William L. Dean, of the firm of Hiner & Dean, attorneys at law, Granbury, Texas, has been a resident of this place for ten years, and during that time has been prominently identified with its affairs.

Mr. Dean was born at Van Zandt, Texas, October 10, 1871, a son of John E. and Adaline M. (Wages) Dean, and grandson of Asbury M. Dean. His grandfather Dean came to Texas when a young man and settled in Van Zandt county, where were born his six children, namely:

The only child of John E. and Adaline M. (Wages) Dean is William L. [Dean]. The parents separated, and each has since married and reared a family.

By his second wife, Sarah, nee McClearen, John F. Dean has seven children:

Previous to her marriage with Mr. Dean, Adaline Wages was the wife of John Moore, by whom she had one daughter, Sarah T. [Moore], who married Martin A. Groom and now lives in Hood county, Texas; and for her third husband she married N.Y. Groom of Van Zandt county, the children of this union being:

William L. Dean remained with his mother until he was eight years of age, when he went to live with his uncle, John H. Wages, of Van Zandt county with whom he remained until he was fourteen. At that early age he started out to make his own way in the world, and began by working on a farm. After doing farm work for a number of years he accepted a position as clerk in the drug store of L.E. Griffith, at Terrell, Texas, where he remained one year. At the end of that time, in 1891, he opened a drug store at Alamo, Texas, which he conducted one year.

In September, 1892, Mr. Dean married Miss LaVada Heath, who was born in Panola county, Texas, in 1877, daughter of Augustus and Paulina (Robburts) Heath, both natives of Texas, and both deceased. Mrs. Dean was their only child.

To Mr. and Mrs. Dean have been given seven children, of whom the first two, Norman [Dean] and Horace [Dean], are deceased; the others are:

After their marriage both Mr. Dean and his wife, feeling the need of a better education than they had, spent a year attending school, and Mr. Dean then taught school one year in Kaufman county. After this he took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar in Kaufman county. That was in 1898. In 1900 he came to Granbury, Hood county. Here he practiced his profession until June of the following year, when he was appointed county attorney of Somervell county, Texas, being appointed to fill the unexpired term of J.E. Pierce. In the spring of 1903 he returned to Granbury, Hood county, and opened a law office. In November the following year he was elected county attorney of Hood county, without opposition, nor did he have any opposition two years later when he was re-elected. In 1908 he was again elected to the same office, over two opponents. In September, 1908, he formed a partnership with John J. Hiner, under the firm name of Hiner & Dean.

2001 HOOD COUNTY TEXAS GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY