Alfred J. Henry (1843-1927) was born in New York City, son of Charles and Frances (Selmes) Henry. Eldest of five children he received a public school education in Brooklyn and made his way west to Hannibal, Missouri, with his uncle Tilden R. Selmes. In May 1861 Mr. Henry enlisted in Co. "B" 16th Illinois Volunteer Infantry and served during the Civil War until discharged as a Private in 1865. His commission as a Second Lieutenant was on the way when he was wounded and did not reach him until months later. Mr. Henry came to Brainard, Minnesota, in 1880. In October of 1880 he came to Valley City where he worked for C. F. Kindred, then returned to Brainard for the winter and in the spring he came back to Valley City to be cashier of the First National Bank where he remained for thirty-four years. In 1872 Alfred J. Henry and Georgiana Vallard were married and their children were: Russell C.; May; Frank S.; Theresa; T. S.; Bell; Alfred Jr., and Georgiana. Mr. Henry served as Clerk of Court and school treasurer; he was a member of the G.A.R. and a member of the Valley City band with D. W. Clark and Major Black.
Russell C. Henry (1873) born in New York was a veteran newspaper man, assistant editor of the Duluth Herald. He was a reporter on the Valley City Times Record, Fargo Forum, Minneapolis Tribune and Duluth News Tribune before joining the Duluth Herald in 1918. He was a musician and a member of. the Temple Shrine Band, Knights Templar, Rotary Club and Duluth Library Board. Frank Selmes Henry (1876-1934) born in Brooklyn, New York, came to Valley City in 1881. He enlisted in the National Guard and served in the Spanish American War and the Philippines Insurrection. He was Captain of Co. "G" and Major of the First Battalion. He served on the Mexican border in 1916 and in France with the 26th and 42nd Division of the A.E.F. He married Evangeline Bolton at Jamestown in 1917. He was in the abstract business with his brother T. S. Henry. He was appointed State Land Commissioner and later Adjutant General of North Dakota. Theodore Swartout Henry (1881-1955) was born in Brainard, Minnesota, and grew to manhood in Valley City, North Dakota. He served in the Spanish American War, the Philippines, the Mexican Border and twenty-two months in World War I. He was severely wounded in 1918 and was discharged as a Captain and given the "Silver Star". He married Gertrude Healy of Buffalo, North Dakota, in 1908. He had an abstract, loan and insurance business and was active in Boy Scouts, K.P.'s, American Legion, V.F.W., Elks and Knights Templar. Alfred J. Henry, Jr. (1885-1963) was born in Valley City, North Dakota. He traveled for the Ferry-Morse Seed Co. for twenty years and then became an accountant at Nash-Kelvinator in Detroit the balance of his working years, until he retired to Valley City. He married Claudine Chenery of Jamestown.
Direct descendents of this family are two: Cecilie Henry Boyum of Bismarck, daughter of A. J. and Russell Jr., of San Francisco, California. Both have two sons and a daughter.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 101