Elender "Nellie" Dishman

Alternate Names: Nelly, Ellinder

Elender “Nellie” Dishman was the daughter of Jefferson Dishman and Lydia Upchurch. She was born on September 27th 1814.

In the 1800 census, Nellie’s parents, Jefferson and Lydia, were both located in Iredell county, North Carolina , but by 1810, the couple had married and relocated their family to Wayne county, Kentucky’s Cumberland area. Nellie was likely born in the Cumberland area, however this is difficult to confirm due to conflicting census data.

Nellie married Benjamin Ramsey circa 1830. Interestingly, Nellie’s sister, Mary “Polly” Dishman, married Benjamin's brother, Charles Ramsey. Two Dishman sisters married two Ramsey brothers, presumably meeting when their families were neighbors in Tennessee.

You can find Nellie and Benjamin’s wedding attire on display at the Overton County Historical Museum.

Overton County Historical Museum wedding attire display, photos taken by Tonya Allred Spencer in 2019

"1830s Wedding Clothing

Wedding clothing belonged to Benjamin Ramsey (1811 - 1891) and “Nelly” Dishman (1814 - 1876). The Ramsey’s lived in Deck Cove and were parents of Sanford, Alfred, Jacin, Polly & Haston

Clothing for men in the early settlements consisted of loose trousers made of homespun or leggings made of buckskin, a loose smock or tunic, reaching nearly to the knees and belted.A knife was usually carried in the belt. His rifle was the long flint-lock rifle with a long barrel with a short stock."

- Overton County Historical Museum

We can assume Nellie and Benjamin lived in the household of her father-in-law, William, in 1830 since there are two adults of corresponding ages listed on the census , however by 1840 the couple had started a household of their own. They had 7 children, the last being born in 1854.

Nellie died on October 14th, 1876 at the age of 62 and is buried in Deck Cemetery. Her husband, Benjamin, died 18 years later in 1894 at the age of 82.

Nelly Ramsey's tombstone in Deck Cemetery