ANCESTRY OF MAY DEWEY PHILLIPS





(part of NW 1/4 sec 11, T 21 N, R 23 W) was deeded to Ernest K. Dewey by a
guardian, Alice Lewis having been declared insane (Book 86, Pages 471-472).

Nelle “Nellie” Dewey:  Born 24 April 1862, Harmony Springs, Benton, Arkansas.
Married Rinaldo F. Wilbur, 27 December 1885, Linn County, Kansas.  Widowed
in 1900, Nellie “established a little grocery store in Wichita, Kansas,” and
moved to Glendale, California in 1920 (Glendale News-Press, 21 April 1942,
p. 6-A).  Three children:  Harry S., Lee, and Ruth.  Nellie and her second
son, Lee B. Wilbur (born 13 June 1888 at Mound City), filed for homesteads in
Morton County, Kansas in 1910; and Lee’s future wife, Francis Phoebe Collins,
filed in 1912.  They were married 19 February 1914, and began their honeymoon
on a covered-wagon trek from Wichita to their homesteads.  Nellie Wilbur
managed the first post-office from her dugout, and the town of Wilburton
still bears her name.  (Elkhart Tri-State News, 2 January 1975)

May Dewey:  Born 3 April 1865, Moneka, Linn, Kansas.  Married William Grant
“Will” Phillips, 15 July 1885, Linn County, Kansas.  Graduated 5 June 1894,
University of Kansas Law School.  Second woman lawyer in the State of Kansas.
Died 10 December 1953, Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas.  Buried at Paola, Miami,
Kansas.  Two children:  Frank Dewey Phillips and Helen Tenney Phillips.

Ralph W. Dewey:  Born 28 October 1869, Moneka, Linn, Kansas.  Lived 1900,
Paris Township, Linn, Kansas.  Lived 1930, Lyons, Rice, Kansas.  Died 1952.
Buried at Mound City, Linn, Kansas.  Married Lelia Turley.

Pearl Dewey:  Born 13 January 1874, Moneka, Linn, Kansas.  Married Alvin
Long, 1 April 1899, Lawrence, Douglas, Kansas.  Alvin was born 19 February
1876 in Maroa, Macon, Illinois, and died in 1953.  Pearl died in 1962.  They
had one daughter, Maude Long, born 28 July 1903, died 20 February 1993.  All
are buried at Lyons, Rice, Kansas.

Ernest Kirk Dewey:  Born 26 June 1877, Farlinville, Linn, Kansas.  Married
(1) Elsie Thompson of Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  Married (2) Osee Hughes.
Lived 1900-1932, 1947-1965, Schenectady, New York.  Lived 1932-1941, Havre,
Hill, Montana.  Lived 1941-1947, St. Lawrence Seaway.  Died 5 December 1965,
Schenectady, New York.  Buried at Mound City, Linn, Kansas.

In the 1870 census for Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, A. D. Tenney,
Physician (aged 56), born in New Hampshire, and his wife, R. S. Tenney,
Physician (aged 39), born in Maine, are listed with their youngest children:
Ann (aged 19), Amos (aged 17), and Alice (aged 14), all born in Wisconsin.
In the 1880 census for Independence, Montgomery, Kansas, “Ratchel” Tenney,
Physician (aged 49, now a widow), born in Maine, is listed with two of her
children:  Amos (aged 26) and “Alace” (aged 24); both were Teachers.  Living
in the same household was William Taylor, Pedlar (aged 37), born in Ohio.
The handwritten account of May Dewey Phillips describes the two physicians:

“Dr. Tenney learned to be a doctor just as 9/10ths of the others learned it,
by studying and practicing with another Dr.  He learned it mostly with Dr.
(James E.) Spencer, at Harmony Springs.  In the civil war he was commissioned
major in the 2nd Kansas Colored Regiment.  There was no stigma attached to
that in Kansas.”  In fact, “Abijah D. Tenny” was an Assistant Surgeon in the
First Regiment of Kansas Colored Volunteers, serving from 2 May 1863 to 20
July 1864 (Adjutant General’s Report, Page 574; Annals of Kansas, Page 364).


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