Wilson and Laura Bailey Dent

1. Another Old Comrad answers final summons - Wilson Dent Succumbs to Heart Failure Monday Morning. "Our entire community was shocked by the news which spread thru our midst early Monday morning October 2, 1922, of the death of Wilson M. Dent. Mr. Dent was a resident of South Dakota for more than half a century, and died at the advanced age of 77 years.

Mr. Dent was born at Oak Grove, Wisconsin on April 5, 1845, where he grew to young manhood. At the age of 17 years he enlisted in Co 1 of the 31st Wisconsin Regiment, and served for two years and eleven months.

On November 12, 1865, occurred his marriage to Laura A. Bailey at Ripon, Wisconsin. Five years later Mr. Dent and his family came west on a homestead in Lincoln County, near Canton, South Dakota.

Mr. Dent received an appointment as boss foreman of Lower Brule Indian School in 1890. Moving with his family to Chamberlain two years later and has made his home here ever since. Mr. Dent was a ranchman until his health failed a few years ago, and still owns his ranch a few miles out of Kennebec, where his daughter Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Boudrou and his family live.

Mr. Dent was an active member of the McKenzie Post G.A. R. until the membership became so small that the meetings were discontinued. Only five of the members are left to keep alive the memory of the "Old Comrades".

Wilson Marcellus Dent was married to Laura Ann Bailey. Their daughter Minnie Belle Dent was my grandmother who married Ernest Bernard Boudrou (Bodrot, Boudreau, Boudreaux etc) . My father, Frank Richard Boudrou was born in Chamberlain, S.D. in 1921 and had 1 brother and 2 sisters. His older brother Edward drowned in the Missouri River at the age of 12. His sisters were Florence Boudrou Emme and Lillian Boudrou Sisom.

Wilson Dent was born in Oak Grove, Dodge County, WI in 1845 and served in the Civil War. He died 2 Oct 1922 and is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Chamberlain. Wilson was the son of Joseph H. Dent and Elizabeth Emerson.

Joseph H. Dent was the son of Richard Dent who we believe emigrated to NY from England. Richard Dent was married to Jean McGibbon.

My sister, Sandra Boudrou has made the link to Maltby LaMarsh, England and in fact has done some research there on the Dent’s.

Laura Ann Bailey was from Green River, Wisconsin and had several brothers who served in the Civil War from Wisconsin. We have traced them back to New Hampshire/Massachusetts in the revolutionary war and did some research there this spring.

Barney Boudrou, father of Ernest Bernard Boudrou was born in New Brunswick Canada and immigrated to the United States and worked on the railroad. He too is buried in Chamberlain. He married Emelie (Millie) Christina Ryberg in 1889 in Ashland Wisconsin.

We have quite a few of the facts, but would like to fill out their stories and understand why they moved to South Dakota and how they lived and worked. I believe that Wilson Dent hauled freight at one time. Ernest Boudrou worked for the railroad until his early death. Terry Wages Boudrou, Larkspur, Colorado [email protected]