Family:John Denfip and Melissa McCall (1)

John Denfip b. 2 Apr 1832 Strasbourg, France d. 15 Aug 1880 Alexander, Illinois, United States

Melissa McCall b. 1834 Alabama d. 1897

Melissa McCall and John Alfred Denfip

John Alfred Denfip married Melissa McCall in 1858. Melissa McCall is enumerated as the 1880 US Census as being born in Alabama about 1834. Only one other fact is known about Melissa’s birth family. Melissa’s father was reported to have died in the Blackhawk War. A Private W.P. Mc Call enlisted in the Blackhawk War from Union County, but there is no information on his death. Three other soldiers named McCall from Illinois also enlisted in the Blackhawk War.

John Alfred Denfip was born on 2 April 1832 in Strasbourg, France. Melissa McCall and John Alfred Denfip, Sr. were married about 1858. They had two of their seven children before John’s military service in the Civil War.

Charles Henry Denfip

Charles Henry Denfip was born on 30 May 1859 in Illinois.. He was most likely born in Alexander County. Charles married Bettie Holmes about 1885. Charles Denfip died in a sawmill accident on 4 June 1901 and Bettie Holmes Denfip died on 5 May 1910. Charles Henry Denfip is buried in Hargis Cemetery, Diswood, Alexander County, Illinois. A memorial for Charles is located on the Find-A-Grave website.

Charles Henry Denfip was born on 30 May 1859 in Illinois.. He was most likely born in Alexander County. Charles married Bettie Holmes about 1885 and had two children: Jessie Lewis Denfip on 15 April 1886 and Pearl Denfip on 23 November 1887. Charles Denfip died in a sawmill accident on 4 June 1901 and Bettie Holmes Denfip died on 5 May 1910. Charles Henry Denfip is buried in Hargis Cemetery, Diswood, Alexander County, Illinois. A memorial for Charles is located on the Find-A-Grave website.

Smith Henderson Denfip

Smith Henderson Denfip was born on 27 November 1862 in Illinois. He was most likely born in Alexander County. Smith Denfip went by the family nickname “Yarb”. Smith Denfip married Nancy Emeline Oller on 19 April 1896 in Olive Branch, Alexander County, Illinois. They had five daughters: Effie Emeline born 14 August 1897, Allie Amanzia born 15 July 1899, Lizzie Marie born 25 June 1902, Martha Melissa born 21 August 1905, and Ada Katherine born 5 October 1911. Smith Henderson Denfip died 6 June 1933 in Sandusky, Alexander County, Illinois. Smith Henderson Denfip is buried in Hargis Cemetery, Diswood, Alexander County, Illinois. A memorial for Yarb, with a photo of his marker, is located on the Find-A-Grave website. Nancy Emeline Oller Denfip is buried next to her husband in Hargis Cemetery, Diswood, Alexander County, Illinois. A memorial for Emeline, with a photo of her marker, is located on the Find-A-Grave website.

John Denfip Enlists in Civil War

John Alfred Denfip served in Company B of the 18th Illinois Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. He was discharged in Pine Bluff, Arkansas on December 16,1865. Following his Civil War military service, he returned to Illinois to father five more children.

Levi Denfip

Levi Denfip was born on November 27, 1866 in Illinois. He was most likely born in Alexander County. Levi Denfip married Frances Bishop, daughter of Sarah Bond and Joseph Bishop about 1895. They had one child, Marion Frances Denfip on July 29, 1896, and shortly after Frances was thrown from a horse and died in 1896. Frances Bishop Denfip was buried in Olive Branch Cemetery. A memorial for Frances, with a photo of her marker, is located on the Find-A-Grave website.

About 1902, Levi Denfip married Matilda Catherine Bishop, the sister of his first wife They had three children: Sidney H. born May 15, 1903, Clara born November 28, 1906, and Lillian Morene born on May 9, 1911. Levi died on April 22, 1943 and is buried in Olive Branch Cemetery, Alexander County, Illinois. A memorial for Levi, with a photo of his marker, is located on the Find-A-Grave website.

Matilda Catherine “Katie” Bishop Denfip died on July 26, 1968. Katie is buried next to her husband in Olive Branch Cemetery. A memorial for Katie, with a photo of her marker, is located on the Find-A-Grave website.

Effie C. Denfip

Effie C. Denfip, daughter of Melissa McCall and John Alfred Denfip was born about 1868. Most likely she was born in Alexander County, Illiois. Effie was enumerated with her family on July 28, 1870 in the US Census on Alexander County, Illinois. She was enumerated again with her family on June 22, 1880 in Alexander County. Effie died on August 12, 1893 of "Malarial Fever" per an application for life Insurance by her father on March 9, 1905. Effie is buried in Hargis Cemetery, near Diswood, Alexander County, Illinois. A memorial page with a photo of her cemetery marker is found on the Find A Grave website.

Ida Ann Denfip

Ida Ann Denfip was born on January 8, 1872 in Olive Branch, Alexander County, Illinois. Ida Ann married Everett Orlando Lewis. They had seven daughters: Myrtle May, Ida Alice who died in infancy, Mary Elizabeth born on August 23, 1897, Addie Montella born on June 13, 1904 in Pulaski, Effie Ola born July 30, 1906 in Pulaski, Olga Oneita born on June 24, 1908 in Villa Ridge, and Anna Wantana Lewis born May 23, 1911. Ida Ann died on July 29, 1917. She is buried in Maple Hill Cemetery, Sesser, Perry County, Illinois. A memorial for her is located on the Find-A-Grave website.

Frank Benjamin Denfip

Frank Benjamin Denfip was born on February 8, 1874 in Illinois. He was most likely born in Alexander County. Frank married Roselle Octavia Brown Dunning they had five daughters: Gertrude, Myrtle Marie born on October 14, 1903, Dovie Jaunita born on November 29, 1906, Pauline Madeline Denfip born on June 19, 1914, and twin Donna also born on June 19, 1914 but died the same day.

Octavia Brown had previously been married to a Mr. Dunning and had two children from the prior marriage: Edna Agnes born May 2, 1896, and Ruth Ann Dunning born October 15, 1900.

Frank Benjamin Denfip died on August 13, 1943 and is buried in Olive branch Cemetery, Olive Branch, Alexander County, Illinois. A memorial for Frank is located on the Find-A-Grave website [1]. Rosella Octavia Brown Dunning Denfip died March 12, 1970. A memorial for Octavia is located on the Find-A-Grave website.

John Alfred Denfip, Jr.

John Alfred Denfip, Jr. son of... was born on March 16, 1876 in Illinois. He was most likely born in Alexander County. John Alfred Denfip Jr. had a family nickname of “Dutch”. Dutch married Charlotte Westerman about 1898. They had four children: Ida born February 9, 1900, Edith born April 16, 1901, Minnie born September 21, 1904, and Herman A. Denfip born April 5, 1908.

John, Jr. died on January 9, 1936 and is buried in Sesser, Illinois.

Charlotte died on May 4, 1908 and is buried in Hargis Cemetery, Diswood, Alexander County, Illinois. A memorial for Charlotte is located on the Find-A-Grave website.

Mellisa and John Alfred Denfip’s Latter Years

In a "Modern Woodsman of America Application/Benefit Certificate" completed by John’s son, Smith Henderson Denfip on March 9, 1905, it is stated that John died of a “sun stroke” on August 16, 1880. John Denfip died in Alexander County, Illinois and is buried in the Hargis Cemetery at Diswood, Illinois. Diswood is between the current towns of Olive Branch and Tamms. The Cemetery is well off the road on top of a ridge and has become overgrown. Hargis Cemetery is located at Lat-Long N37 13.418, W89 20.054. A memorial on the Find-A-Grave website has a photo of John Alfred Denfip’s cemetery Marker and directions to the cemetery itself[2].. The marker, an obelisk, for John Denfip and Daughter Effie C. Denfip, contains the following epitaph for John:

"His toils are past
 His work is done
 He fought the fight
 His victory won." 

There is also a foot stone marked J.D. Hargis Cemetery is located at Lat-Lon N37 13.418, W89 20.054.

Melissa McCall Denfip died 1897. Her burial place is not known but may well be Hargis Cemetery as well.