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Below is a family biography included in the book, The History of Lauderdale County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1886.  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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Kenneth H. Bentley (deceased), was one of the prominent farmers of the Second District, and was born in Bertie County, N. C., April 9, 1833. When he was eleven years old his parents moved to West Tennessee, and settled in Haywood County, but moved to Lauderdale County a few years later and settled in a short time on their present homestead, where K. H. Bentley, Sr., died March 24, 1866, and the mother died October 5, 1886. Our subject was the second child of three sons and four daughters. He had the advantages of a good common-school education and made farming his chief occupation, and was before the war an old-line Whig, but a stanch Republican afterward, and with his wife belonged to the Baptist Church. Mr. Bentley was married in Crockett County, February 27, 1861, to Miss Palona J. Ferguson, daughter of Douglas Ferguson; they had eleven children, nine of them living: Joseph H., Walter E., Austin A., David E., Jonathan A., Bertie, Altie, Kenneth O., Lucy A. and Laura E. Mrs. Bentley, the mother of this family, was born in Dyer County, Tenn., February 20, 1844. In 1861 the family moved to Crockett County, and in two years to Missouri and settled in New Madrid County, then returned to Crockett County, and two years later to their present home, where Mr. Bentley died May 17, 1886. The farm consists of 150 acres of fine productive land, managed by the sons of Mrs. Bentley, Austin A. having chief control. It is pleasantly located ten miles north of Ripley on the Key Corner and Ripley road, and is well improved.

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This family biography is one of 116 biographies included in the book,  The History of Lauderdale County, Tennessee published in 1886 by Goodspeed.  The History of Lauderdale County was included within The History of Lauderdale, Tipton, Haywood, and Crockett Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Lauderdale, Tipton, Haywood, and Crockett Counties, Tennessee

View additional Lauderdale County, Tennessee family biographies here: Lauderdale County, Tennessee

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