“Memorial and Biographical History of Dallas County,” published:  
Chicago;  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892.

JOSEPH R. PENN.  This gentleman’s father, John Penn, was born in 
Georgia, in 1804.  He was married in Illinois, in 1825, to Miss Nancy 
Anderson, who was born in Kentucky, in 1805.  They subsequently came to 
Dallas county, Texas, and located three miles north of Cedar Hill.  They had 
a family of nine children, viz: Joseph R., the subject of this sketch;  William 
A., who was killed in the late war;  James H., who died at the age of four 
years;  John W., who died from the effects of a rattlesnake bite;  Robert G., a 
farmer and stock-raiser, lives in Texas;  Rebecca J., deceased;  Mary Jane, 
wife of Napoleon B. Anderson, farmer and stock-raiser, Dallas county;  
Martha Ann, deceased;  George W.  The paternal grandfather of our subject 
was Joseph R. Penn, a native of Virginia.  He was a Revolutionary soldier.  
The Penn family are Quakers.  Mr. Penn’s maternal grandfather was Robert 
Anderson.  He was born in Kentucky, went from there to Illinois, then to 
Mississippi, and at an early date came to Texas, where he remained till his 
death.

Joseph R. Penn was born in St. Clair county, Illinois, in 1826.  From there he 
moved with his parents to Sangamon county, same State, when nine years 
old, remaining there till the fall of 1854, when he came to Texas and located 
in Dallas county, where he now resides.  In 1849 he was married to Nancy 
Shoup, who was born in 1826, near Circleville, Ohio, daughter of Jacob and 
Sarah (Douning) Shoup.  She departed this life in 1882, loved by those who 
knew her.  She was a devoted Christian woman, a loving wife and a good 
mother.  To Mr. And Mrs. Penn were born five children, namely:  Sarah 
Jane, wife of J.P Hordgrove;  John S., of Dallas county, Texas;  Deliah R.., 
wife of Nathan Morris, Brown county, Texas;  Robert Henry, Dallas county; 
and George A., at home.

Mr. Penn began life for himself when quite young, with comparatively 
nothing, but by foresight and close attention to business he became one of 
the most progressive and enterprising farmers of Dallas county.  As he is 
now on the shady side of life, he is simply looking after what he succeeded 
in accumulating.  He now has a nicely improved farm of 1,100 acres, and 
has it well stocked.  Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church.  In politics he is a Democrat.

Submitted by: L. Pingel