Springfield-Greene
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of Many of the Representative Citizens
JOHN E. DENNIS. The mind of the farmer must be as well balanced as the farm affairs. With a good mental grasp on the situation a farmer should be enabled to get great enjoyment and must profit out of his specialties without interfering with the known necessity for diversified farming. One of the farmers of Washington township, Greene county who understands this is John E. Dennis, and he is therefore making a success as a general farmer.
Mr. Dennis was born in Greene county, Missouri, May 17, 1865. He is a son of Benjamin Franklin Dennis and Margaret (Smith) Dennis. The father was born in Jackson county, Tennessee, in 1830, and was eleven years old when he accompanied his parents, William R. and Sarah (Chaffin) Dennis, to Missouri, locating in Greene county. When a young man he made two overland trips to California, but finally took up his permanent abode on a farm of two hundred acres in this county, and in due course of time became one of our most progressive farmers and extensive landowners, and was a heavy dealer in live stock, especially mules. He continued active in his work until 1911, when he retired from active life and moved to a fine residence in Rogersville, Missouri, where he is now living. He is president of the Bank of Rogersville and is one of the prominent men of the eastern part of Greene county. Margaret A. Smith, whom he married in 1864, was his first wife, and by her four children were born, all of whom survive, namely: John E., Clara B., William A., and George F. The mother of these children was born in this county in 1843 and her death occurred in 1876, after which Mr. Dennis married, in 1877, Martha G. Ferrell, who was born in Tennessee in 1861. To this second union five children were born, namely: Henry C., Cora A., Grover C., Shirley V., and Ben Elmer.
John E. Dennis grew to manhood on the home farm and there assisted with the general work, and he now owns and occupies one hundred and, sixty acres of the place on which he was reared. He received his education in the public schools of his community, and he has always followed general farming and stock raising. His farm is well improved and is one of the productive well located farms of the county, and on it stands a good group of buildings.
Mr. Dennis was married on December 23, 1886, to. Martha T. Bodenhamer, who was born east of Springfield, May 3, 1867, and was reared there on a farm and educated in the district schools. She is a daughter of A. J. and Elizabeth (Whorten) Bodenhamer. Both these parents were born in Greene county, were reared, educated and married here and are still living on a farm in this county and are high respectable people.
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Dennis, namely: Mrs. Volie Hedgepath, born on October 12, 1887; Benjamin A., born on March 15, 1889, and Charles Lee, born on July 23, 1893.
Politically, Mr. Dennis is a Democrat, and fraternally he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen, at Rogersville, Webster county.
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