My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in The History of East 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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S. G. Sanders was born in Wythe County, Va., February, 6, 1838, and is the son of Robert and Louisa (Brawley) Sanders. The father was born in Wythe County, Va., July 4, 1785, and was the son of Stephen Sanders. The father of our subject was a farmer by occupation, and made a decided success of life. He removed to Missouri in 1839, where he died September 24, 1844. The mother was born in Wythe County, Va., March 19, 1805, and is the daughter of James Brawley. She is a pious Christian lady, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is now making her home with our subject, being in her eighty-third year. Our subject was reared on the farm in Wythe County, Va., and acquired a practical education in the old field schools of the neighborhood. He worked on the farm until his eighteenth year, and then entered a store at Wytheville, as clerk, where he remained until the breaking out of the late war, and in April, 1861, he enlisted in the Confederate Army, joining the Wytheville Grays, of the Fourth Regiment of Virginia Infantry, of Stonewall’s brigade. He was in the first battle of Manassas Junction or Bull Run, and in other engagements, and in 1862, after a year’s service, was mustered out and returned to the farm. He continued to work on the farm in his native county until 1839, and then with his parents removed to Missouri, where he remained until after the death of his father, and in 1846 removed, with his mother, back to Virginia. In 1883 he removed to Jefferson County, and entered the milling business in connection with farming, and now operates a large custom water power mill, of a daily capacity of fifteen barrels, and cultivates a farm of about 150 acres. He is a prosperous and progressive citizen, broad and liberal in his views, and has always encouraged all public enterprises, is a warm friend of education, and has always lent a helping hand to the public schools, having served as school commissioner in Virginia, and is now one of the school commissioners of the Ninth Civil District. He is generally respected by all who know him, and occupies high position in the esteem and estimation of his neighbors. He was united in marriage March 12, 1862, with Martha A. (Sanders) Sanders, who was born in Wythe County, Va., in 1836, and is the daughter of Dr. Daniel B. Sanders, a prominent physician of his day. To this union three children have been born as follows, two of whom are living: James E., born May 25, 1863, and died September 1, 1863; Loulie A., born May 25, 1866, and Kittie, born June 19, 1868. Both our subject and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, also the eldest daughter.

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This family biography is one of 938 biographies included in The History of East Tennessee published in 1887.  For the complete description, click here: History of East Tennessee

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

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