeen, began life for himself. He at first worked as
a farm hand, and three years later bought a set of tinner's tools
and opened a shop. One year later, he removed to Greentown, where
he conducted a tin shop one year, after which he located in West
Liberty and embarked as the village blacksmith; he followed this
trade two years, and then worked as section hand on the P. C. &
St. L. R. R. until 1861; he then worked at stave making until October,
1864, when he enlisted in the First Illinois Volunteer Light Artillery.
He was in battle at Mobile, Ala., and Montgomery, Ala. He was
honorably discharged in August, 1865, at Indianapolis. He then
returned to Howard County, and soon after engaged in the stave business,
which he followed for ten years. In 1875, he sold out and purchased
his present home. He has 230 acres well drained and improved, having
good buildings and plenty of fruit. Mr. Dennis was married, in
1851, to Miss Caroline Hendrickson, daughter of David and Ruth Hendrickson,
natives of Ohio. This union was blessed with seven children. Mrs.
Dennis died in the spring of 1870, and Mr. Dennis married his present
wife the following November -- Miss Abbie Stewart, daughter of Robert
and Sarah Stewart, natives of Kentucky and pioneers of Tipton County.
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis have five children.
Biography from Blanchard, Charles, Ed. Counties of Howard & Tipton,
Ind. Chicago, Battey & Co., 1883.