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William Anderson Dingess

William Anderson Dingess (1806-1893)

This obituary appeared in The Logan Banner Thursday, December 21, 1893.

William Anderson Dingess died at the residence of his son David Dingess, in this county on last Wednesday morning, December 13th, 1893, in the 88th year of his age.

This announcement brought sadness to many homes, for this was a familiar face, and there was always a welcome for him in every household.

William Anderson Dingess
William Anderson Dingess. Photo courtesy of Lillian Meade.

Mr. Dingess was born just across the river from this place on the farm where Mrs. J. W. Deskins now lives, on the 30th day of October, 1806, and was the first white child born in the present limits of Logan county. He was the son of John Dingess, who together with his brothers Peter and William, made the first settlement of the Guyandotte valley above the falls. In 1824, when the county of Logan was formed, Mr. Dingess, though only eighteen years old, was appointed by Wm. Toney, the first Sheriff of the county, as his deputy.

In 1832 Mr. Dingess was appointed as one of the Justices of the county and continued as such until 1850. In 1872 he was elected Surveyor of the county. In all of these offices he discharged his duties satisfactory to all: In private life Mr. Dingess was popular with all with whom he can in contact and was in every sense an old fashioned Christian gentlemen.

About a year ago he was stricken with paralysis and since that time he has looked daily for the severing of the cord that bound him to life. He was buried on Thursday evening, the services on the grave being conducted by Rev. M. A. Kelley, of the Baptist Church.

Aracoma Baptist Church, Logan, WV
This is the old Aracoma Baptist Church. Next to the church is the home of Judge John B. Wilkinson under construction. The home would later become the Harris Funeral Home and now, the Honaker Funeral Home.

Link by link the chain which binds us to the past is being broken and a few years more the men who assisted in opening up our vast wilderness will have passed to the other side.

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Credit and thanks to Brandon Ray Kirk author of “Blood in West Virginia: Brumfield V. McCoy” for searching through the Logan County Banner microfilm at the WV State Archives in Charleston to find this obit. 

5 thoughts on “William Anderson Dingess”

  1. Dorothy Jean Dingess

    I know my family goes back to, William Anderson Dingess, Bodie Dingess, Lloyd Dingess, John Dingess. Jess Dingess,
    My grandfather Lloyd Dingess died in 1962.

    These men are buried at Dingess cemetery at Dingess WV

    1. Caroline Wellman Siverson

      My great grandmother Sarah Ann Dingess was one of his children. She married Labon Wellman who was my grandfather.

  2. I will say that John is his father and Chloe his mother. Peter Dingess the father of the three Dingess brother’s that came to Logan, died in 1809 in Oakvale Mercer Co WV. He did not move to Logan county..only his sons John, Peter and William. Charles stayed in Mercer Co. WV.
    William A. was born in Logan County.

  3. William Anderson Dingess is my great-great-grandfather. He married his first cousin, Gertrude Smith, the daughter of Ezekiel and Susannah Dingess Smith b: ABT 1808 in Virginia (WV)•Married: ABT 1826 in Logan County, Virginia (WV)
    Children
    1. Peter Harvey Dingess b: ABT 1830 in Logan County, Virginia (WV)
    2.James B. Dingess b: ABT 1832 in Logan County, Virginia (WV)
    3.Charles A. Dingess b: ABT 1837 in Logan County, Virginia (WV)
    4.Susan Dingess b: ABT 1839 in Logan County, Virginia (WV)
    5.William F. Dingess b: ABT 1842 in Logan County, Virginia (WV)
    6.Sarah Ann Dingess b: ABT 1845 in Logan County, Virginia (WV)
    7.Sylvanus Dingess b: ABT 1848 in Logan County, Virginia (WV)
    8.Harriet Dingess b: ABT 1851 in Logan County, Virginia (WV)
    9.John Dingess b: ABT 1853 in Logan County, Virginia (WV)
    10.David C. Dingess b: ABT 1854 in Logan County, Virginia (WV)

    William Anderson’s son, David Dingess, with whom he resided when he passed away, owned a large farm in present day Mingo County in Dingess, WV. This is where William Anderson passed away. I am told by my father that William Anderson Dingess was buried near by. The farm was inherited by my grand-mother, Flora Dingess Baisden, the wife of Carlos Baisden.

    The old Logan County genealogists recorded William Anderson Dingess as being the son of Peter Dingess. This obituary says he is the son of John Dingess.

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