Chapter 19

The John Wesley Denty Family

            John Wesley Denty, the youngest child and only son of John and Maria Barber Denty, was born on 3 Nov 1843 in Licking County, Ohio.  Describing his occupation as "miller", he enlisted in the Ohio National Guard as a Private on 2 May 1864.[1]  His unit, Company B, 142nd Infantry, had been activated for a period of only one hundred days to serve on guard duty, the goal being to free more seasoned troops for combat.  Mustered in on 13 May 1864 at Camp Chase in Ohio, in July and August John appeared on the rolls of the huge Satterlee General Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was most probably performing the aforementioned and intended guard duty.  He was transferred back to Camp Chase on August 20 and discharged on September 2.  While his military records may be understandably brief, they do provide a description of John at the age of twenty: dark hair, black eyes, five feet eleven inches in height,[2] with a fair complexion.  Certainly, in all his photos John was very striking.  See photo.

John Wesley had married Malissa Moore, the daughter of T. H. Moore of Licking County, on 10 Jan 1861.  In the 1870 Census the couple and their two sons were living with John's parents.  Both John Wesley and his father estimated their real and personal property value at $7,500 and $1,385 that year, so they were obviously sharing equally in the family farm and mill.[3]  John's mother died in 1873, but his father evidently continued to live with John Wesley and Malissa until his death in 1897.  In the years between 1880 and 1890 John ostensibly sold the mill, for in 1900 he told the census taker that he was an undertaker, the owner of "J.W. Denty Furniture and Undertaking" in Mount Vernon, Hardin County, Ohio.  Sadly, the next year John Wesley may have been called upon to provide those services for Malissa, who died of cancer on 24 Dec 1901 at the age of sixty-one.  The widower married twice more, wedding Evaline LaPort at an unspecified date, and Nancy Jane Smith on 10 Dec 1913.  This third and last wife was to outlive John, who died on 2 Mar 1915 and was buried, like his parents, grandparents, and wife Malissa, in Bennington Cemetery, Licking County, Ohio. 

             John Wesley and Malissa Moore Denty had five children: [4]

The eldest, George B. Denty, was born on 20 Mar 1864, just before his father enlisted in the Union Army.  On 24 May 1880 George married Lillie Katharyn Bash.  He identified himself as a farmer in the 1900 and 1910 Censuses, and was listed in the Licking County Farm Directory of 1915-1920 residing on his farm on Route 4, Johnstown, Ohio.  He and Lillie were the parents of only one child, Flora May, born on 19 Jul 1883, who married Byra D. Peters.  The Peters also had only one child, Eva May.  George lost wife Katharyn in 1921.  He then married a widow, Vada Belt Kettle.  George died in 1943. 

            Warner Charles Denty was born on 18 Mar 1866 in Bennington.  He married Elizabeth LaFever in 1894 and had five children: Lewis Alonzo (b. 13 Oct 1895, married Pauline Coquella Glaze on 10 Aug 1919, d. 29 Oct 1954), Luella California (b. 1897), Laura Malvina (b. 2 Apr 1900, d. 8 Jan 1977), Elsie Marie (b. 1902, married J. Delbert Wright, d. 13 Aug 1936), and John Abraham Denty (b. 21 Jul 1920, d. 1978).  Like his older brother, Warner Charles was a lifelong farmer.  See photo.  In the 1915-1920 Licking County Farm Directory, he was residing on Route 1, Croton, Ohio.  He died in 1946.

Flora May Denty was born on 15 Jul 1870 and died on 16 Feb 1871.

Lavina C. Denty, born on 31 Aug 1872, married jeweler Albert Hart about 1893, and the Harts had moved in next door to John Wesley and Malissa Denty by 1900.  Just when after 1900 Lavina died isn't known.  She and Albert had seven children: Flossie May (b. Oct 1893), Hazel Dell (b. May 1896), Albert W. (b. Sep 1899), Isabel, Forest Wesley, Grace, and Opal Hart. 

Park M. Denty, born on 8 Feb 1884, married Nellie G. Willauer, the daughter of Theodore P. and Nancy Latimore Willauer, on 12 Jun 1910.  Park died on 25 Jan 1949.

Research Notes: John Wesley Denty, Malissa Moore Denty, Evaline LaPort Denty, and Nancy Jane Smith Denty

John's birth and death dates: 9 Nov 1843 - 2 Mar 1915.  [Denty Family Bible: Copy provided by Opal Denty] 

Marriage to Malissa Moore: 10 Jan 1861.  [Denty Family Bible; Marriage License #369: Copies provided by Opal Denty]

Malissa's birth and death dates: 29 Sep 1840 – 24 Dec 1901.  [Denty Family Bible: Copy provided by Opal Denty]

Served in Company B, 142nd OH Nat'l Guard, Infantry as Private, enlisting 2 May 1864 at Mount Vernon, OH for 100 days and being mustered in on 13 May 1864 at Camp Chase, OH.  In Jul and Aug, appeared on the Muster Roll for Satterlee, USA General Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, being transferred back to Camp Chase on 20 Aug.  No indication in record whether he was wounded or simply working at the hospital.  Mustered out on 2 Sep 1864.  [NNMS, National Archives; Honorable Discharge and Pass: Copies provided by Opal Denty]

His military record contains the following description of John at the age of twenty: Dark hair, black eyes, 5 feet 11 inches, fair complexion.  [NNMS, National Archives]

14 Jul 1870 CENSUS, Bennington, Licking Co, OH  (Hartford P.O.): Farmer age 27, born in OH, with real and personal property worth $7,500 and $1,385, residing in the household of John and Mariah Denty, along with wife Melissa M. age 27, sons George and Warner, and Rachel Minor.  (Next door was the household of John Barber.)  [Pg 16]

11 Jun 1880 CENSUS, Bennington, Licking Co, OH: farmer John Denty 73, VA VA VA; farmer John W. Denty 36, OH VA DC; Melissa M. age 39, George 17, Warner 15, and Lavina age 7.  (George and Warner were described as farm hands.  Next door is the family of farm hand Charles Potter with wife Rachel, two children.)  [Pg 6]

Described by Hill in 1881 as living "on the old homestead".  [Hill, History of Licking County, Ohio.]

2 Jun 1900 CENSUS, Hardin Co, OH  (Hale Township, Mount Victory): Undertaker John W. Denty age 56, born Nov 1845, married 39 years; Malissa M. age 59, born Sep 1840, mother of 5 children, 4 living; Park M. age 16, born Feb 1884.  Described as owner of "J.W. Denty Furniture and Undertaking" in Mount Victory, OH.  (Next door is household of Albert and Levina Hart.)  [ED 85, Sheet 2]

Malissa's cause of death: Cancer  [Opal Denty]

Second wife Evaline LaPort was born 11 Dec 1853, died 9 Jun 1912.  [Denty Family Bible: Copy provided by Opal Denty]

Marriage to Nancy Jane Smith:  10 Dec 1913.  [Denty Family Bible: Copy provided by Opal Denty]

1920 Soundex: Widow Nancy Denty, age 70, born OH, residing alone at 324 E. North.  [Orig: ED 82, Sheet 4]

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