From
Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, publ. 1901- page 516-517
ROBERT W. DENNIS was born in Missouri April 28, 1843, son of William and Sarah (SPARKS) DENNIS. The father was born in 1814, in Kentucky, and the mother in 1819 in Missouri. They were married in Missouri and came to Wisconsin in 1841, at that time making a stay of one year only in this State, then a Territory. They returned to Missouri, making the trip homeward by wagon. In 1847 they came back to Wisconsin, and bought a farm in the town of Clifton, making some improvements, and later Mr. DENNIS purchased his present home in the same town, where he and his wife are passing their last days in peace and comfort. To them were born five children, of whom four are still living. (1) Robert W. is the eldest. (2) Stephen was born in Missouri in March, 1846, married Miss Almira HAKE, and is now living in Clifton. Mr. DENNIS was a prosperous and well-to-do citizen of the town of Lima. Ora, their daughter, lives in Platteville, and is a stenographer for Sawyer ELLIS. (3) Mary J., born in Missouri in 1847, is now the wife of William KIES, of Clear Lake, Iowa, and is the mother of three children, Ethel, Albert and Ray. (4) John J., born in Grant county in September, 1850, married Miss Viola LOY, a daughter of Dr. LOY, of Platteville, and is the father of four children, Eugena, Sarah, William and Stella.
Robert W. DENNIS obtained his education in the district schools. In 1865, in company with an expedition for the gold fields of Colorado, was a teamster in the West until December, 1867, when he came back to Grant county and bought a farm, and of late years he has been very successful as a general farmer and a stock raiser. In October, 1869, he married Miss Emma WANNAMAKER, of Grant county, daughter of Jonas and Esther (EVERETT) WANNAMAKER, who came to this State from Pennsylvania, by way of Trumbull county, Ohio, where Mrs. DENNIS was born in 1844. Two years later her parents moved to Liberty, Grant county, where they settled on a farm. They had a family of twelve children, eight of whom are now living.
Mr. DENNIS and his wife settled on a farm in Clifton, which was purchased at their marriage and there they made substantial improvements. In 1881 Mr. DENNIS bought the "SPARKS Farm," of 280 acres, to which he has added 100 acres, which makes it one of the large farms of the town. Mr. DENNIS is a capable farmer, and his land shows in every part the ownership of a practical man. He has at this time one hundred head of cattle and eighty hogs.
To our subject and his wife have been born children as follows: (1) Alta May, born in 1871, is at home. (2) Lee W., born in 1873, married Miss Agnes BAYLEY, of Lima, and lives on one of his father's farms. (3) Cary J. was born in 1874. (4) John EVERETT died when sixteen years old. (5) Robert P. was born in 1878. (6) Jay, in 1880. (7) Roy, in 1882. (8) Clyde, in 1883. (9) Harley died when seven years old. (10) Fern was born in September, 1889. These children have all been students of the Lima schools. In politics Mr. DENNIS is a Democrat, and he has held the position of school director for twenty years.
This biography generously submitted by
Carol Holmbeck