My Genealogy Hound

H. H. Widner was born in Sevier County, Tenn., in 1840, and is the fifth chiild of twelve born to Henry and Celia (Dodson) Widner, natives of South Carolina, and, it is thought, Sevier County, Tenn., respectively. The father has been a faithful and earnest worker in the Methodist Church for many years. The maternal grandparents, William and Sarah (Robeson) Dobson, were natives of South Carolina. The grandmother died in Sevier County, Tenn., and her husband in Missouri. Sarah E. Widner was a daughter of Philip and Margaret (Clay) Johnson, natives of Moniteau County, Mo. Her father was a son of John and Sarah (Moore) Johnson, of North Carolina. Mr. Johnson was a soldier of the War of 1812, and Mrs. Johnson a daughter of Jeremiah Clay, a distant relative of Henry Clay. H. H. Widner, the immediate subject of this sketch, when a child, was taken to Mercer County, Mo., and lived there until after his marriage, when he moved to Putnam County, of which he is still a resident. He was educated at the common schools of Mercer County, but farming has been his occupation since boyhood. When but a young man he began life as an independent farmer, and by unassisted labor has become the owner of 360 acres of good land. In 1866 he married Miss Eugenia Walker, who bore him one child, which died in infancy. Mrs. Widner died on April 25, 1867, and February 27, 1878, Mr. Widner married Mrs. Sarah E. Moore, nee Johnson. By her first marriage Mrs. Widner had one child, Virginia, wife of Robert Vincil. To her second marriage the following children have been born: Alexander, Eugene (deceased), Linnura G., Henry O., Margaret E., Statia A. and Estelle. Mr. and Mrs. Widner are both worthy members of the Missionary Baptist Church, of which the former has been a deacon for many years. In politics he is a Democrat, and during the late war he served in the State militia.