Descendants of A. B. C. Dickenson

Contributed by Diana Shipe

©2000

A. B. C. DICKENSON was born May 12, 1817 in Virginia and died February 27, 1893 in the vacinity of Castalian Springs, Sumner County, TN. He is believed to have been the son of Nancy Dickenson (born about 1786 in Virginia) and the brother of David W. Dickenson (born about 1808 in Virginia) and Brightberry B. Dickenson (born February 23, 1823 in TN; died June 30, 1891 in TN). He married SUSAN L. PERSLEY before 1847. She was born September 24, 1825 in Tennessee and died December 07, 1905 probably in Sumner County, TN. Both are buried with Brightberry B. Dickenson in the Dickenson Cemetery, which is located near Castalian Springs in Sumner County. These are the only 3 headstones visible in the family cemetery, which is enclosed within an iron fence in a corn field. A. B. C. Dickenson and his family are listed in the 1850 and 1860 Sumner County, TN Census 1850 Census - Sumner County, TN

Children of A. B. C. Dickenson and Susan L. Persely are:

  1. DAVID R. DICKENSON was born October 30, 1847 and died January 05, 1874. He is buried beside his brother, Ephraim P. Dickenson, and sister-in-law, Blanche Malinda Whiteside, at the Gallatin Cemetery, Sumner County, TN.

  2. JOHNATHON DICKENSON, born about 1848.

  3. NANCY BROWN DICKENSON was born in TN on March 25, 1849 and died on February 10, 1915. Nannie, as she was called, married JOHN WILLIAM WHITESIDE -- the son of WILLIAM SHELTON WHITESIDE and SUSAN ELIZABETH PARKER of Sumner County, and the brother of Blanche Malinda Whiteside -- on January 10, 1872. John was a farmer, teacher, and lumber mill operator. They had 5 children. Both John and Nancy are buried in Gallatin Cemetery.

  4. EPHRAIM PERSLEY DICKENSON was born June 26, 1851 in Sumner County, Tennessee, and died October 26, 1927 in St. Thomas Hospital, Nashville, TN. He married BLANCHE MALINDA WHITESIDE on December 19, 1871, daughter of WILLIAM SHELTON WHITESIDE and SUSAN ELIZABETH PARKER. Blanche was born November 10, 1852 in Near Greenwood, TN, and died at her home in Gallatin, Sumner County, TN, on February 06, 1933. They had one child -- Minnie Margaret Dickenson.

    The funeral service for EPHRAIM PERSLEY DICKENSON was held at 2 P.M. on October 27, 1927 at Gallatin Methodist Church; conducted by Rev. H.B. BLUE and Rev. E.N. STEELE; Pall-bearers were George BROWN, John SWANEY, Rufe REESE, O.C. WHITESIDE, J.W. MURREY, & Tom BROWN; Honorary pall-bearers were William HAIL, C.A. WHITESIDE, C.B. BROWN, E. FRANKLIN, M.A. EWING, W.G. SCHAMBERGER. He was buried on October 27, 1927, at City Cemetary, Gallatin, TN.

    Obituary for BLANCHE MALINDA WHITESIDE -- 2/9/1933 Gallatin, TN, (probably in the Nashville paper)
    Mrs. E. P. Dickenson died suddenly Monday morning. She was in her usual health upon her return from Nashville Sunday evening.
    She was the daughter of Wm. S. and Susan Parker Whiteside and was reared near Greenwood, Tenn. She was 80 years of age. She was married to E. P. Dickenson in 1871 and is survived by an only daughter, Mrs. Minnie Harper of Nashville; three brothers, Charles, R. M., and O. C. Whiteside, sister-in-law Mrs. Mollie Whiteside and the following grandchildren: James Harper of Monroe, La; Mrs. John Lyon of Milwaukee, Wis; Mrs. Blanche Dismukes and Mrs. Sam Wiley (should have been Negley) of Nashville.
    Mrs. Dickenson joined the Methodist church at Bethpage in her young girlhood and was a regular attendant upon its services when not prevented by illness. She later came to Gallatin and united with the church at this place.
    Services were conducted Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock by Rev. W. M. Cook, assisted by Rev. Charles Ramsay and burial in the Gallatin Cemetery. After life's fitful dream she rests beside the sacred dust of loved ones gone before.

    Obituary for BLANCHE MALINDA WHITESIDE -- (Probably in the Gallatin paper)
    Mrs. Blanche Whiteside Dickerson, wife of the late Mr. E. P. Dickerson, was found dead at her home on Franklin Street about 7 o'clock A.M., Monday, February 6th, 1933.
    Mrs. Dickerson lived alone at her residence. When no lights were observed in her home early Monday morning, the neighbors made an investigation and found her dead. It is thought that her death resulted from a hemorrhage of the lungs. She had just returned Sunday from a visit to her daughter in Nashville and seemingly was in as good health as usual. Her death came as a great shock to the people of this community.
    The deceased was 80 years of age. She was a daughter of William S. and Susan Parker Whiteside, pioneer citizens of this county, and was born and reared near Greenwood in the tenth civil district. She married Mr. DIckerson in 1871.
    She is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Minnie Harper of Nashville; three brothers, R. M. Whiteside, Charles Whitesides and Olie Whiteside of this county; and four grandchildren, James Harper of Monroe, La., Mrs. John Lyon of Milwaukee, Wis., Mrs. Blanche Dismukes and Mrs. Dorothy Negley of Nashville.
    Mrs. Dickerson* was a life-long member of the Methodist church, having joined the Bethpage M. E. church in early life. Later her membership was transferred to Gallatin. She was a devout Christian, at all times faithful in attendance upon the services of her church.
    Funeral services were conducted at the Gallatin Methodist Church at 2 o'clock P.M., Tuesday, by Rev. W. M. Cook and Rev. Charles S. Ramsay. The burial followed at the Gallatin cemetery.

  5. LEONORA A. DICKENSON was born about 1855. She married W. B. BOENSCH. They had three daughters. IDA BOENSCH, born about 1873, SUSAN BOENSCH, born about 1875 and LENORA BOENSCH, b. Abt. 1879.

  6. JAMES A. DICKENSON was born about 1860.


NANCY BROWN DICKENSON (daughter of A. B. C. Dickenson and Susan L. Persely) was born in TN on March 25, 1849 and died on February 10, 1915. Nannie, as she was called, married JOHN WILLIAM WHITESIDE -- the son of WILLIAM SHELTON WHITESIDE and SUSAN ELIZABETH PARKER of Sumner County, and the brother of Blanche Malinda Whiteside -- on January 10, 1872. John was a farmer, teacher, and lumber mill operator. They had 5 children. Both John and Nancy are buried in Gallatin Cemetery.

Children of Nancy Brown Dickenson and John William Whiteside are:

  1. LILLY ABNER WHITESIDE, born 1873; died 1960, Nashville, TN; married TALIAFERRO DAVID BATES (born 1874, died 1956) in 1896.

  2. DAVID SHELTON WHITESIDE was born in 1875 and died in 1946. He was a druggist and married ELBA KEY.

  3. BLANCHE VELMA WHITESIDE, born April 19, 1878; died August 4,1948; married ALTON WADE ROARK.

  4. SUSAN LENORA WHITESIDE, born 1880; died April 10, 1971 in Nashville, TN. She changed her name to Sunora Lee. Sunora was an osteopath. She never married.

  5. JOHN WILLIAM WHITESIDE, JR. was born in 1886 and died in 1955. He married (1) EMMA JOHNSON (born 1901) and (2) SADIE RAY BATES (born in 1886, died in 1910) in 1908. John was a salesman.


MINNIE MARGARET DICKENSON (daughter Ephraim Persely Dickenson and Blance Malinda Whiteside) was born March 13, 1874 in Tennessee, and died June 26, 1968 in Portsmouth, Virginia. She married EUGENE ST. CLARE HARPER September 22, 1901 in Tennessee, son of DANIEL J. HARPER and ORIANNA G. CRENSHAW. Eugene was born December 27, 1874 in Sumner County, TN, and died August 31, 1913 in Nashville, TN, from injuries sustained in an accident. Both Minnie and Eugene are buried at Gallatin Cemetery, Sumner County, TN. Eugene was a carpenter before marrying, later becoming a collection agent for a Nashville furniture store. Minnie and Eugene had 5 children, 3 of whom are still living.

Children of Minnie Margaret Dickenson and Eugene St. Clare Harper are:

  1. MILDRED MARGARET HARPER was born on October 02, 1903, and died on October 24, 1924 from TB that resulted from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Mildred was buried beside her parents at Gallatin Cemetery. She never married.

  2. DOROTHY DICKENSON HARPER was born October 08, 1909 in Nashville, Tennessee, and died February 08, 1999 in Suffolk, Virginia. She married FREDERICK SANFORD NEGLEY (son of CHARLES F. NEGLEY and BERTIE EDWARDS SANFORD) on December 24, 1930 in Nashville, TN. "Sam", as he was called, was born November 21, 1906 in Nashville and died September 11, 1993 in Fairfax County, Virginia.


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