Johnson County, NE - Family Histories
Contributed by Lorraine Wakefield (Dennis)
<[email protected]>
James Washington DENNIS Tecumseh Chieftain
Tecumseh, Johnson County, Nebraska
Saturday, July 8, 1916
Page 1JAMES WASHINGTON DENNIS Was a Native of Indiana and Had Lived Here for Forty-Six Years
James Washington Dennis was born at New Hope, Ind., September 11, 1848, and died at his home in Maple Grove precinct, Johnson county, Neb., June 29, 1916. He was aged sixty-seven years, seven months and eighteen days. Mr. Dennis was next to the eldest of a family of nine children, all the brothers and sisters surviving him. His boyhood was spent I a typical Indiana home of that early period, where he worked on the farm during the summers and attended the district schools during the winter. When but little more than fifteen years of age Mr. Dennis enlisted in company K, 123rd Indiana volunteer infantry, in November, 1863, and served in that organization until August, 1865. At that time he received an honorable discharge from the army and returned to his home. He then attended the Allensville college for one year, at the end of which time he moved to Whiteside county Ills., where he resided for three years. From Whiteside county Mr. Dennis came to Johnson county, settling on the farm in Maple Grove precinct, where he continued to reside until death.
On September 3, 1877, Mr. Dennis was married to Miss Mary May Walter. To this union six children were born, Mary Elizabeth, Mrs. Bessie May Grubb of Kearney; John Walter of Watson, Mo.; Rosa Belle, Hettie Jenette and Charles George, the last three named being at the family home. The children are all living with the exception of Mary E., who grew to woman's estate, married and moved to Oklahoma, where she died, leaving two little children. These were adopted by the grandparents, have been in and are now a part of the Dennis family. They are Ruby and Malcolm Dennis. Besides the wife, children and grandchildren, others to mourn his death are four brothers and one sister living in Indiana; one brother in Nebraska; one brother, Rev. Jacob F. Dennis, of Stockton, Kan., and one sister, Mrs. Rebecca VanOsdel of Newburg, Ore.
The passing of Mr. Dennis marks the chapter of a long and useful life; a life of high ideals, well lived; a life devoted to family. church, state and country. With intense loyalty he loved the flag and all it stands for, and he was ever ready to defend it, even with his life, if necessary. Pure of heart and clean of life he despised show or pretense and he was incapable of double dealing or a dishonest act. A close student was he, and he has intelligent opinions on public questions, fearlessly stood for all he deemed best for society and the community life around him. In early life Mr. Dennis united with the Methodist Episcopal church and during all his mature years, with unswerving trust in Christ as a personal Savior, he lived a consistent, Godly life. When the final summons came he "feared no evil" but passed to his reward in the blessed assurance "Jesus is mine." He loved his family with a true father's devotion, and, by years of toil and personal sacrifice, equipped them well for the battle of life.
The funeral services, which were held at the home at 2:00 o'clock, p.m., on Sunday last, were largely attended, attesting the love of his neighbors and friends. They were conducted by Rev. C. C. Wilson, pastor of the Tecumseh M.E. church. The interment was in the Tecumseh cemetery, the burial service being conducted by Heckathorn Post, G. A. R., of which he was a member.
(Photograph of James Washington Dennis included in the obituary)
Submitted by: Lorraine P. Wakefield (Dennis) [email protected]
Associated obituary: Mary Margaret DENNIS (Waldter)
Associated surname: WALDTER
BIOGRAPHY OF MARY MARGARET WALDTER
Mary Margaret1 Waldter was born September 18592 in Brownville3 Nebraska.4,5 Her parents were Louis Waldter6,7 and Emma Thomas.8,9
Louis Waldter emigrated from Rhenish Prussia to USA after 1849 when he last served in the ranks in the German Revolution and went to such places as Cleveland, Ohio, Chicago, St. Louis and St. Joseph before going to Nebraska in 1857.10 He married Emma Thomas while in Missouri and they had three children, Mary Margaret, Theodore and Lewis.11 The 1860 census shows the young Waldter family living at Brownville Nebraska, listed as surname Walters; Lewis, 28, painter, real property value $200, personal property value $150, birthplace Prussia; Emma, 17, birthplace Missouri; Mary M., age 9/12, birthplace Nebraska12. Emma Thomas died in Nebraska in 1863 and Louis Waldter married Elizabeth Sherfey on December 24 1864 and moved to Richardson County, Nebraska in 1873.13
Mary Margaret Waldter married James Washington DENNIS on September 3, 187714 in Johnson County.15 Husband James was a farmer in Tecumseh.16 The couple had six children, Mary Elizabeth, Bessie May, John Walter, Rosa Belle, Hettie Jeanette and George Charles with the five youngest being born in Nebraska. The family appears on the 1900 census living at Tecumseh?, Johnson County, Nebraska; James DENNIS, born 9/1848 in Indiana; Mary M., born 9/1859 Nebraska; Bessie M., 5/1880 in Nebraska; John W., born 10/1881 in Nebraska; Rosa B., 1/1887 in Nebraska; Hettie J., born 8/1889 in Nebraska; George C., born 6/1892 in Nebraska.17
Two daughters were married in Johnson County; Mary Elizabeth, aged 20 years, to J. E. Barnes in 189818 and Bessie to Luther Alva Grubb.19 After her marriage to Mr. Barnes, Mary Elizabeth moved to Oklahoma, where she had two children and died while her children were very young.20 Her parents James Washington and Mary Margaret Dennis adopted and raised these two grandchildren, Ruby and Malcolm.21
After the death of her husband, Mary Margaret moved to Lincoln, NE about 1918.22 In December 1920, another tragedy occurred in the family when the wife of her eldest son (John) Walter, Agnes (Nancy) Belle McCoig died, leaving 4 young children aged between 3 and 10 years of age.23 Shortly after the death, Mary Margaret said that she would be unable to look after these grandchildren but she would have if she was 15 years younger and so the children were brought up by a maternal aunt in Colorado.24
Mary Margaret lived in Los Angeles between about 1922 and 1933 before moving back to Lincoln in June 1933 where she lived until her death in the local hospital on 9:35 PM 29 January 1934.25 She was buried at the Tecumseh cemetery after a short graveside funeral service at 4:00 PM on 2 February.26, 27
ENDNOTES
<1> Tecumseh Chieftain, Tecumseh, Johnson, 1 February 1934
<2> 1900 US Census, ED 25, Sheet 3, Line 18
<3> Tecumseh Chieftain, Tecumseh, Johnson, 1 February 1934
<4> 1900 US Census, ED 25, Sheet 3, Line 18
<5> 1860 Territorial Census - Free Inhabitants in Township No. 5 North of Range 1 in the County of Nemaha, Post Office: Brownville
<6> ibid.
<7> The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago/New York, A Biographical and Genealogical History of Southeastern Nebraska Vol. II, 1904
<8> 1860 Territorial Census - Free Inhabitants in Township No. 5 North of Range 1 in the County of Nemaha, Post Office: Brownville
<9> The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago/New York, A Biographical and Genealogical History of Southeastern Nebraska Vol. II, 1904
<10> ibid.
<11> ibid.
<12> 1860 Territorial Census - Free Inhabitants in Township No. 5 North of Range 1 in the County of Nemaha, Post Office: Brownville
<13> The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago/New York, A Biographical and Genealogical History of Southeastern Nebraska Vol. II, 1904
<14> Tecumseh Chieftain, Tecumseh, Johnson, 8 July 1916
<15> Johnson County Marriages, Book 2, September 1877 to Mar 1885
<16> Nebraska State Gazetteer, Business Directory and Farmers List for 1890-91, J. M. Wolfe & Co., Publishers, 1890
<17> ibid.
<18> Johnson County Marriages, Book 5, March 1897 to Mar 1903
<19> Johnson County Marriages, Book 6, March 1903 to Aug 1909
<20> Tecumseh Chieftain, Tecumseh, Johnson, 8 July 1916
<21> ibid.
<22> Tecumseh Chieftain, Tecumseh, Johnson, 1 February 1934
<23> Personal communication from James William Dennis (Grandson of James Washington Dennis & Mary Margaret Waldter)
<24> ibid.
<25> Tecumseh Chieftain, Tecumseh, Johnson, 1 February 1934
<25> ibid.
<26> Cemetery Record -Tecumseh Cemetery, Tecumseh, Johnson County, NEPrinted on: July 3, 1999
Prepared by: Lorraine Wakefield (Dennis)
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