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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
History of Shelby County, Ohio
and
representative citizens
Publ.
Evansville, Ind.
1913
947 pgs.
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WILLIAM
D. DAVIES, who, for twenty-seven years was a
representative member of the bar at Sidney, O., was born
at Iowa City, Iowa, January 20, 1848, came to Sidney in
1875, and died in March, 1902. He was a son of
David and Mary Davies, and a grandson of Thomas
Davies, both natives of Wales. David Davies
and wife had three children: Thomas; Sarah,
who married Thomas Davies; and William D.
William D. Davies passed his early youth on his
father's prairie farm. Later he attended the Iowa
State University, read law for three years and in 1870
was admitted to the bar in Iowa City. Afterward,
until 1875, he traveled for different railroads, then
came to Sidney and purchased the office and business of
Judge Thompson and continued in the active
practice of the law in this city until his death.
He made an honorable record and at different times was
professionally identified with much important
litigation.
Mr. Davies married Miss Isabelle Mathers,
who was born at Mifflintown, Pa., a daughter of James
and Amelia (Evans) Mathers, and a
granddaughter, of Gen. Lewis Evans, who was
prominent both in military and professional life in
Pennsylvania. Mrs. Davies had one sister
and two brothers, namely: Margaret, who is the
wife of Dr. L. E. Atkinson, of Mifflintown;
Lewis E., who died in 1873 was cashier of the
Citizens Bank at Sidney; and Orlando Owen, now
deceased, who was auditor of Shelby county for many
years. Mr. and Mrs. Davies had one
daughter, Amelia, whose young life closed in her
twentieth year, having survived her father but two
years. Mr. Davies was a consistent member
to he Congregational church all his life. He was
an open-hearted, broad minded man and had a wide circle
of attached and admiring friends. He was a Knight
Templar Mason.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
807 |
A. W. DAVIS, postmaster at
Jackson Center, O., to which office he was appointed in
1907 and has served with the greatest efficiency, was
born at Jackson Center, Shelby county, O., July 22,
1876, and is a son of I. L. and Mary L. Davis and
a grandson of Luther and Jane Davis.
After completing the public school course at
Jackson Center, A. W. Davis became a student at
Alfred University, near Hornell, N. Y., but left college
with the Third N. Y. Vol. Inf., to serve in the
Spanish-American war and after his military service was
over attended Bond Institute in New York City,
graduating in 1904. He possesses a natural
artistic taste and this led to his learning window
trimming and he travelled over several states in
professional work, but, owing to a fall received while
so engaged, was obliged to give up that line of
business. He then was in the employ of the Buckeye
Clothing Company until he received his appointment as
postmaster. He has always been a republican but
has never accepted any other public position than the
one he so acceptably fills. He has made many
improvements both in the service and in his office
equipments and Mr. Davis is his very capable
assistant.
Mr. Davis married Miss Florence Darnell
of Adrian, Mich., a daughter of William Darnelland
a granddaughter of David Darnell, a pioneer of
Jackson township. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have
one daughter, Evelyn. He is identified with
the Odd Fellows and the Masons, belonging to the blue
lodge at Littleton, N. H., and the Royal Arch at Lisbon,
N. H., this being the first state he became a citizen of
after becoming of age. He also belongs to the Sons
of Veterans at Atlantic City, N. J.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
807 |
F.
M. DEAM, whose fine farm of 147 acres lies in
Green township, the Deam turnpike which passes
his door having been so named in honor of his father,
was born in Orange township, Shelby county, O., three
and one-half miles south of Sidney in 1855, and is a son
of Harmon and Angeline (Reynolds) Deam.
Harmon Deam was born in Montgomery County, O., and
came to Shelby county in 1848 and afterward followed
farming in Orange township until his death, at tie age
of seventy-three years. He married Angeline
Reynolds and six children were born to them:
Henry, Ella, John L., Frank M., Andrew H. and
Kate.
Frank M. Deam left home to see the world soon
after his school days were over, went West and for some
time found employment on cattle ranges in different
states and brought cattle over the trail from Texas. He
met with many adventures while taking part in the rough
life incident to freighting and railroad building, and
by 1895 was ready to settle permanently and follow the
peaceful pursuits of agriculture. Consequently he
returned to his native section and in 1901 purchased his
present valuable farm, which lies five miles southeast
of Sidney. To the improvement of his place, Mr.
Deam has devoted time and money and probably no
farm in this, part of the county has more comfortable,
convenient or more attractive buildings and
surroundings.
Mr. Deam married Miss Kate E. McGrane,
who was born in Nebraska. They are members of the Roman
Catholic church. He is a democrat in his political
opinions and is a member of the Shelby County Fair
Board. Mr. Deam is identified with no
fraternal organizations except the Knights of Columbus.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
581 |
MARTIN F. DENMAN, whose
own farm of ninety-five and one-half acres is located in
Green township, Shelby county, O., eight miles southeast
of Sidney, O., also operates his wife's farm of
fifty-seven acres in the same vicinity. He was
born on his present farm, Sept. 9, 1863, and is a son of
Moses and Barbara (Hauser) Denman.
Moses Denman was born in Miami county, O., near
Piqua, and was twenty-one years old when he come
to Shelby county and settled on the farm in Green
township on which his entire subsequent life was spent,
his death occurring here, when he was aged eighty-two
years. He married Barbara Hauser and
she became the mother of five children, passing away in
her sixty-sixth year. Two of these survive:
Martin F. and Mrs. Harvey Millhouse.
Martin F. Denman obtained a public school of
training and is one of the well-informed and substantial
citizens of this section where he has engaged in farming
and stock raising ever since reaching man's estate.
He has kept up repairs but has had no buildings to erect
as his father had made all improvements. Mr.
Denman married Miss Abigial W. Grosvenor, and
they have three children: Araminta, Della,
and Harry. Mr. Denman and family are
members and supporters of the Christian church. In
politics he is a democrat.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
660 |
HARRY N. DICKENSHEETS,
who conducts a first class grocery at No. 116 South Main
avenue, Sidney, is numbered with the representative
business men of this city, and was born at Sidney, O.,
Jan. 21, 1868, a son of Jesse L. and Melissa
(Williams) Dickensheets, and a grandson of David
Dickensheets, who was a pioneer settler of Shelby
county. Jesse L. Dickensheets was born
after his parents came to Shelby county and spent his
entire life here, dying when his son was but eighteen
months old. After the death of her husband,
Mrs. Dickensheets removed to Plattsville, Shelby
county, where subsequently she was married to David
Sibert, after which they settled on his farm in
Orange township.
On his step-father's farm Harry N. Dickensheets
grew to manhood, attending the country schools and
assisting with the farm industries, and then went to
Piqua where he learned painting and paper hanging and
from there came to Sidney. Here he became a
contracting painter and continued until an attack of
typhoid fever interrupted work at his trade. On
March 2, 1902, he embarked i the grocery business at his
present location, buying out S. D. Voress, and
has prospered in this undertaking.
Mr. Dickensheets was married to Miss Jeanett
Johnston, of Green township, and they have one son,
Jesse Johnston, a youth of nineteen years.
Mr. Dickensheets and family belong to the
Methodist Episcopal church. He has been identified
with the Knights of Pythias for a long period, for ten
years being master of finance in the Sidney lodge, and
belongs also to the Odd Fellows, the Red Men, the Tribe
of Ben Hur and the Knights of Khorassen. He is by
no means active in politics but belongs to that class
known as the quiet, effective, dependable citizens.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
512 |
JOHN
E. DORSEY, one of the representative men of Green
township, Shelby county, O., and a member of one of the
pioneer families of this section, resides on his farm of
ninety acres, situated twelve miles southeast of Sidney.
He was born in 1854, on a part of his father's land
lying immediately across the road from his present farm,
and is a son of Snowden D. and a grandson
of John Dorsey.
Snowden D. Dorsey was
born on the farm above mentioned which his father had
secured from the government, and as he grew old enough
helped his father to clear the 160 acres from its wild
state. Snowden D. Dorsey was both farmer and
carpenter. His death occurred in 1894, on his farm east
of where he was born in 1825. He was thrice married,
first to Margaret J. Dodson, who, at
death, left two sons: Edward C. and John E. His
second marriage was to Sarah Shaw, who died
without issue, and he then married Anna M. Mathers and
two sons were born to that union: Samuel M. and
Charles M. .
John E. Dorsey attended the district schools and
afterward continued to assist his father and remained on
the old homestead until 1892, when he purchased his
present land. This property he greatly improved,
building a comfortable and commodious residence and
otherwise changing and rearranging structures so that
everything was made convenient and now has one of the
fine farms of this section. He married Miss Mary E.
Licklider and they have six children, namely:
Edward E.,. Harry F., Bonnie F., William S., Bessie M.
and Bertha M. Mr. Dorsey has always
been an active citizen so far as taking an interest in
all law abiding movements is concerned, but he votes
independently. His fellow citizens, however, have many
times shown their appreciation of his sterling character
by electing him to local offices and he has served on
the school board, as township assessor, as township
trustee and as turnpike superintendent. He is a man of
social tastes and is identified fraternally with the
Knights of the Golden Eagle and the Improved Order of
Red Men.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
569 |
SAMUEL
M. DORSEY, who is very capably managing his
mother's farm of 160 acres of valuable land, which ies
in Green township, Shelby county, O., belongs to one of
the old families of this section. He was born in
Green township, Oct. 26, 1868, and is a son of Snoden
T. and Anna M. (Mathers) Dorsey. His father
died in 1894, one-half mile east of the old Dorsey
homestead where he was born in 1825.
In the public schools Samuel M. Dorsey secured
his early educational training and later pursued higher
branches at Lebanon, O. For two years afterward he
taught school and as an educator fulfilled every
expectation but as a business agriculture made closer
appeals to him and for many years be devoted himself to
himself to farming and stock raising. He is
connected at Sidney with the Odd Fellows and the Knights
of the Golden Eagles, and he belongs also to the
Presbyterian church at Sidney. In politics he
early identified himself with the republican party and
has served in the office of township clerk.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
532 |
JOSEPH
DRESES, who lives retired on his valuable farm of
sixty acres, situated in Cynthian township, two and
one-half miles south of Fort Loramie, was born in
Germany, February 10, 1836, and is a son of Theodore
and Elizabeth Dreses, both of whom died in Germany,
the mother when he was but two years old.
Joseph Dreses went to school arid helped his
father on the little home farm until he was old enough
for military service after which he was in the army for
eight years and during that time took part in the wars
in which his country was engaged. He was thirty-six
years of age when he left Germany and came to the United
States. As a farm hand he worked for two years and eight
months in Kansas, and from there came to Ohio and became
a farmer in Shelby county, near Fort Loramie, where he
soon married and for five years afterward lived in
McLean township, west of the village. From there he
moved on the Johnston Ginn farm and then
operated the Schlater farm for one year
and the Holthaus farm for four years,
after which he bought his present farm of the Barlage
heirs, of Fort Loramie, and cleared a part of it.
At present he has all of it under cultivation except
nine acres of woodland and the larger part of the land
is well drained and tiled. The present comfortable farm
house he built after taking possession and he remodeled
the barn and other farm buildings. A general line of
farming-is carried on, some stock and the usual grains
of this section being produced. Mr. Dreses
is a democrat in his political views and is a good and
law abiding citizen.
Mr. Dreses was married to Miss
Mary Elizabeth Merkentrop, who was
born in Germany, a daughter of Bernard and
Elizabeth Merkentrop, and came to America
when twenty-six years old. Five children were born to
Mr. and Mrs. Dreses, namely:
Katie, who died at the age of ten months; Mary,
who is the wife of
H. A.
Eilerman; Lena, who is the wife of
Clay Eilerman, of McLean township; Anton,
who died in his tenth year; and Elizabeth, who
died when aged seven years. Mr. Dreses'
daughters were educated in the Short Special School
District. The family belongs to St. Michael's Catholic
church at Fort Loramie.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
596 |
PATRICK DUNDON, one of the enterprising and
successful farmers of McLean township, resides in
section 8, on his valuable farm of 148 acres, situated
three and one-half miles east of Fort Loramie. He was
born in Turtle Creek township, Shelby county, O., March
4, 1874, and is a son of John and Margaret (McEvoy)
Dundon.
John Dundon was of Irish extraction and was a
young man when he came to Shelby from Licking county, O.
After marriage to Margaret McEvoy, who was born
in Shelby county, he settled on the present home site
but the 148 acres of productive land was then but a
wilderness. It was through his industry and perseverance
that the place was cleared and put under cultivation.
The buildings yet standing he placed here and lived to
enjoy some years of rest after his long period of hard
labor, passing away in his fiftieth year. His widow
survived into her sixty-sixth year. They were devoted
members of the Catholic church and belonged to St.
Patrick's congregation. They had eight children born to
them, namely: James and Emma, both of whom
are deceased; and Patrick, Elizabeth, Annie, Mary
Ellen and William, and an infant that
died.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Dundon attended
school in St. Patrick's Special School District and
after the father's death they took charge of the home
farm and carried on all its industries, Patrick
and William being particularly interested at the
present time. They all are democratic in their political
opinions and as a united family belong to St. Patrick's
Catholic church.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
587 |
E. A. DUNN, who resides on
an excellent farm of eighty acres one-half mile south of
Plattsville, O., in a desirable section of Green
township, was born in Orange township, Shelby county, in
1858, and is a son of John and Susan (Razor) Dunn.
John Dunn was born
in Pennsylvania and came to Ohio when young and after
living for some years in MOntgomery county, came to
Shelby and settled on a farm in Orange township, where
he died in his sixty-fifth year. HE married
Susan Razor and they became parents of seven
children.
E. A. Dunn obtained a district school education,
often attending school under conditions that his
children would deem exceedingly uncomfortable, entailing
long walks in inclement weather and a schoolhouse
devoid, in large measure, of any of the present-day
comforts that are now considered necessities. He
remained on the home farm until he was sixteen years olf
and then worked through the neighborhood for different
farmers. He has been established on the present
place for the past eleven years and here very
successfully carries on general farming and stock
raising.
Mr. Dunn married Miss
Callie Simesand they have two daughters: Bertha
and Ruth. In politics Mr. Dunnis a
democrat. For a number of years he has been
identified with the Odd Fellows, attending the lodge at
Kirkwood.
Source: History of Shelby County, Ohio and
representative citizens - Evansville, Ind. - 1913 - Page
662 |
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