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Tom Dennis, born January 23, 1847,
was the son of Gideon and Jennie Patty Dennis.
Though he was only fifteen years of age at the outbreak of the War
Between the States, he volunteered his services to the Confederacy. He spent some months as a prisoner of the
Union Army. In addition to his
imprisonment, he was stricken with the dreaded disease of smallpox, from which
he made a miraculous recovery. Hardships
which he endured provided interesting stories for his children and grand
children in later years. Tom Dennis was
married to Nan Freeze, born in 1860 (?).
They became the parents of one daughter, Mary Almedia.
It is not known when this family
began to move westward. They are known
to have lived in south western Missouri in
Wright and Barry Counties. It is believed they made the journey to Texas in the mid 1870’s.
Soon after crossing Red River, he
was attracted by the rich farming land
of Collin County. A
permanent home was established, where four sons were born. They were Joe, Tom, John and William Lyon.
While still in Collin County,
Mary Almedia was married to William Wilson Allred. When their first child was about two years
old, they moved with the entire Dennis family to the Keller community in Tarrant County.
The young Allreds’ farmed south
west of Keller. Tom and Nan Dennis and
their sons lived in a house which still stands at 127 Jessie Street.
Nan Freeze Dennis died April 9,
1921. Her husband, Tom, died July 5 of
the same year. Both are buried in Bourland Cemetery.
The Dennis children married as
follows;
1) Almedia, born November 16, 1872
and died November 3, 1952, married William Wilson Allred, born August 31, 1870
and died July 10, 1942. Both are buried
in Bourland Cemetery. Their children are: Ferdie, Willie, Floyd Elwood, Frank, Clara
Belle, Ruby, Homer, Roe and Ark,
who were twins.
2) Joe E., born in 1878, died 1945
and buried in Bourland
Cemetery, married Dora
McDowell, born in 1889 and died in 1918.
Their children are: Flossie,
Myrtle, Paul, Effie Belle, Ida Fay, and Christopher.
3) Tom, born 1882, died January 21,
1907, married Grace Esther Hill, born February 23, 1877, died March 1936, was
the daughter of Eli Allen Hill and Sarah Ann Manning. Their children are: Walter, born July 27, 1900; Gracie, born
February 1906 and died 1906; Finney, born 1903, died October 1905; and Tom,
born June 25, 1907.
4) John was not married.
5) William Lyons born October 4,
1888, married Bessie Jones, born February 5, 1885. Their children are: Pearl, born April 7, 1912; Annie, born October
1, 1913; Eddie, born September 28, 1915; Alice, born April 12, 1918; Juanita,
born February 1, 1921; William Lyon (W.L.), born July 8, 1924; and Jessie, born
June 12, 1926. William died May 25, 1948
and Bessie died December 23, 1956. They
are both buried in Bourland
Cemetery.
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