My Genealogy Hound

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.

* * * *

Erastus R. Ditmore, a resident of the Ninth District, engaged in stock raising and farming, was the son of Benson and Mary (Manrey) Ditmore, and was born in Cherokee County, N. C., in 1861, and is of a family of sixteen children; thirteen of them are still living. The father was of Scotch-Irish extraction, born in Charleston, S. C., in 1816. The grandfather was a native of Ireland, and immigrated to Charleston, S. C., where he died. The name was then McDitmore, but the Mc was finally dropped. As his father died when he was young, Benson came with his mother to East Tennessee, where he was educated. When twenty-two he married Miss Mary Manrey. After his marriage he went to North Carolina and farmed until 1884, when he moved to Texas, where he still lives. Mrs. Ditmore was born in McMinn County in 1826. Our subject, E. R. Ditmore, remained at home until seventeen years of age, then moved to Simpson County, Ky., and taught school for one term, and in 1879 went to Shelby County, Ill., and worked on a farm for two months; then returned to Kentucky and attended school a few months; then went to Gibson County, and from there to Newbern. In 1885 he married Mrs. Martha E. Parker, daughter of D. V. Allen, and has since lived on his farm of 208 acres two miles east of Newbern, and, though a young man, is one of the progressive farmers of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Ditmore are Cumberland Presbyterians. She was born in Dyer County, and is of Germanic ancestry.

* * * *

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

To view additional Dyer County, Tennessee family biographies, click here

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.