From History of Walworth County Wisconsin, Vol. 1, by Albert Clayton Beckwith, 
publ. 1912 - Pages 736 - 738
 
EDMUND DECATUR DENISON.  The life history of Edmund Decatur DENISON, formerly 
superintendent of the Lake Geneva public schools, is well worth emulation by 
the youth who hesitates at the parting of the ways.  As a teacher he has met 
with merited success and in his capacity of principal his record presents a 
series of successes and advancements such as few attain.  He pursued his chosen 
calling with all the interest of an enthusiast, is thoroughly in harmony with 
the spirit of the work and has a proper conception of the dignity of the 
profession to which his life and energies were so unselfishly devoted.  He is 
now engaged in business.
 
Mr. DENISON was born June 30, 1872, at Hanna, Indiana.  He is the son of George 
S. and Aurilla A. (BLACKMAN) DENISON, the father a native of Ohio.  The family 
came originally from England in 1631 and settled at Roxbury, Massachusetts, the 
first of the immigrants being William DENISON, and from his son George is 
descended the present DENISON family, members of which have been more or less 
prominent in various walks of life.  George DENISON returned to England and 
took part in the wars under Cromwell.  He was wounded at the battle of Naseby 
and was taken to the home of a Mr. BORODELL and nursed by his daughter Ann, 
with whom he fell in love and they were married.  He returned to America and 
settled in Connecticut.  It is a matter of history that he was with one 
exception the most conspicuous and daring soldier of New London county.  He 
bore the rank of captain and was called the Miles Standish of the settlement.  
One of his descendants, James DENISON, was a direct ancestor of the subject of 
this sketch.  He was a captain in the Revolutionary war and he died of smallpox 
while in the service.
 
George S. DENISON, father of the subject, was the son of Wheeler B. DENISON, 
and he grew up in Ohio.  He married Aurilla A. BLACKMAN, a native of that state 
and the daughter of Hiram and Clarissa (DARROW) BLACKMAN, who came from Ohio at 
the time of the Mormon movement to Nauvoo, Illinois, but after reaching that 
place they left the Mormons and went to LaPorte county, Indiana, and 
established their home there.  George S. DENISON came to Indiana with his 
parents and when the Civil war came on he enlisted in the Union army and served 
through the same, being chief musician in the Twentieth Indiana Volunteer 
Infantry, during the early part of the war, and later in the Eighty-seventh 
Indiana Infantry.  In 1865 he settled at Hanna, Indiana, and was living there 
when he married.  His family consisted of two sons and two daughters, namely: 
George H., now of Columbus, Indiana; Esther, wife of Thomas RICHARDSON, of 
Hanna, Indiana; Agnes lives at Hanna with her father; Edmund D. of this sketch.
 
The subject grew to manhood at Hanna and there, attended the public schools, 
preparing for college at the Academy of Northwestern University, Evanston, 
Illinois, and there he later attended Northwestern University, from which he 
was graduated in 1899.  In the fall of that year he came to Lake Geneva, 
Wisconsin, and took a position as instructor in the high school.  In January, 
1902, he went to Negaunee, Michigan, as principal of the high school.  For one 
term, in 1902 and 1903, he was principal of the Ripon College Academy.  From 
1903 to 1905 he engaged in the flour and feed business at Lake Geneva in 
partnership with Warren E. BURTON and E. DAVIDSON.  In 1905 he entered the high 
school in Lake Geneva as instructor of Latin and German, which position he held 
until 1907, at the same time retaining his interest in the flour and feed 
business.  In 1907 he was elected superintendent of schools of Lake Geneva, 
which position he held until 1911, when he resigned to give his entire 
attention to business, in which he is making pronounced success.
 
To show something of the popularity of Mr. DENISON as a teacher here, we quote 
the following from the press of Lake Geneva, which appeared after the close of 
the school year in 1911: "The Lake Geneva public schools close another year of 
successful work this week.  The teachers and the pupils have been faithful in 
their efforts to make the most of their time and opportunity and the success of 
the year has been largely due to the spirit of loyalty and the general interest 
manifest on the part of all concerned.  Our schools have been very fortunate in 
having a corps of earnest, efficient teachers, and the work of our superintendent,
Mr. E. D. DENISON, has been zealous and painstaking.  He has worked to place 
the school on the higher plane, all the accredited lists, and he has succeeded 
so that now there are no better schools in the state.  The general regret, 
lightened only by the fact that his influence for good upon the pupils will 
continue to bear fruit in the future and their lives may be blessed thereby."
 
Mr. DENISON was married in 1904 to Bonnie BURTON, daughter of John E. BURTON, 
of Lake Geneva and one of the prominent citizens of this section of the state.  
His sketch appears elsewhere in this work.  Mrs. DENISON attended the 
University of Wisconsin and also spent two years at the Chicago Art Institute.  
She has a pronounced talent as an artist, and her works have well repaid her in 
a financial way.  She is a lady of culture and refinement and a favorite in 
social circles.  To Mr. and Mrs. DENISON two children have been born, George 
Edmund and Alice Delphine.
 
Mr. DENISON is a member of the Masonic fraternity, being a member of the 
commandery at Delavan.  He and his wife belong to the Congregational church at 
Lake Geneva.

Submitted By:  Carol
(carolann612@charter.net)