My Genealogy Hound

John A. Jennison is a son of Swenson Jennison, a farmer by occupation, who was born in Sweden. He came to America and settled in Chicago, where he engaged in teaming; here he died during the late Civil War. His only son, John A. Jennison, was also born in Sweden, and at the age of twelve years came alone to the United States to join his father at Chicago. He was educated at Princeton, Ill., and when the war broke out he enlisted in Company B, Fifty-seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, serving from 1861 to 1865. He was in the battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh, siege of Corinth, second battle of Corinth, was with Sherman on his march to the sea, and at the grand review at Washington. At the close of the war he was honorably discharged at Chicago, and returned home. In 1866 he married Lizzie, daughter of John and Susan (Watkins) Templeton, of Ohio, and their union resulted in the birth of ten children, four living: Ada, Cora, May and James; Annie died at the age of seventeen years. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Jennison resided for about three years in Jasper County, Iowa, and then went to Kansas, where they lived about two and a half years. In 1872 they came to Missouri, and settled in the northeast part of the State. They then came to Newton County, where they own an excellent farm of 240 acres, all of which has been acquired through perseverance and industry. Mrs. Jennison’s father, John Templeton, a son of John and Jane (Stewart) Templeton, of Pennsylvania, was born September 26, 1807, and was married in Wayne County, Ohio, in 1827, to Susan Watkins. She was born in Ohio in 1805. Their children were Benjamin (deceased), James (deceased), John S., William B., Nathaniel B., Elizabeth C., Sarah T., Martha A., Rachel M., Mary M., Ellen R. (deceased), Susan C., and an infant deceased. Nathaniel Templeton, great-grandfather of Mrs. Jennison, lived near where Simon Gerty led the Indians across the Ohio River into Pennsylvania. He was with Crawford in the battle with the Indians on the Sandusky Plains, and was wounded in the first day’s fight. Overcome by loss of blood he was captured on the third day, and was tomahawked and scalped by the Indians. His comrades hunted for and found his body, which they carried home. His gun is now in the Templeton family, over one hundred years old. The Templeton family are of Highland-Scotch and Irish descent, and are a very strong and hardy race. John Templeton, father of Mrs. Jennison, weighed 446 pounds in his prime, was six feet two inches in height, and could lift 1,000 pounds.