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Below is a family biography included in The History of Dyer County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  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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D. R. Holland, farmer and citizen of the Eighth District, and son of Preston and Sarah H. (Cole) Holland, was born in Dyer County, in 1850, and is one of ten children; eight are now living. The father was born in 1809, in North Carolina, and moved with his parents to Middle Tennessee when he was quite young, and a few years after to Gibson County, where his parents died. In 1838 he married Sarah H. Cole, and in 1839 moved to Dyer County, and for a few years followed the blacksmith’s trade, at the same time buying and selling real estate, and finally located seven miles southeast of Newbern, where he died March, 1874. Mrs. Holland was born in Williamson County, in 1819, and is still living. D. R. Holland was educated at home, and December 2, 1869, married Miss M. Angeline, daughter of Archibald and Mary Wilkins; they have seven children: Ada E., Archie P., Arthur D., Austin B., Hattie Mary, Estella Ann and Wilma W. When Mr. Holland married, he was living in Missouri, but a year later moved to Dyer County, and continued farming. He now owns 209 acres of rich land nicely improved, six miles southeast of Newbern. Mrs. Holland was born in Dyer County, in 1851; her father was a native of North Carolina, and died in 1868; her mother was born in Middle Tennessee, and died in 1866. Mr. Holland is conservative in politics, a member of the Masonic fraternity, and both his wife and himself are prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a kind neighbor and a man highly respected.

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This family biography is one of 128 biographies included in The History of Dyer County, Tennessee published in 1887 by Goodspeed.  The History of Dyer County was included within The History of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, Weakley & Lake Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, Weakley, and Lake Counties of Tennessee

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