THE DENSON FAMILY IN AMERICA
Compiled by
Mamie DENSON Ragland
Gilmer, Texas
April 6, 1959

(Submitted by Charles R. Rogers, P. O. Box Lodi, TX 75564, with addendum added from his personal research.)

According to my father, M. M. DENSON, and also his brother, Uncle George DENSON, there were two brothers, Nathanael and Jesse DENSON who came to America in the Eighteenth Century, soon after the Revolutionary War, date of their arrival not known. They settled in the Yazoo Valley now Madison County. Nathanael is the ancestor of our branch of the family. His wife's name was Charity, her surname not given. I have in my possession a family bible owned by my grandfather, Jesse DENSON, son of Nathanael. The record from this bible is as follows:

After naming the above two brothers, Nathanael and wife, Charity, and his brother Jesse, the record begins with our grandfathers family. I know, however, that his father Nathanael reared a large family in Mississippi. Although Nathanael's family is not listed, I know four of his sons moved to Texas, three of whom were my great uncles. The fourth was our grandfather, whose name was Jesse - names follow:

(1st) Thomas DENSON, moved to Granger, a small town in Williamson County, Texas. He was a physician and said to be the first in that County. He studied medicine in New Orleans I think.

(2nd) Madison DENSON, also moved to Granger. He was a brother to Dr. Tom DENSON; he was a farmer. They both left descendants there.

(3rd) Isaac DENSON, moved to near Longview, Texas. He had a son, David, who lived with us a while. Isaac was a farmer. Descendants are around Longview.

(4th) Jesse DENSON, our grandfather, moved to Texas, and settled in Cass County. His descendants will be listed.

Nathanael DENSON, father of the above, remained in Mississippi. He has descendants there. Nathanael's brother, Jesse, moved to Galveston, Texas.

RECORD TAKEN FROM THE BIBLE OF JESS DENSON, SON OF NATHANAEL DENSON

Jesse DENSON was born in Mississippi, Date: Dec. 30, 1797, Married Sarah Henderson, daughter of William and Drucilla Henderson, April 1824. There is no data given on the Henderson family. Our grand mother had a brother, Uncle John Henderson, who came from Mississippi and settled near Longview, Texas. He and his son and grandsons have visited us, I remember them, They were nice people. They moved to Oklahoma.

CHILDREN OF JESSE AND SARAH DENSON

(1st) Matthew Henderson DENSON - Born in Mississippi, Feb. 2, 1825
(2nd) George Washington DENSON - Born in Mississippi, April 3, 1826
(3rd) Jemima Helen DENSON - Born Nov. 14, 1828
(4th) Jesse Andrew DENSON - Born June 11, 1830
(5th) Madison Monroe DENSON - Born May 4, 1832
(6th) James Harvey DENSON - Born May 2, 1835
(7th) Sarah Ann DENSON - Born Dec. 22, 1836
(8th) Margaret Matilda DENSON - Born March 2, 1838
(9th) Benjamin F Franklin DENSON - Born Jan. 23, 1810
(10th) William Byron DENSON - Born 1816
All children except Uncle Billy were born in Mississippi.

I will include a few anecdotes or happening as told to me by my father that he remembered of their lives. According to both he and Uncle George, the two brothers who immigrated to America came from Wales however the name is Swedish. They came in the 1780's, no date given, settled in the Yazoo Valley, not very far from Jackson, Mississippi. They evidently had Christian parents. Note their names.

Our great-Uncle Jesse was a Baptist preacher. They evidently were men with more than ordinary education for the times. My father said his Uncle Jesse served as Jackson's Secretary for a while during the War with England in 1812. He told me that when he was about nine or 10 years old his father took him and his older brothers to Jackson, Miss to hear Gen. Jackson, then ex President, speak. His Uncle Jesse was with them, Jackson invited him to a seat on the platform, calling him "DENSON the Scribe." He also told me that he had been told that his Grandfather Nathanael joined with other men in the community and sent wagons with supplies to Jackson's Army, so it seems they were responsible men and good citizens. This Uncle Jesse is who all the Jesse's in the family are named. My brother's son, whose name is Jesse, was in Austin, Texas a few years ago, and met a man who told him he knew some DENSONS in or around Galveston. I imagine they are Uncle Jesse's descendants.

As our great-grandfather remained in Mississippi, I know very little about him. A Mrs. Carnes, who with her husband, lived in Gilmer a short time several years ago, heard I was a DENSON and came to see me. She told me that she was from Mississippi, and the community there several DENSONS were still living, near Old Jerusalem Baptist Church and was a neighbor to them. She said there were two Dr. DENSONS and both had practiced in her Family. She spoke well of them. I also met a Mrs. DENSON who was visiting friends in Gilmer, whose home was in Cameron, Texas. Her husband was a doctor, and she said his brother was also a doctor both practicing together in Cameron. She said they were from Mississippi and related to the Williamson County DENSONS. She also told me that she had attended a family reunion of the family, held in New Orleans. They had reserved rooms in three hotels and were there from Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. She had also visited her husband's family in Mississippi. She speaks well of them.

In 1838-39 there was a national bank failure and panic. My father said his father lost heavily in that panic. He decided to move to the then Republic of Texas. He sold his plantation and most of his Negroes and moved, first to Red River County near Clarksville. He brought a few Negroes with him and rented a farm. He had gathered and sold most of his crops, and was in Clarksville one day when news came that the river would overflow. They were living near Red River. He rented the only available house, the upper story of a tavern, and hurried home to move his family into town. The house they had lived in washed down the river. He had heard that Jefferson, Texas was a growing town, and he went to Jefferson, which was then in Cass County. He bought a patent of I think, a section of land from a man who had settled the place. The County, however, was not organized until 1846. Our grandfather was the first elected Judge of the County. He held the office until Marion County was organized from part of Cass in 1860 and his home was taken into Marion County. He did not seek office again. The War Between the States had begun, his sons then enlisted in the Confederate Army.

While they were at war our grandfather and grandmother both died with pneumonia within three weeks of each other. They were buried on the place, he was a Baptist and Deacon in the church. I have been told a street in Linden, Cass County (the County Seat) has been named for him. I suppose that is true, I imagine their graves are lost. With regard to the children they were reared in CASS Co.

(1st) The oldest, Mathew Henderson DENSON, married before the War Between the States. I do not know whether he fought in the war. He died young, however, he had married and left a son, Elbert. I remember him. He lived with us about a year and worked at my father's mill. After the war was over the family named my father M. M. DENSON administrator of the estate, and when Elbert, who was an orphan, became of age he wrote to Elbert to come and get his part of the estate. He went back to his home in Cass County. We heard he married, but did not live long. I don't know whether he left children or not.

(2nd) George Washington DENSON married Margaret Alice. I don't know her Surname. I think he was a confederate soldier. When Uncle George was a young man, during the California gold rush he went to California. Though he found little gold he boarded a ship and took a trip to somewhere in the Orient. After staying a while he returned by way of The Horn (South America) and landed back at New Orleans, then home, quite a trip for a young man in those days. Aunt Margaret's family were friends and neighbors of the Eddings family in Cass County and they named a daughter Margaret Alice for her. This Eddings child was the mother of Senator Morris Shepperd. The Shepperds lived in Pittsburg, also John Eddings, a lawyer, who was Mrs. Shepperd's brother. I boarded a while in the Eddings home and knew the Shepperd family very well, especially Morris, with whom I went to school.

My father bought a saw mill in the 1870's and Uncle George managed it until it burned down. The mill was located at Pine Switch on the Cotton Belt Railroad near Pittsburg, Texas. He was living at Pine when he died. He and Aunt Margaret died within a few weeks of each other with pneumonia, a coincidence with our grandparents. They were buried at Pleasant Grove Cemetery, near Lafayette, Upshur County. Their daughter Georgia, who never married, is also buried there. There were two other daughters. Sallie married Frank Kitchens. They lived in Coryell Co., Texas. I have lost sight of them.

Uncle George's daughter, Ida, married a Mr. Rodgers. Their descendants are living near Avinger, Texas. They had one son, Knox Rodgers.

(3rd) Jemima Helen DENSON married a Mr. Kitchen. They owned a cattle ranch in Coryell County, Texas. He died, leaving Aunt Jemima a widow with four sons. This was in the day when barbed wire was first beginning to be used to protect the ranchers from cattle rustlers. She wired in her ranch. The rustlers would cut the wire fences. She was a determined woman and she armed her boys and cowboys. They had several skirmishes and one real battle in which her son, she called Pomp, was killed. One of the rustlers was also killed. She had a large two story house. They set the house on fire and it burned down. Her brothers tried to get her to move, but she held on, she would build back to the chimneys, which she did. I tell this because this is a part of pioneer life in Texas. Aunt Jemima visited us a few times when I was young and I have heard her tell of these events in her life. She lived to be ninety two years old, and died at her son's, Dave Kitchens home at Valley Mills, near Waco, Texas. There was a picture and short write up of her life in the Dallas News at the time of her death. She was a very interesting woman. Her son Sank lived in Coryell County. I suppose his descendants are there. Another son, Seth, moved to California.

(4th) Jesse Andrew DENSON was a physician. He attended the New Orleans Medical School and served as surgeon in the Confederate Army, assisting Dr. Becton, who later lived in Greenville, Texas. His son Joe Becton became a well-known surgeon in Greenville. He taught school in Pittsburg, Texas a while when he was a young man. I went to school to him. He has visited in my home in Gilmer. Uncle Jesse settled in Granger after the war was over, and married a cousin, daughter of his uncle Madison. I visited his family after his death. His widow was living in Granger. There were two sons and three girls. The oldest son was named Madison. He was grown at that time. Matt visited us at the time the U. S. Government was at was with Spain over Cuba. He was on his way to join the army in Florida. While stationed there he was stricken with some kind of throat trouble and died. Uncle Jesse's second son, Tom, studied medicine. After he got his degree he also visited us. After practicing medicine a few years Tom died as a young man. Uncle Jesse's descendants are there at Granger through his married daughters. I do not know their married names.

(5th) My father, Madison Monroe DENSON. Of course I know more of his life than the other members of the family. He was born in Mississippi, came with his father to Texas in 1842, was reared in Cass County, Texas. Texas was then a Republic, having gained independence from Mexico in 1836. President Lamar had outlined a public school system but for lack of funds no progress had been made. Our grandfather, with a few neighbors, built a school room near his home and hired a private teacher. This teacher was staying at the DENSON home.

My father said the teacher whipped all the boys every day just as a matter of general principal. My father was about 12 years old, so he decided to stay out of school. His mother discovered he hadn't gone to school and asked him why. He told her the teacher whipped the boys every day and he did not want to take it. Our grandfather was not at home, however, when the teacher came home that afternoon our grandmother discharged him, and sent him back to Jefferson. My father said his mother was a woman with a strong sense of justice, and that she did right.

That is an example of the old time teacher's manner of discipline. The other patrons of the school approved her action, and they went to Jefferson and employed a man who was evidently an excellent teacher. My father had a good education for his day in the fundamentals: reading, grammar, geography and arithmetic. The above man was his only teacher. Of course, the other children in the family went to the same school.

When the South seceded from the Union and war was declared, my father went to Jefferson and volunteered. He was in Col. Winterhouse's Regiment and made a Lieutenant, but later served as Captain. This part of the army was with the Army of the West. As I have said, our grandparents died during that war. The family estate was put in the hands of an administrator, a neighbor by the name of Armstead, however, when the war was over there was nothing left but the land; no crop made, the stock either sold or starved, the Negroes freed and land was selling for just what little you could get for it.

The family took the estate out of Armsteads hands and appointed my father administrator. The other older children had married and he, with two young brothers, Uncle Ben and Billie, were living in the family home. They had our grandmothers cook, Cindy, and a serving man, Phil, to keep house and hired the former slaves to make a crop. The war was over in April 1865. They made a small crop of cotton in 1866. Now had come the days of reconstruction, and the Southern States were under Federal law, and troops were stationed in Jefferson. There was a federal law to confiscate all cotton and any crop of value that had been made during the war.

The 1866 crop was made after the war was over and not subject to confiscation, however, the troops did confiscate the entire crop of twenty-five bales of cotton. Cotton was a prize crop selling at a high price. They carried the cotton to Jefferson and loaded it on the dock to ship to New Orleans. This method of systematic plunder was being carried out throughout the South. My father, to recover this cotton for the estate, said he built rafts with Negro labor and went to Jefferson at night and loaded twenty five bales on the rafts and floated them down the river to Shreveport, put them on a steamboat and took them to New Orleans and sold them. He said he took only twenty-five bales, which, of course belonged to him.

This kind of plunder by the soldiers was rampant in the South and other men resorted to the same, when they could. That is an example of how the stricken South was treated by the U. S. Government after that war. The Negroes were free. In 1866 my father, with a Dr. Smith, rented a plantation. They hired the Negroes who were on that place and employed an overseer. The overseer punished a Negro whom he said had been making trouble. The Negroes went to Jefferson and reported the overseer to the Federal Agents. They were only interested in collecting fines and keeping the money. They were indicting anyone they could collect from.

Neither Dr. Smith nor my father knew of the incident until after it had happened. However, a friend of my father heard that the Negro had reported the overseer. This friend, Col. Mabry of Jefferson, came to see my father and told him that he might be arrested. My father said that he had some money in the bank that he had before the war and the government had not confiscated that, and he had been planning to go to Mexico to buy horses as they were scarce throughout the South. Many were killed in the war and others had starved to death. Agriculture was the only industry and, of course, farm work was carried on by horse power.

He then decided to make the trip. He went first to Williamson Co., and visited his brother Jesse and his uncle's families, who were living in Granger. While there, he hired cowboys to go with him to Mexico. There he bought a drove of horses and brought them back by way of Granger and sold some of them in Williamson Co. and brought the rest of them home and sold them to farmers. While he was in Mexico Col. Mabry had gotten into trouble. First let me say, though Col. Mabry had gotten into trouble he was an honorable man, highly respected. I am told Camp Mabry at Houston was named for him, but these were troublesome times.

Though they called it the reconstruction of the South, the Federal soldiers were only interested in plunder not rebuilding the country but ruthless robbery. They were using the Negroes when they could, and there were among the recently freed Negroes some who took advantage of Federal protection and had become extremely insolent. Col. Mabry saw a Negro man grossly insult a white woman on the streets in Jefferson, and he shot and killed the Negro. Of course he had to get out of Jefferson. He rode to the DENSON home. He did not know my father had gone to Mexico. His horse had given out and he asked Uncle Ben and Uncle Billie to furnish him a horse to ride to Shreveport, which, of course they did.

The Federal soldiers thought he would go there and they went to the DENSON home, and not finding my father they arrested Uncle Ben and Uncle Billie. They tied their hands behind them and their feet under their horses, took them to Jefferson and put them into a stockade called a bull pen. They kept them a while and fined them. Uncle Billie was a proud man and would never speak of this incident in his life. Col. Mabry went to New Orleans and from there to Canada. After the soldiers were taken out of Jefferson, he returned home. I think this generation should know the hardships the South had to endure during the time the South was under federal military rule after the war between the states, not only from history books, but family history.

In 1866 or 67 the Bates family moved from Greensboro, Ala, to Marion Co., Texas, near the DENSON home, and in October 1868 Madison Monroe DENSON married Mariah Vaughan Bates, and Uncle Billie married Margaret Fowler, daughter of Martha Bates Fowler, who was my mother's sister. That fall, soon after those marriages, these DENSON families, with the Bates moved to Upshur Co. They bought a home, which is situated North of Gilmer on the highway to Pittsburg, near the Camp County line. Some of the Bates family still lives in the home. My father planned to go into the lumber business, and bought a large tract of land covered with pine trees which had never been cut. He built a home near the Quitman and Jefferson road, now called Midway. He engaged in saw mill, ginning, grist mill and farming business. For several years before the railroad was built, he made flour as the nearest market was Jefferson. Flour and other goods were hard to get. Schools were very poor in the country. The best school available was at the small town of Pittsburg, Camp Co.

My father built a home there, and we lived there during school months. During the summer my mother would take us back to the country. When I was about fourteen years old, my mother moved back to the country and I then boarded for a year or two in Pittsburg and went to school. Later I went to Mrs. Lamar's Boarding School near Pittsburg. My father died December 10, 1914. He is buried in Willow Oak Baptist Church Cemetery, Upshur County. My mother died in my home, Gilmer, Texas, August 27, 1927. She is also buried there. They were members of that church.

Children of M. M. and Mariah Vaughan DENSON:

(1st) Elizabeth Sarah, born Aug., 1869 in the old Bates home on Gilmer-Pittsburg Highway. She attended school in Pittsburg, also Mrs. Littlejohn and Mrs. Enlow's School of Music. She never married, is now an invalid near ninety years old, is living with me in Gilmer.

(2nd) Mamie Helen born September 1873, married Dr. T. S. Ragland of Lyerly Ga. He was a graduate in Medicine of Vanderbilt Medical University. They were married October 1897, moved to Gilmer in January 1902. Dr. Ragland died of injuries in a car accident in June 1936. His widow is living in their home in Gilmer, Texas.

(3rd) Twins Graves and Grace. Graves, only son, born December 22, 1882, attended the Lamar School also Jacksonville Baptist College. His home is north of Gilmer on the Pittsburg Highway near the village of Bertie, Texas. Graves died in 1938. His widow, who was Victoria Moody, is living in the home. They have two sons, Jesse Knox DENSON, graduated from Stephen F. Austin College, Nacogdoches, Texas. He served as County Superintendent of Upshur County schools eight years, is now Superintendent of a school near Jacksonville, Texas. His wife was Velma Stillwell, of Upshur County. They have two sons, Billie and Scott DENSON. The other son of Graves and Victoria DENSON, John Scott, graduated at Norman, Oklahoma University. He also graduated in Pharmacy and now is in the drug business in Gilmer, Texas. Scott married Robby Jo Hughenson of Kilgore, Texas. They have two small sons, Ronny and Burber. Grace Pauline DENSON, twin to Graves was born December 22, 1882. She went to the Lamar School and also to Jacksonville College, married William Sewell of near Atlanta, Ga. December 1905. Will Sewell died February 1946. Grace is living in her home in Gilmer. No children.

Children of Dr. T. S. Ragland and Mamie Helen DENSON Ragland:

(1st) May Vaughn Ragland was born December 1898, married Curtis William Fenley who graduated from the University of Texas Law School. Their home is in Lufkin, Texas. They have two children. Margaret married Dr. Ted Ford and is living in San Antonio with two children, Jay and Mary Jane. Dr. Ford is in the army serving in the Medical Dept. Margaret is a graduate of Baylor University. Curtis William Finley II is a lawyer and in the Army at Gulf Port Air Base, Miss. He is married to Jerry Chastain. They have one son, William Curtis Finley III. Billy graduated at Baylor University.

(2nd) Cecile Ragland, born August 1903, graduated from Baylor University, teaches at Gilmer Junior High School, lives at home with her mother in the Ragland home, Gilmer, Texas.

(3rd) Madison Scott Ragland born March 1905, is a physician, practicing medicine in Gilmer, Texas in the Ragland-Finley Clinic Hospital. He married Elizabeth Marshall of Gilmer. They have three children, Mary Ann is now Mrs. William Patterson. Her husband lived in Waco, Texas. They both graduated from Baylor University. After serving two years in the army they lived in California. They are now living in Gilmer. Bill is with the Marshall Dry Goods Co. They are now building a new home on Frost St. Their two-year-old son is named Thomas Frost Patterson. James Madison Ragland, second child of Dr. Madison Ragland, completed his work on his Master's Degree at Baylor in 1956, and is now in the Army. He is in the Radio Division and stationed in Germany. Sarah Elizabeth Ragland is completing her Sophomore year at Baylor this year.

(4th) Hugh Mayo Ragland, born October 1907. He is a physician, graduate of Baylor Medical School practicing medicine in Gilmer at Ragland-Finley Clinic Hospital. He married Maria Salter. They live in Gilmer and have two children. Mary Lou is now Mrs. Thomas Davidson. He is now serving in the army in Iceland, and Mary Lou is completing her senior year at Baylor. Hugh Mayo Ragland II is now fifteen years old and is at home and a student at Gilmer High School. All my children and grandchildren have attended Baylor University.

(6th) The sixth child of Jesse and Sarah DENSON, James Harvey DENSON, was a Confederate Soldier. I think he was stationed in Arkansas. He married in Arkansas to a Miss Barnett. They moved from there to Williamson County. On their way from Arkansas they stopped by our home and visited us. I visited in their home Christmas of 1892. He was a farmer and had a nice home and family. They lived near Granger, I remember only the names of his oldest son, Billy, and daughter Ella. He had other children. His descendants are there.

(7th) Sarah Ann DENSON, married Mr. Meredith Barlow. Their home was in Tyler County, Texas. They had two sons and four daughters. I do not know where any of this family is, except their son, Tom Barlow's family. He came to visit us in about 1890, after staying a while my father employed him to manage his mill. He was a great deal of help to my father, as his health had grown bad and he was old. Tom married Kate Marr, my mother's niece, Aunt Mamie's daughter. They moved back to Tyler County. Tom's widow is living in their home. Her unmarried son, Clyde Barlow, is living with her. Her daughter, Mrs. Hayden Hollis, lives in Kirbyville, Texas. She has grandchildren living in Houston, Waco and points in Texas. She has a married son, Joe Barlow, living in Tyler County, Texas.

(8th) Eighth child of Jesse and Sarah DENSON is Margaret Matilda DENSON. She married Oscah Cole. She died while a young woman, leaving three daughters, Alice, Belle and Mittie. Mr. Cole was living near Marlin, Texas at the time of his death. Shortly after his death Alice married Mr. James Warner. They made their home in Waco, Texas. They had two children, (1st) Jennie, the oldest, married Mr. Holloway Smith. They are both dead and left no children. I have visited them several times. I loved them very much, especially Jennie. (2nd) Asa Warner, home in Waco. He managed the large Warner estate while living. His son, James Warner lives in Waco and now is manager of the property. Jean Warner married a Mr. Breeding, home Waco. He is a lawyer. They have children. Ann third child lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her husband is in business there. I don't know Ann's married name. She has children. Asa, a widow, Anna Mae Warner, lives in Waco.

(2nd) Second child of Oscah and Margret Cole was Belle. After her father's death she lived a year or two with Aunt Jemima Kitchens. My father wrote and invited her to visit us. She was a young girl and my father boarded her in Pittsburg to go to school until we moved there. She finished school there. She made her home with us until 1862 when she married Dr. J. K. Bates, my mother's brother. Their home was at Lafayette, Texas, Upshur County. After his death she moved to Jacksonville, Texas and died there. They are both buried in Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Lafayette. They left one son Samuel Patton Bates. He lived in Waco until his death. He left a widow who lives in Waco and a daughter Patsy Ruth. She is married to Dr. Bob Trotter. Their home is in Houston, Texas. They have one child, Laura Lee.

(3rd) Third child of Oscah and Margret Cole was Mittie Cole. After her father's death she lived with her uncle Mr. Billingsley. She was married to Mr. Dumm. Their home was in Waco, Texas. Cousin Mittie was a very sweet person and loved by all of our family. She visited in our home often. They and the Warners also are buried in Waco Cemetery. After Same Bates mother died, he lived with her until he married. They left no children.

(9th) Ninth child of Jesse and Sarah DENSON was Benjamin Franklin DENSON. He fought in the Confederate Army, married Callie Anderson. Their home was near the old DENSON place. He was buried near their house. His Widow married a Mr. Hall of Marshall, Texas. I was a small child and accompanied my parents, who went to their wedding. Uncle Ben left a son named Jesse who was about three years old at that time. Mr. Hall and Aunt Callie lived in the old Hall ancestral home near Marshall, which is a landmark of old Marshall homes. After Mr. Hall's death Jesse and his mother moved to West Texas, where he went into the cattle business. Aunt Callie died there. I heard after her death Jesse went to Canada and enlisted in the Canadian Army during the first world war, before the United States entered that war. We have never heard from him since.

(10th) Tenth child of Jesse and Sarah DENSON was William Byron DENSON, the only child born in Texas. He was born in Cass Co. in 1846. He was very young in his teens when he enlisted in the Confederate Army and served as a courier. He was with the Western Division of the army. He married Margaret Fowler, her mother was Martha Bates Fowler, a sister of my mother. I think they were married in Marion County. They moved to Upshur County with the Bates family. Their home was near us, and being related on both sides of the family, we knew each other well. Uncle Billie was a fine Christian man, a member and Deacon of Willow Oak Baptist Church, which was near his home. My father thought a great deal of him, they always sat together at church. My father was Church Clerk. Uncle Billie was buried at Willow Oak Church Cemetery. There were five children: Benjamin, Julia, William, Myrtle and Jesse. The oldest, Ben DENSON lived in the old home after his parents death. He died a few years ago, leaving his widow and three children. (1st) Erma, Mrs. Hughes of Midland, who is a widow and she has a married daughter there. (2nd) Jesse Mae, Mrs. Tucker Morris, is living in Houston. She has no children. She is a nurse working in a doctor's office. (3rd) A son Bonner DENSON whose home is on a part of the old Billie DENSON place, married, they have two small children. Ben's widow lives with her children. Her maiden name was Ethel Sewell.

Second child of Uncle Billie's was Julia, oldest daughter. She married Hawkins Lindsay. They left Irene Kate, Opal, Tennie Ruth, and Ella, called Billie. (1st) Irene is Mrs. Whitfield, living in Ft. Worth, Texas, has no children. (2nd) Kate, don't know her married name, lives near Longview. (3rd) Opal, Mrs. Fielding, lives near Greenville I think. (4th) Tennie Ruth, Mrs. Payne, lives near Gilmer, has children. (5th) Billie or Ella, lives in Upshur County, is a Mrs. Fielding, has one son.

William, second of Uncle Billie DENSON's sons married a Miss Gipson of Wolf City. He was in the jewelry business there, a Deacon in the Baptist Church. His widow still lives there.

Myrtle, second daughter, married Arch Harrison. They lived in Upshur County, had two children, William A. Harrison and Elizabeth, their daughter. After her husband died Myrtle sent her children to Austin to school. They both graduated at the State University. Myrtle sold her home after her children married and lived with them until her death. She is buried in Lafayette Cemetery, Upshur County. William married Emily Harrison of Waco, Texas (no relation). He is living in Austin, and they have three sons, William, John and Charles. He is at present chairman of the State Board of Insurance Commissioners. Elizabeth married Mr. Ben Hibbits of Austin. He is an architect. Their home is in Austin. They have two children, a son and daughter.

Jesse, third son of W. S. DENSON, is married. His wife's name is Ruth. Their home is in Mineral Wells, Texas. Jesse is Baptist and I think a Deacon. He has a son, married and in business in Mineral Wells. His daughter is also married, I think living there.

You notice the close relationship between the Bates and DENSON families by marriage. I hope to complete a record of the Bates families soon.

Our grandfather Jesse DENSON kept his business papers and books in an old wooden trunk. There were three old trunks in our home the kind that were hollowed out of trunks of trees. I have gone through those papers before I married. They were interesting.

There was the land patent, I think for a Section of land, a bill of sale for a Negro he bought for a trained blacksmith. He gave $2400 for him, and other papers that he had kept. My father also kept all the accounts and receipts pertaining to the settlement of his father's estate in the trunk. My mother, thinking they were of no value to anyone as the immediate family were all dead, burned all those papers. I would like to have kept them. They would have been of interest in compiling this record.

ADDENDUM
By Charles A. Rogers

Sarah DENSON died Dec. 26, 1863 and Jessie DENSON died 11 Feb 1864. They were buried on the old DENSON place near the grave of Benjamin Franklin DENSON. The graves were unmarked and the exact location has been lost. (The use of native stones to temporarily mark a grave were often moved by strangers losing the location)

My Great Grandfather, George Washington DENSON, 2nd child of Jessie and Sarah DENSON was born 23 May 1826 and died 12 April 1856 is buried at Pleasant Grove. Married 14 Feb 1856 to Margaret Alice Bradley, born 22 Mar 1826. They had Five Children:

1. James Bradley DENSON, born 20 Oct 1856, died 13 Dec 1874.

2. Sarah Lucy "Sally" DENSON, born 17 Jan 1858, died 6 July 1912, is buried at Linden, married John T. Kitching, born 15 Apr 1853

3. Georgia DENSON, born 21 Dec 1859, died 23 Feb 1953, buried at Pleasant Grove. Never married.

4. Francis Cornelia DENSON, born 13 Dec 1861, died 20 Oct 1864.

5. Ida Margaret DENSON, born 4 May 1866, died July 1950. Married Dec 1885 to Alex B. Rogers born 21 Feb 1862, died 18 Dec 1921. They are buried at Avinger, TX. They had 8 children:

1. Clyde Rogers, No information

2. George W. Rogers, born 1 July 1889, died 24 Feb 1916, buried in Avinger.

3. Freddie Rogers, born 25 Sept 1892, died 2 May 1967, buried at Avinger (never married)

4. Knox Rogers, born 30 Oct 1896, died 4 Jan 1980, buried at Avinger. Married Aug 1929 to Francis Cromer born 20 June 1909. They had 3 Children:

1. Charles A. Rogers (Myself)
2. George F. Rogers
3. Oreta Sue Wright

5. Blanch Rogers born 17 Sept 1900, died 10 Dec 1973, married Marvin P. Wright, is buried at ?

6. & 7. Twins, born and died in 1903, buried at Avinger

8. Alice A. Rogers, born 2 May 1905, died 18 Dec 1918, buried at Avinger

From CASS COUNTY CONNECTIONS, June 1998

Transcribed by Ruth Ann Ballard