Pages 340-341, transcribed by Carolyn Ward from History of Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas: embellished with portraits of well known people of these counties, with biographies of our representative citizens, cuts of public buildings and a map of each county / Edited and Compiled by L. Wallace Duncan and Chas. F. Scott. Iola Registers, Printers and Binders, Iola, Kan.: 1901; 894 p., [36] leaves of plates: ill., ports.; includes index.



 

340 cont'd HISTORY OF ALLEN AND  

FRANK S. DENNEY.

FRANK S. DENNEY.—The Denney family is of English lineage and was founded in America by the great-grandfather of our subject, who was born in the city of London. While on the ocean, at the time of the Revolutionary war, he was captured and brought to this country and being well pleased with his new home he never returned to his native land. His son, James Denney, was born in Pennsylvania, and having arrived at years of maturity married Sarah Lucas, also a native of the Keystone state. Of their children William Denney became the father of our subject. He was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, August 23, 1823, and was married in Ohio in 1845, to Miss Emily Melick, a daughter of James and Anna (Duncan) Melick, the former a native of Kentucky. At an early day William Denney removed from the Buckeye state to Green county, Wisconsin, and in 1859 came with his family to Kansas, where he has since resided. Both he and his wife are yet living and have enjoyed a happy married life of fifty-five years. Their farm is situated on Indian creek, a mile northwest of Geneva. They are numbered among the honored pioneer settlers of the Sunflower state, having resided here for forty-one years, and

  WOODSON COUNTIES, KANSAS. 341

they relate many interesting incidents of the early development of Allen county when its farms were in their primitive condition, when the now thriving towns and villages were unfounded and when the Indians were still very numerous. Great changes have since occurred and they have borne their part in the transformation that has been wrought.

Frank S. Denney, their sixth child, was born in Green county, Wisconsin, on the 28th of March, 1857, and was therefore but two years of age when brought by his parents to Allen county in the fall of 1859. The days of his youth were passed upon the home farm, and in the schools of Geneva he acquired his education. In 1884 he wedded Miss Alice White, of Colony, Kansas, a daughter of George and Mary White. Her father died in 1890, but her mother is still living. Mrs. Denney came to Kansas in 1881.

Three years previous to his marriage our subject entered a general mercantile store in Colony as clerk and held the position for seven years, after which the stock of goods was sold and he returned to the farm, purchasing one hundred and sixty acres of land a half mile south of Geneva. Here he has since made his home and is engaged in raising and selling cattle and hogs. He never sells any of his grain but feeds it to his stock, and is regarded as one of the prosperous stock raisers of this locality. He has been very successful and has made all that he has by his own industry and good judgment.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Denney have been born three children: Roy, Delta and Alta, who are still with their parents. The youngest is a bright-eyed little maiden of seven years and very small for her age, but she had the honor of winning the first prize at the Allen county oratorical contest held in Iola in January, 1900. The best talent of the county participated, including men and women, and there were twelve contestants, but Alta Denney was awarded the prize, an unabridged dictionary valued at ten dollars. Her parents certainly have every reason to be proud of her. The family is one of promince[sic] in the community and they enjoy the warm regard of many friends.


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