WI BIO - Dane Co - FITCH, Denning
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol II, pp 428-429

Denning FITCH, one of the leading undertakers of Madison, Dane County, 
Wisconsin, located at 123 West Main Street, came to this city in 1846, when 
the population was but 300 souls. After he came here he began to work in a 
furniture store belonging to Darwin CLARK, who was the oldest settler of the 
city, and in 1849 established himself in business on the corner of West Main 
Street and Fairchild Street, where he has since been, and where he now 
carries on undertaking business, and for a time did job work in furniture.

Denning FITCH has always taken an active interest in politics, and has held 
several local official positions at the hands of the Democratic party. He 
has been at the head of the Cemetery Association, which is owned by the city, 
and has looked after his own affairs without bothering about others, and has 
thus built up [p 429] a fine property. He is the proprietor of the Fitch 
block, a large two-story brick block built by him in 1871. Mr. FITCH came to 
Wisconsin from New York, having been born in Franklin Township, Delaware 
County, New York, where he was educated. Later he went to Unadilla, Otsego 
County, New York, and learned his trade of cabinet making, and soon after set 
out for the new west country, via the Erie Canal and the lakes, landing at 
Racine, Wisconsin, where he did journeyman work for six weeks, and then came 
on to this city.

Denning FITCH is the son of Dr. William FITCH, a native of Connecticut, who 
came of New England parentage, growing up in his native State. He removed to 
Delaware County, New York, and began the practice of medicine, where he spent 
the most of his life, a few years of which were passed in Illinois. William 
FITCH died in Tompkins County, New York, at the age of more than seventy 
years. His wife, whom he had married in Delaware County, New York, died 
there when past middle life, her maiden name being Hanna FOLLET. Denning 
FITCH is the only one of the family living in the West; his brother, William, 
who is older, lives in Tompkins County, New York, where he is a practicing 
physician.

Denning FITCH was married in Dane County, Wisconsin, to Miss Roxy E. CATLIN, 
who was born and reared near the line between Vermont and New York. She came 
West with her parents in 1839. They were Horatio and Aurvilla (FARR) CATLIN, 
and they lived to be seventy-six and eighty years, respectively. They were 
pioneers who helped to develop Dane County, and Mr. John CATLIN, a brother of 
Horatio CATLIN, was prominent in the early history of the State as secretary 
of the Territory, and as president of what is now the St. Paul & Milwaukee 
Railroad, and was also prominent in local matters. Mrs. FITCH, the wife of 
Denning FITCH, has been one of the active and leading matrons of this city. 
Two brothers, Abijah and Horatio, yet live, the former in Madison, Wisconsin, 
and the latter in Mazo Manie [Mazomanie, Dane County, Wisconsin].

Denning and Roxy E. (CATLIN) FITCH have three sons and one daughter: John 
C., a present a furniture and undertaking dealer at Sun Prairie, Dane County, 
Wisconsin, who married Mary Beauregard ROSA [assumption made by submitter 
that ROSA is a surname], the wife of A. N. BRIGGS, a manufacturing chemist at 
Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado; William D., associated with his 
father in business, married Rose GIBSON, of Madison, Wisconsin; and Fred F., 
who is a clothing merchant at Seneca, Nemaha County, Kansas.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly