Husband: Alexander TENNANT

Born: 14 MAR 1857 in Portage, Columbia Co., WI Married: 01 AUG 1891 in Bethany, Harrison, MO Died: 08 SEP 1938 in Pawnee City, Pawnee, NE Father: Robert TENNANT Mother: Margaret GIBSON Spouses: Sarah Jane WARNER Notes: Robert Tennant was born 17 May 1813 in Roxburgh, Scotland. I have not yet been able to find his parents. He married Margaret Gibson in Missouria Twp., Canada West (which is now Ontario) in 1838. I have not been able to locate Missouria Twp., so I haven't been able to obtain their marriage license which would tell us who their parents were. I do have Margaret Gibson's birth date, June 25 1815 in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Margaret died August 22, 1886 in Caledonia, Columbia, WI. Robert & Margaret Tennant had nine children: 1. James Tennant, b. August 2, 1839 Canada West d. September 18, 1840. 2. John Tennant, b.January 23, 1841 Canada West d. January 7, 1910. 3. Isabel Tennant b. August 9, 1842 Canada West d. July 31, 1905 Columbia Co. WI. Isabel married David MARSHALL, of a prominent family of the county. My great-grandfather and grandfather were both named after him. 4. Jannet Tennant, b. July 25, 1844 Canada West d. 1879. 5. George Tennant b. May 18, 1849 d. 1918. 6. Robert Tennant b. November 8, 1851 d. September 2, 1925. 7. William Tennant b. January 24, 1853 Columbia Co. WI d. April 17 1857. His grave, along with mother Margaret's, is in Indian Farm Cem., Caledonia, Columbia Co., WI. It mentions twin boys, so maybe William had a twin? 8. Alexander A. Tennant, b. March 14, 1857 Portage, Columbia Co., WI. Alexander married Sarah Jane WARNER on March 23, 1876 at Bethany, Harrison, MO. Alexander was my great-great-grandfather. He died September 8, 1938 at Pawnee City, Pawnee, NE. 9. Walter Tennant, b. September 1, 1860 at Columbia Co., WI d. 1881. As far as I can tell, sons John and Alexander moved to Harrison and Gentry Counties in Missouri. They are shown on the 1870 census there: John, Christian and Robert TENNANT, p. 538 Athens Twp., Gentry Co., MO. After Margaret Tennant died, father Robert must have joined them in Missouri. Or maybe it was Robert, Jr.? Did John Tennant marry a woman named Christian? Alexander met and married Sarah Jane WARNER there, and had six children. His eldest was my great-grandfather. Alexander A. Tennant, b. March 14, 1857 Portage, Columbia Co., WI. Alexander married Sarah Jane WARNER on March 23, 1876 at Bethany, Harrison, MO. Sarah Jane WARNER was b. March 23, 1853 at Sulphur Spings, Crawford Co., IN. She died July 15, 1890 at Bethany, Harrison, MO. Their six children: 1. David Marshall Tennant, b. October 17, 1877 at Bethany, Harrison, MO. He was my great-grandfather. David married Julia Beda STATON Feb.18, 1902 at Grant City, MO. David d. March 27, 1941 at Redding, Ringgold, IA. 2. Robert Luther Tennant b. April 20, 1878 at Bethany, Harrison, MO. Robert married Ruth E. BEASON. Robert d. April 2, 1961 at Beatrice, Gage, NE. 3. Albert Newton Tennant, b. March 9, 1880 at Bethany, Harrison, MO. Albert married Fannie LAUGHRIDGE and d. December 27, 1942 at Hamlet, Hayes, NE. 4. George Washington Tennant, b. February 2, 1884 at Bethany, Harrison, MO. George married Mary Estella STEWART, and d.February 14, 1948 at Ft. Morgan, Morgan, CO. 5. Lydia Elizabeth Tennant, b.April 27, 1886 at Bethany, Harrison, MO. Lydia married Albert M. PORTERFIELD and d. April 24, 1947 at Wymore, Gage, NE. 6. Lula May Tennant, b. October 28, 1888 at Bethany, Harrison, MO. Lula married Erne Austin MORSE and d. May 8, 1972 at Ft. Morgan, Morgan, CO. After the mother of the above children died July 15, 1890 when the youngest, Lula May, was just two years old, Alexander (brother of your John?) remarried to Viola Bell MOTSINGER on August 1, 1891 at Bethany, Harrison, MO. Looks like he waited just over a year to grieve properly before finding a new mother for his six kids. Alexander and Viola then had four more children: 7. Charles Roscoe Tennant, b. June 25, 1895 d.in infancy October 12, 1895. 8. Chester Alexander Tennant, b. February 25, 1898 at Redding, Ringgold, IA; died August 14, 1973 at Omaha, Douglas, NE. 9. Mable Irene Tennant, b. May 30, 1900 at Redding, Ringgold, IA; died February 21, 1955 at Pawnee City, Pawnee, NE. 10. Clara Belle Tennant, b. February 18, 1902 at Redding, Ringgold, IA; died October 10, 1955 at Denver, Arapahoe, CO. Alexander and his second wife, Viola, decided to move to Redding, Iowa after the death of their first child. Redding is just north of Bethany, MO across the Iowa state line. The eldest of the children, David Marshall Tennant, had a job working on a neighbor's farm and decided not to go with the family. It is said in the family that he and his step-mother did not get along. Eventually, he did join them in Iowa, as he met and married his wife, Julia Beda Staton, in Centerville, Appanoose, IA on February 18, 1902. David and Julia's three children are: 1. Gladys Jane Tennant, b. January 26, 1904 at Clinton Twp.,Redding, Ringgold, IA. She married Emerson SAVILLE and died in 1992. 2. Ida Marie Tennant, b. May 23, 1911 at Clinton Twp.,Redding, Ringgold, IA. She married byron KETTLE, and is still living in a nursing home in IA. 3. D.M. Tennant, b. December 25 1918 at Redding, Ringgold, IA. He was my paternal grandfather. D.M. met Phyllis Irene FRIESS of Peoria, IL when they were both serving in the Navy during WWII. She was a Navy nurse. They married in 1943 in Chicago, IL. Sadly, D.M. passed away just this year in Phoenix, AZ on April 8, 2000. Eventually, Alexander and Viola Tennant moved west to Pawnee City, NE where they both died. I have made a trip to Madison, Wisconsin where the state archives are held. I found naturalization papers that show father Robert and son John Tennant applying for US Citizenship in 1862. Looks like the family emigrated from Canada West in 1847 through the Port of Detroit, Michigan, which would only have been a ferry ride across the harbor. I also found old ledgers from the 1860's showing the value of Robert's farmin Caledonia, WI and records of money he earned by helping to maintain county roads.

Wife: Viola Bell MOTSINGER

Born: 09 DEC 1861 in Canton, Fulton Co., IL Died: 05 NOV 1940 Father: Richard R. MOTSINGER Mother: Lucretia Melissa JOHNSON Spouses: Living: 1902 Pawnee, Kansas Burial Location: Pawnee City, Pawnee, NE Notes: Viola Bell Motsinger, daughter of Richard R. and Lucretia M. Motsinger, born Dec-9-1861 Canton, Ill. Married Alexander Tennant and resided in Summerfield Kansas. They had one daughter. Mr Tennant was at one time a farmer. Viola went to keep house for him and they married.

Children

01 (M): Charles Roscoe TENNANT Born: 25 JUN 1895 Died: 12 OCT 1895 Spouses:

02 (M): Chester Alexander TENNANT Born: 25 FEB 1898 in Redding, Ringgold, IA; Died: 14 AUG 1973 in Omaha, Douglas, NE Spouses:

03 (F): Mable Irene TENNANT Born: 30 MAY 1900 in Redding, Ringgold, IA Died: 21 FEB 1955 in Pawnee City, Pawnee, NE Spouses:

04 (F): Clara Belle TENNANT Born: 18 FEB 1902 in Redding, Ringgold, IA Died: 10 OCT 1955 in Denver, Arapahoe, CO Spouses: