Good evening, I am new to the list. My DYESS connections are somewhat distant. My ggrandfather's sister married Dempsey Dyess in Mississippi. Dempsey E. DYESS b. 1826 in MS, (md. 1848) Sarah Ann GRAHAM b.1832 in MS The Sep. 1860 Jasper Co, MS Census shows the following children: Jane DYESS age 11 F (Martha Jane DYESS md. A. GANDY in 1869) Allen W. DYESS age 9 M James M. DYESS age 5 M Sarah A.(Jr.)DYESS age 5 mos. F The 1870 Jasper Co, MS Census shows Sarah as a widow with the following children: Sarah A. DYESS age 38 F Allen W. DYESS age 19 M James M. DYESS age 14 M Abraham DYESS age 12 M Sarah A. DYESS age 10 F md. Joseph G. MUSGROVE, b. FL 1854 John T. DYESS age 7 M Family lore has it that Dempsey DYESS was killed in the Civil War. Also, when his wife Sarah was notified of the death, she "ran through the house screaming and crying until she wore herself down." Sarah Graham DYESS moved her family to Brazos Co, TX around 1876, along with some of her Graham brothers. She is listed in the Brazos Co, TX 1880 census. Two of her sons are also listed in the same Texas census with families. I copied the DYESS page of Strickland's Who Married Whom in Jasper Co., MS. It lists three Dempsey Dyesses. I have combined this info with census info. I will add more to this later. Gayle Turner <gayle@was.net>