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Family
Marriage: Children:
  1. Charles Moak: Birth: BET 1840 AND 1850 in Michigan or Indiana. Death: BEF 1850

  2. Margaret E. Moak: Birth: 1843 in White Pigeon, St Joseph, Michigan, USA. Death: 1869 in Viola, Mercer County, Illinois, USA


Family
Marriage: Children:
  1. Mary Estella Denniston: Birth: 12 JAN 1861 in Viola, Mercer, Illinois, USA. Death: 1 FEB 1931 in Preston, Pratt, Kansas, USA

  2. Ardella J. Denniston: Birth: ABT 1862 in Viola, Mercer, Illinois, USA. Death: 29 SEP 1879 in Galva, Henry, Illinois, USA


Sources
1. Title:   GEDCOM FILE/Thob2.ged
Author:   Marjorie M. Britton
Publication:   Name: Name: Information from letter as given to LBlackburn in 1976;;
2. Title:   Civil War Pension Index
Page:   Image #2847
Publication:   Name: Name: @@ancestry.com;;
3. Title:   Descendants of William D. Winne
Author:   WHart
Publication:   Name: Name: 10/21/2004, Word File;;
4. Title:   1850 United States Federal Census
Page:   Year: 1850; Census Place: Victoria, Knox, Illinois; Roll: M432_113;Page: 430B; Image: 447
Author:   Ancestry.com
Publication:   Name: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date:2009;;
5. Title:   U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
Author:   Ancestry.com
Publication:   Name: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date:2012;;
6. Title:   Selected U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880
Page:   Census Year: 1860; Census Place: Victoria, Knox, Illinois
Author:   Ancestry.com
Publication:   Name: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date:2010;;
7. Title:   IL, Mercer Co. Cemetery Records
Page:   Vol 7, Pg #91
Author:   © 1997 - 2001 Teresa Davis, ILGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects
Publication:   Name: Name: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmercer/cem/;;
8. Title:   1870 Federal Census, IL, Mercer Co., Viola
Page:   Pg 9, Fam #72
Publication:   Name: Name: @@genealogy.com;;
9. Title:   1880 Federal Census, IL, Mercer Co., Green Twp
Page:   Fam Hist Film # 1254236, Pg 303C
Publication:   Name: Name: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints;;
10. Title:   1900 Federal Census, IL, Mercer Co., Greene Twp
Page:   ED #70, Sht 3A-B, Fam #68, 69
Publication:   Name: Name: @@Genealogy.com;;
11. Title:   Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
Page:   vol00A/pg0157
Author:   Illinois State Archives
Publication:   Name: Name: http://www2.sos.state.il.us/GenealogyMWeb/marrsrch.html;;

Notes
a. Note:   Mary Estella Denniston and her family, lived in the Denniston familyhome in Viola, Mercer Co., IL, along with Mary's mother, Nancy WinneyDenniston. Fred Britton relayed stories that his grandmother, Nancy,told him about how the Indians would come to the house for tobacco.Nancy Winney Denniston smoked a pipe.(MBrittonBlackburn)
  BIRTH: Census birthplace (and subsequent findings for the Winneyfamily) states NY, but family tradition had recorded Bridgers Corners,IL - found a record of a diary online that mentions Bridgers Cornerssupposedly in IL, probably Mercer Co., but have not actually locatedthe place. T. G. Denniston mentions in his deposition visiting"Bridges" Corner, south of Viola.
  DEPOSITION:
 Case of _______Nancy Denniston___________, No. 778590
 On this_____17______ day of ______April_____, 1903 at
  _Viola____________County of _ Mercer___________
  State of ___Ill._______, before me, N.E. Ives___________
  a special examiner of the Bureau of Pensions, personally approved
  _Nancy Denniston_______, who, being by me first duly sworn to
  answer truly all interrogations propounded to her during this special
  examination of aforesaid claim for pension, deposes and says: I am_82_
  years of age; my post-office address is Viola, Ill.
  I have been married twice in my life. The first time I was married toBaltis Moake at White Pigeon, Mich., but I cannot remember the year. Iwas either 19 or 20 years of age at the time. Some five or six yearsafter my marriage to him, we moved to this - Mercer Co. About one yearafter we came to this county, Mr. Moake went to California. He left mewith Benjamin [looks like Foot's] family - paid my board bill forthree years in advance and then went to California, but do notremember where he wrote from. He sent me a sample of gold dust. I donot know of any one living who went to California with him. No, Inever heard that he was dead. I cannot name any one who ever saw himin California. I waited for a long time, expecting he would come back.I finally gave him up as dead. I cannot furnish any proof of hisdeath, but I concluded, many years ago, that he was dead. But I waitedfor a number of years for him to return or to hear from him.
  Concluded he was dead and was married to James S. Denniston. I wasmarried to him July 6, 1859. I have a certificate of my marriage toMr. Denniston given me by the preacher who married us. I will loan thecertificate to you, which you have marked Exhibit C. I lived with Mr.Denniston as his wife from the date of our marriage until he enlistedin Co. E (I cannot remember what regiment). We lived in this countyafter our marriage with the exception of one year when we lived atGalva, Ill.
  Mr. Denniston lived with me after his return from the army for onlyabout one year. He then went away. I never saw him but onceafterwards. I cannot remember what year that was. He did not speak tome. I simply saw him pass my house - this place where I now live,which I purchased while Mr. Denniston was in the army and have livedhere ever since.
  I understand Mr. Denniston got in with another woman while he was inthe army and about a year after his return from the army he ran awaywith her and has since lived with her in Iowa. I never met the woman.
  I had two children by Mr. Denniston - Estella and Adella. The formeris still living - resides in this house. Adella is dead. Mr. Dennistonrecognized each of them as his daughters.
  No sir, I never applied for or received a divorce from Mr. Denniston.I never heard from any source that Mr. Denniston applied for orreceived a divorce from me. I never received a notice stating hisintention of getting a divorce. He never wrote to me after he left me.I did not know when he went away that he was never coming back. No, hedid not go away in anger. He got up from the breakfast table, took achew of tobacco, and went out. I never met him afterwards, but saw himpass down the road one day, in front of my house here. I found outafter he had gone that he got hold of all of our money he could getbefore he left. I had given him money to pay several bills, which Ifound out afterwards he had not paid.
  I have never remarried nor lived with any man as his wife or otherwisesince Mr. Denniston left me - which must have been in 1866 or 67.
  Q: Are you the legal widow of James S. Denniston?
  A: I am not his widow. I am his legal wife.
  Q: When did you hear that he died?
  A: I never heard that he is dead.
  Q: Did you sign an application for pension as his widow?
  A: I signed a paper before S.C. Fugate, N.P., asking for a pension,but I did not know that my husband James S. Denniston was dead. I wasnot told that he was dead or that I was applying for pension as hiswidow.
  Q: Did Mr. Fugate or any one else read the document to you before yousigned it?
  A: No, I was simply called into the room where Mr. Fugate was andsigned the paper.
  Q: Was you asked to hold up your hand to be sworn to the document -was you sworn at all by Mr. Fugate, the notary?
  A: No. He did not ask me to swear.
  Q: I have gave your declaration for pension. Will you please statewhether you signed the same - whether you wrote your name on theapplication for pension?
  A: Yes sir, I signed this application. I recognize it as my signature.
  I cannot name any one to prove that my first husband, Baltis Moake, isdead or what became of him.
  I cannot name any witness to prove my marriage to Mr. Denniston. Wewere married at the residence of the minister who married us, in RockIsland, Ill. There was no one present that I knew - just the membersof the family where we were married - all strangers to me.
  Mr. Denniston was a farm hand when I first met him - he was employedby Andrew Trask, who is dead. Mrs Trask was dead at the time and I waskeeping house for Mr. Trask. We went to Rock Island to get married andwhen we got married went back to Mr. Trask's house and made that ourhome until he went into the army. Both my daughters by Mr. Dennistonwere born at Mr. Trask's house. [I only find Andrew Trask on the 1880census, living in Suez, Mercer Co., Ill., which is where J.S.Denniston had enlisted in the army. LZ]
  I had two children by my first husband Mr. Moake: Margaret andCharles. Both are dead.
  I cannot offer the testimony of any one to prove I have never beendivorced from Mr. Denniston. Every one who has resided here since thewar will know that I have lived right here in this village and havenot removed and lived with my daughters.
  I am [can't read this word] hard of hearing but I have heard you readthe above and foregoing and understand the contents of same. I havehad all your questions to me repeated by my granddaughter, Ada E.Britton, and think I have fully understood and comprehended eachquestion, and as near as I am able to understand you, I think you havecorrectly recorded my answers
  [signed] Nancy Denniston [with one "n"]
  Subscribed and sworn to before me this 17th day of April 1903. Thecontents were made know to deponent before signing.
  [signed] N.E. Ives
  Special Examiner
 [rec'd from Linda Britton Zinn via e-mail Sat, 19 Nov 2005 21:35:10]
b. Note:   Never divorced


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