SERENO W. GRAVES, farmer, Sec. 28; P.O. Brooklyn; was born at Berkshire, Franklin Co., Vt., in October, 1810; he is the son of David J. Graves, a native of Leominster, Worcester Co., Mass. who at the age of 5 years, removed with this parents to Berkshire, Franklin Co., Vt.; he there followed farming till 1847; then emigrated to the town of Rutland, Dane Co., Wis. where he died in December, 1873, a the age of 88 years; the mother of our subject, Polly Leland, was also a native of Massachusetts; when she was a year and a half old, her parents emigrated to Chester, Vt., where she grew to womanhood and was married; she died in Berkshire in 1817, leaving four sons; S.W., the oldest of these spent his boyhood days at farming in his native county, but, at the age of 18 years, went to Wethersfield, Windsor Co., where he learned the stonemason's trade, and afterward followed that line of business during the summer season and devoted his time to teaching during the winters; June 10, 1844, he started for Wisconsin, and landed in Milwaukee on the 26th day of the same month, and July 5, following, selected his location and made his claim to 320 acres on Secs. 38 and 33, town of Rutland, Dane Co., which he afterward entered, improved and has since made his home; he now has 286 acres on these sections.

Mr. Graves was the first Clerk of the town of Rutland, holding the office for two years, and has been variously connected with the offices of his town and county; was Assessor of the town or seven years, member of the board for several terms, and Chairman of the same for seven years; he has been County and Deputy County Surveyor for eight years; was a member of the Assembly in 1861, and was the Republican nominee for the Senate for the West District in 1874.  Mr. Graves was married in Wethersfield, Vt., in March 1841, to Marinda Blakesly, who died in the following year.  His second marriage was in Burke, Caledonia Co., Vt., to Malvina Denison, a native of Ludlow, Vt.; she died in Rutland, Dane Co. Wis. in December 1845, leaving one son-A. Denisson, who enlisted in the University Company of the 40th W. V. I. in 1864, and died in December, 1864.  He was again married, in 1846, to Mary R. Dudley, nee Reed, daughter of Silas and Hannah Reed, of Plainfield, N.H.; they have had five children-Ellen (now the wife of Laselle Brewer, who lives in this town), Leland J. (who died at the age of 16 years), Mary L. (now the wife of Griffith Gehu, of this town), Sereno J. (who died in infancy) and Marinda B. (now Mrs. Clarence Cole).  Mrs. Graves had two sons by her first marriage-William H. Dudley (now a resident of Marion Co., Kan.) and Edward D. (who died at the age of 24 years).

Ref. 1880 History of Dane County, Wisconsin, page 1200-1201.