This photo of the Dennis children was bought for me as a gift by a friend. The photo was found at the Stone Soup Antique Store in Ballston Spa, NY.
The photo was taken in Ossining-on-Hudson, circa 1910. The back of of the photo reads:
"Catherine, Hilbert & Fred Dennis. Their mother was Eva (Wright) who married Mr. Dennis, a newspaper man, They lived in Ossining. Eva was the daughter of Eugenia Wright. Eugenia was the daughter of William and Catherine (Lobbell) Wright."
I have since discovered that the children's mother was born Evelyn May Griffin (not Wright) but I suspect whoever wrote the note could not recall the woman's maiden name.
The family is found in Ossining, NY on the 1910 Federal Census, living at 4 Maurice Avenue.
DENNIS, Robert T., head, 48, married 12 yrs, born in NY of Massachusetts and NY parents, occupation: proof-reader in a printing office
DENNIS, Eva M., wife, 34, born in NY or NY parents
DENNIS, Hilbert G., son, 9, born in NY of NY parents
DENNIS, Frederick E., son, 5, " " "
DENNIS, Catherine E., daughter, 3, " " "
DENNIS, Edward, brother, 54, born in MD of Massachusetts & NY parents, occ: agent in Railroad purchasing office
DENNIS, Georgiana E., sister, 58, born in NY
HILBERT, Charlie, cousin, 76, born in Massachusetts of Mass. parents, occ: yardmaster at prison
THOMAS, Malissa L., servant, B.F., 26, born in NC of NC and VA parents, occ: family servant
The children's mother Eva, grew up at the nearby village of Sing Sing as her father John Griffin was a keeper at the prison.
The eldest brother in this photo (Hilbert G. Dennis) died in February 1911 at around the age of 10. I cannot yet find a cause for this.
The following newspaper blurb regarding one of Fred's chickens was picked up by several papers in October 1911.
Father
Robert T. Dennis lived to 1933. The following entry is found at Findagrave.com.
Birth: 1862
Kings County (Brooklyn)
New York, USA
Death: Jan. 20, 1933
Ossining
Westchester County
New York, USA
Lived on James Street. Son of Edward and Catherine Dennis. He came to Westchester County in the early 1860s and to Ossining in 1869. He was survived by his wife Eva Griffin Dennis, a daughter, Miss Katherine Dennis, and three sons, Robert, Jr., Frederick and John of the James Street address. Also survived by a brother Edward of Ellis Place. Service by Rev. Walter H. Lofthouse of the Highland Avenue Methodist Church. A biography printed in 1901 says he was Supervisor of the Town of Ossining. Received his early education in Sparta attending the district school in the hamlet and afterwards becoming a pupil at the school of the late Daniel B Ryder.
In 1877 he became an apprentice in the printing office of the Hudson River Chronicle at Scarborough. He later joined the composing rooms of the Democratic Register as a compositor. Became the local reporter of what became the Ossining Republican in addition to being a correspondent for a number of metropolitan newspapers.
In 1894 he was elected to the office of Town Clerk of Ossining and to which he has thrice been re-elected, resigning to take the office of Supervisor in November 1901.
Katherine (or Catherine) Dennis, grew up to become a reporter for the Ossining Review. At the age of 26 she was publisher of the Ossining Review. The following news blurb was picked up by the Rockford Illinois Morning Star, December 4, 1930.
1940 Federal Census, Ossining NY, 19 Everett Ave.
DENNIS, Eva m., head, widowed, 64
DENNIS, Fred, son, single, 35, Air Brake Repairman for the railroad
DENNIS, Catherine, daughter, single, 33, no occupation recorded
DENNIS, Robert T. Jr., son, single, 24, stenographer for the railroad
DENNIS, John G., son, single, 18, no occupation recorded
