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Below is a family biography included in The History of Hickory County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Samuel Valentine Dean is a native of the “Bay State,” born in 1825. His parents, Samuel and Hannah (Hynes) Dean; his grandfather, Benjamin Dean; and the maternal grandfather and grandmother were all born in Massachusetts, and there spent their lives, Samuel and Hannah dying in 1847 and 1848, respectively. The former was born in 1780, and throughout life was a carpenter and joiner by trade. He and wife became the parents of nine children, all of whom lived to maturity, and six of whom are now living. The maternal grandmother’s name was Valentine, and she was a lineal descendant of the Revolutionary volunteer, Gen. Valentine. The prominent characteristics of the Dean family are their medium stature, dark complexion and longevity. The old stock were Presbyterians. Samuel Valentine Dean went on the ocean as a. sailor boy at the age of fourteen years, and worked on sailing vessels plying between the United States and the West Indies, and rose to the rank of second mate. At the age of twenty-one years he went on the great lakes to Buffalo and Chicago, and became second mate on a passenger steamer, serving in this capacity four years; then went to Pennsylvania, and, at the age of twenty-five years, was married to Miss Harriet Morrell, who was born in the “Keystone State” in 1830, and from about the time of their marriage until 1872 resided in Ohio. Since that time they have been residents of Hickory County, Mo., and own a fine farm of 220 acres. Their children are: Celia, wife of Theodore Hellenbeak; Morrell, Charles W. and Annie May. Mr. Dean has been a licensed minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church since 1861, and, in his political views, is a Democrat. During the late war he served three years in the Federal army as captain in Company K, One Hundred and Forty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, under Gen. Hancock, and was at the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville; and in the last engagement he was captured and taken a prisoner to Richmond, Va., being paroled after two weeks. Then he went to Parole Camp, Annapolis, Md., and, after being exchanged, returned to the regiment. The next year he was again taken prisoner, and retained eight and one-half months. He was discharged at the close of the war at Pittsburg, Pa. He now draws a pension of sixteen dollars per month, and is a member of the G. A. R. He also belongs to the Agricultural Wheel. Mrs. Dean’s parents, Jonathan and Content (Marble) Morrell, were born in New York State and Massachusetts, respectively, and afterward became farmers of Pennsylvania.

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This family biography is one of 53 biographies included in The History of Hickory County, Missouri published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Hickory County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Hickory County, Missouri family biographies here: Hickory County, Missouri

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