Richard Tipton Dennis

As printed in 1906

ICHARD TIPTON DENNIS, a representative citizen of Monroe township, president of the Board of Education and a large farmer and stock-raiser, owns 372 acres of excellent land in one of the best sections of the township. He was born in Monroe township, on an adjacent farm, on February i, 1857, and is a son of David H. and Winnie (Funk) Dennis.

Early in the settlement of Ross County, Ohio, came Daniel Dennis and wife Nancy, from Maryland. They settled in the forest, which at that time was so dense that clearings had to be made before the first steps could be taken looking to cultivation of the land. At a later date he sold the Ross County farm to his son Henry and purchased a large farm in Monroe township, Pickaway County, where he died in 1877. His first wife died in Ross County. After he settled in Monroe township, he married Mary Hess, who still survives and resides with two of the children — Effie and George W. — on the farm of 1 10 acres left her children by Daniel Dennis, at the time of his death. The eldest of his daughters by this marriage, Josephine, who is the wife of Albert L. Shockly, a farmer of Darby township, also shared in the inheritance.

The children of Daniel Dennis’ first marriage were: David H., father of our subject; Henry, who married Clarissa Smith — he purchased and later sold his father’s old home in Ross County, and died in Monroe township; Millie, deceased, who married (first) Charles Evans, and (second) Robert Timmons; Mary, who married Felix Grindol and lives at Hammond, Illinois; Bettie, deceased, who was the wife of John Dennis; Peggie, deceased, who was the wife of Elijah Dennis; and Nancy, deceased, who was the wife of John Mulnix.

David H. Dennis, father of our subject, was born November 21, 1826, in Ross County, Ohio, and was only a boy when he accompanied his father to Pickaway County. His education was secured in the old log school houses, which were the best afforded at the time, and he grew up his father’s helper on the farm. After his marriage he settled on the farm on which our subject was born and which now belongs to our subject’s sister, Mrs. Samantha Hill. For many years a rough log house sufficed for a residence. Later, however, Mr.. Dennis, tore down the log cabin and on the opposite side of the road built a comfortable frame residence. He still lives in Monroe township, where he has long had a reputation as a successful farmer and stock-raiser. He owns 21 1 acres of land situated jointly in Monroe and Muhlenberg townships. He was bereft of his wife on April 29, 1901, after a happy married life of many years.

To David H. Dennis and his wife, Winnie Funk, were born the following children: Nancy, who married Charles Downs and lives in Monroe township near Five Points, on what is known as the Noah Cardiff farm, which her husband owns; Sarah Jane, who married C. B. Mitchell and lives east of Five Points in Monroe township; William T., now owning and operating the old William McCafferty farm in Monroe township, who married Rhoda Hatfield; David G., who married (first) Harriet Hanson and (second) Dora Wing and lives on a part of what was once a section of the Florence estate in Muhlenberg township, along Dry Run; Richard Tipton, the subject of this sketch; and Samantha, wife of Seth Hill, of Monroe township.

Richard T. Dennis enjoyed excellent educational advantages and is one of the bestinformed and intelligent men in Monroe township. He was an apt pupil in the district schools and also ambitious. In 1881 he entered the normal school at Lebanon, Ohio, and in 1883 took the teacher’s special course and secured his certificate. Mr. Dennis then took up teaching as a profession and for the following 21 years taught school in Pickaway County, his time being divided partially thus: First in Deer Creek township, then two years in the graded schools at Darbyville, five years in the Pherson district in Muhlenberg township, six years at Five Points, and several years in the schools of his own neighborhood. During this time ‘Mr. Dennis may have been the cause of a very general remark, that Monroe township turned out more capable teachers than any other township in the State. The fact is that he took such deep interest in his educational labors that he inspired the young to added effort and, with his encouragement and thorough training, well educated young men and women went out from under his care and many of them found educational work awaiting them because they were competent. Probably if a

As printed in History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.