Dennis Haisley is a well-known farmer and is a trustee of Liberty township, where he was born August 26, 1859. His paternal ancestors were English, and came to America during colonial days and assisted in freeing their adopted land from British dominion. The first members of the family in America settled in Pennsylvania, and some of their descendants removed to North Carolina, where John Haisley, the father of Dennis, was born November 6, 1817. He came to Indiana from North Carolina and for a time resided in Wayne county, whence in 1838 he came to Grant county and settled on land entered by his father in 1836, in section 14, in Liberty township, and lived here until 1877, when he removed to Marion, Indiana, and passed the remaining years of his life, which ended November 6, 1879.

        John and Ann (Hawkins) Haisley were the parents of ten children: Jane, now Mrs. Jesse Carey; Emily and Elmina, twins; Allen resides in Cincinnati, Ohio; Calvin is dead; Susanna is now Mrs. Elwood Scott, of Pickering, Ontario, Canada; Harvey and Harlan reside at Fairmount; Dennis is the subject of this sketch; and one died in infancy.

        Dennis Haisley attended the district schools of his native township and the graded schools of Marion. In 1878 he engaged in farming, to which vocation he had been reared. He now owns seventy acres of well-improved and valuable land, and is numbered among the leading men of his township. In politics he is a Republican, and in 1898 was appointed to fill an unexpired term of two years as trustee of Liberty township, and as his conduct in office was satisfactory his fellow townsmen in 1900 elected him to the office for a term of four years. He is prominent as an Odd Fellow, being a member of Subordinate, Encampment and Rebekah lodges, and having passed the chairs in Fairmount Lodge, No. 381, and represented the lodge in the grand lodge.

        July 1, 1882, Mr. Haisley married Louisa Gross, daughter of Philip and Mahala (Faulkerson) Gross. She was born June 6, 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Haisley have five children, viz.: Minnie A., born December 3, 1883; Ethel M., born August 21, 1886; John W., born October 24, 1888; Susie J., born December 25, 1890; and Paul, born February 28, 1894.

        Philip Gross was born in Germany, and after coming to the United States enlisted as a volunteer soldier in the Civil war, and while in the service was taken sick and died in a hospital in New Orleans in December, 1863, where his remains were buried. He was the father of the following children: Lottie, now Mrs. Wade, resides in South Tennessee; Washington resides in Marion; Mrs. Haisley; Julia is desceased, and was Mrs. Marshall Newell, of Illinois. The mother of Mrs. Haisley was born in Virginia and died in Cincinnati, Ohio, aged sixty-two years.

        Mr. and Mrs. Haisley are members of the Friends church.