My ancestors are starred
The Denton Family
by Freda S. Daily, EdD
*Edward Denton, (b. 1790 South Carolina)
Married:
*Catherine Blasingem, (b. 1790 in what became Giles County, Tennessee)
Children:
1. Thomas Franklin Denton, born February 14, 1812, died October 19, 1884, married Mary Ethelinda Ellis 1843.
Children:
1. Sarah Catherine Denton, born August 20, 1845, died August 31, 1930, married Timothy Allen Quillen 1863.
2. Margaret Jane Denton, born Sepetember 6, 1846, died August 17, 1924, married Richard Fairlander Enlow, June 29, 1865.
3. John Franklin Denton, born December 10, 1847, died January 25, 1917, married Mary Amanda Head, April 7, 1867.
4. William Edward Denton, born November 29, 1849, date of death unknown, married Adilene Galyean July 1873.
5. Mary Selena Denton, born May 20, 1853, died June 20, 1936, married John James Gaisser June 12, 1869.
2. James Edward Denton, born 1815 died 1879 married Nancy Patton 1838.
Children:
1. Willam Patton Denton, born 1839, date of death unknown, married Sarah Catherine Moore October 3, 1867.
2. Jane Denton, born 1841, date of death unknown, married a Summerhill.
3. Mary Denton, born 1842, date of death unknown, married John Moore January 30, 1868.
4. Fannie Denton, born 1844, date of death unknown, married a Jones.
5. Amy Denton, born 1846, date of death unknown.
6. Henrietta Denton, born 1848, date of death unknown.
7. Sarah Denton, born 1855, date of death unknown.
8. Susan Denton, born 1857, date of death unknown, married George F. McClellen December 22, 1872.
9. James Denton, born 1859, date of death unknown.
*3. Billy Denton (William), born February 24, 1822, died April 17, 1880, married Nancy Anne Malone.
Children:
1. William Mitchell Denton, born Maarch 28, 1849, died November 9, 1921, married Loueza J. Pounders January 12, 1871.
Children:
1. Sarah Miranda (Sallie) Denton, born December 7, 1871, died January 9, 1964, married O. Koger Blackburn 1889.
2. John Henry (Johnny) Denton, born 1874, died December 17, 1896, married Sadie Williams January 1892.
3. William Chesley (Bill) Denton, born 1876, died 1957, married Leila Oliver.
4. Oscar James (Jim) Denton, born 1878, died 1940, married Stella Baker.
5. Ida Jane Denton, born August 1881, died 1971, married a Hall 1900.
6. Lucy Alabama Denton, born 1883, died 1974, married Shermon Coffey 1914.
7. Nancy Ann Denton, born November 4, 1886, died November 15, 1941, married Oscar Lawrence Bryan March 19, 1905.
8. Etta Denton, born M<arch 5, 1888, died 1973, married Morris Mourice Cotton March 27, 1905.
9. Marjorie Denton, born 1891, date of death unknown, married Robert Helms 1908.
10. Mamie Ella Denton, born 1893, date of death unknown, married Samuel E. Artebum.
11. Myrtle Ivy Maude Denton, born 1896, died December 20, 1969.
2. Anna (Margina Elizabeth Denton, born 1854, died 1902, married John Calvin Pounders September 19, 1871.
Children:
1. William Hiram Pounders, born Auigust 11, 1879, date of death unknown, married Turner Elliott.
2. Mitch Pounders, born March 1881, date of death unknown, married Mollie Cosby.
3. Fanny Pounders, born June 1874, died June 1937, never married.
4. Hulda Leoma Pounders, born September 19, 1876, died January 1970, married Charlie Crowell.
5. Lena Pounders, born April 30, 1884, date of death unknown, married Ed Elliott March 27, 1901.
6. Lula Pounders, born July 18, 1886, date of death unknown married Will Mullins.
7. Allie Pounders, born December 3, 1888, date of death unknown, married Jarome Moore.
8. Ollie Pounders, born March 27, 1892, date of death unknown, married Henry Cosby.
9. Etta Pounders, born February 14, 1894, date of death unknown, married Henry Cosby.
10. Clemmie Pounders, born January 19, 1896, died June 4, 1974, married Thomas Wimbs December 14, 1913.
11. Eula Pearl Pounders, born January 9, 1900, date of death unknown, married James Ethridge.
3. James Henry Denton, born August 21, 1853, died September 16, 1921, married Elizabeth Isbell Jagger 1870.
4. Sam Denton, born 1854, date of death unknown.
5. Sarah Margaret Denton, born 1857, date death unknown, married Bod Goodwin.
6. Vincent Clifton Denton, born August 13, 1858, died August 29, 1929, married Sarah A. Winters October 14, 1879.
Children:
1. William Thomas Denton, born January 29, 1883, died December 3, 1965, married Alice Blackburn February 4, 1903.
2. Nancy Susanna (Susie) Denton, born October 23, 1880, died February 6, 1968, married Clarence W. Malone.
3. Walter Denton
4. Clifton Denton
5. Rebecca Denton
*7. John Amos Denton, born October 20, 1860, died February 7, 1941, married Phoebe MaskaLonas Thorne December 18, 1879.
Children:
1. Robert William David Denton (Bob), born March 8, 1881, died March 2, 1964, married Della Hamilton.
*2. Mattie May Denton, born November 24, 1882, died September 20, 1964, married James Larkin (Jim) Elliott August 20, 1899.
3. Mary Josephine Denton, born March 1, 1885, died January 6, 1936, married Sidney Williams.
4. Luanie Denton, born August 15, 1887, died July 27, 1889.
5. Jessee Clarence Denton, born May 11, 1890, died December 19, 1961, married Anna Hurd.
6. Bessie Florence Denton, born April 20, 1893, died May 21, 1964, married Auburn Burns.
7. Carroll (Cairel) Denton (twin), born November 16, 1895 died January 4, 1967, married Dessie Ruth Byars November 25, 1917.
8. Carrey (Cairry) Denton (twin), born November 16, 1895, died December 28, 1895.
9. Dewey Denton, born March 10, 1899, died February 13, 1991, married Lillie Mae Reeves December 22, 1918.
8. Hiram Denton, born April 30, 1862, died July 13, 1930, married Josie Hill August 22, 1883. Children:
1. Ethel Denton, born September 4, 1884, died December 31, 1966, married H. H. Mills February 16, 1902.
2. Esther Denton, born March 25, 1887, died 1970, married Riley Sparks December 12, 1906.
3. Elton Denton, born April 26, 1889, died November 29, 1970, married Elmer Mills October 28, 1908.
4. Edna Denton, born May 6, 1891, died January 23, 1923, married Jake Taylor November 3, 1909.
5. Eula Burton Denton, born April 2, 1893, date of death unknown, married Pink Gray February 23, 1911.
6. Vilena Denton, March 22, 1895, died February 14, 1976, married Jimmy Thorne March 28, 1911.
7. Herbert Denton, born December 20, 1896, died July 8, 1893.
8. Flora Estelle Denton, born November 8, 1898, date of death unknown, married Ellis Kimbrough September 13, 1916.
9. Weba Denton, born August 1, 1900, died April 1, 1995, married Hugh Hester November 1, 1919.
10. Ira Belle Denton, born August 25, 1902, date of death unknown, married Edward N. James April 1, 1923.
11. Denton, born November 18, 1904, died November 23, 1904.
12. Mildred Clois Denton, born November 28, 1906, died April 12, 1979, married Chester Mullins.
13. Denton, born September 25, 1909, died September 25, 1909.
14. Mary Alice Denton, born August 11, 1914, date of death unknown, married Tom Ciamba May 8, 1943, (now Roberts).
9. George Jackson Denton, born July 9, 1865, died March 8, 1937, married Josephine McCulloch January 29, 1883.
Children:
1. Jennie Denton, born June 15, 1884, died May 27, 1944, married Stenson Dupree.
2. Drusilla Denton, born November 20, 1887, died January 10, 1976, married John Wesley Slay February 25, 1906.
3. Dora Denton, born November 15, 1890, died June 2, 1972, married William C. Courington September 24, 1910.
4. Mae Denton, born May 20, 1896, date of death unknown, married Estopn Carey Whitlock May 1917.
10. Phoebe Rosaline Denton, born July 21, 1866, died August 7, 1942, married William Finch Miller January 29, 1883. Second marriage John Hester.
Children:
1. Charles F. Miller, born 1892, died July 1979, married Elizabeth Burdett.
2. Sallie Jane Miller, born 1884, died 1953, married Edward Floyd Bryan 1898.
3. Delilah Miller, born 1886, died 1955, married Issac N. Stinson 1904.
4. Eva Miller, born 1889, date of death unknown, married William Lewis 1907.
5. Mattie Pearl Hester, born January 29, 1900, date of death unknown, married Ura L. Cleere December 25, 1926.
During the year of 1890 several of the Denton brothers including my great-great grandfather John Amos Denton travel by Conestoga wagon to Texas to settle. The families, as you can see quite large, traveled by walking beside the covered wagon during the day. After months of travel two of the brothers, John and Hiram "Hi," decided the climate and terrain of Texas did not suit them. They and their family then walked back to Alabama to their old family homesteads to live out their lives. Mattie, my great grandmother, talked of this journey taken when she was eight all her remaining life. The town of Denton, Texas is named for this family.
When John was elderly, during the early 1930s, he purchased a Ford Model A. He taught himself to drive. The townspeople could hear him coming a mile away. He was yelling, "Whoa, I say." He talked to the Model A just as he had to his team of mules all his life.
John's wife, Phoebe Maskalonas called Lonas by her friends, told of times of her childhood during the Civil War. Yankee troops passed back and forth in North Alabama frequently due to the new Memphis and Charleston railroad and the transportation on the Tennessee River. She told of one foray of troops when she, her mother and her baby sister took the family cow and stayed in a nearby cave for two days and nights to avoid the Yankees killing the cow for food. The family needed the cow's milk for survival.
Grandaddy Denton died during the winter of 1940-41. A much respected person of his community. His family homestead stood until the 1990s when it was sold and dismantled for the logs it was built from. It had stood more than 125 years. After Grandaddy's death Granny came to live with Mattie, her oldest daughter. She resided with Mattie the rest of her life. She died in March 1960, eight months before she would have been one-hundred.
