Biographical Sketch of DAVID T. DICKEY - Henry County, Illinois On the roll of Henry County's honored dead is inscribed the name of David T. Dickey, who was for a long period closely identified with the agricultural interests of Cornwall Township. He was born in Grayson County, Kentucky, December 19, 1835, his parents being Samuel A. and Elizabeth A. (Cooper) Dickey. The former was a native of Oxford, Pennsylvania, his birth having there occurred August 18, 1802, and when a young man he went to Louisville, Kentucky, where he met and wedded Miss Elizabeth Cooper, the marriage ceremony having been performed August 1, 1832. She was also of Pennsylvanian nativity, having been born in Washington County, that state, September 22, 1801, and had gone to Kentucky with her parents. Mr. And Mrs. Dickey lived in the latter state until 1851, when Mr. Dickey, Sr., removed his family to Fulton County, Illinois, where he secured some farm land. In 1855 he came to Henry County, locating in Cornwall Township for more than a score of years and then remo!!ved to Kewanee, where his death occurred June 12, 1892, when he lacked but a few months of reaching the ninetieth milestone of life. On his father's side he was descended from a line of Presbyterian ministers and to that faith always gave unfaltering allegiance. His wife also lived to a ripe old age, although she died several years before him, her demise having occurred July 16, 1887. David T. Dickey was reared in the county of his birth, upon a farm which was in the vicinity of the Mammoth Cave, and his preparation for life was derived almost entirely in the hard school of experience, for he had none of the educational advantages enjoyed by youths today. He accompanied his parents when they came to Illinois and assisted in cultivating the home farm in this county. Later in 1861, he married and purchased from his father eighty acres on section 35, Cornwall Township, to which he added subsequently the eighty acres adjoining. Then, as his financial resources increased, he bought the one hundred and sixty acres on which his widow now lives, a well improved farm on section 27, of this township, and continued to add to his landholdings from time to time until he owned five hundred acres. He spent two years in Iowa, where he had secured some property, and three years in Nebraska, but the remainder of his life was passed in Cornwall Township. His life was one!! of continuous activity, he had enjoyed few advantages when a boy, but through indomitable energy, tenacity of purpose and loyalty to high ideals of manhood he attained a conspicuous success which placed him among the substantial men of Henry County. He was always closely identified with its interests and at all times ready to lend his aid to any movement to benefit this section of the country or contribute to its wonderful development. On the 4th of April 1861, Mr. Dickey weeded Miss Eliza Peterson, who was born in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, September 18, 1836, a daughter of Amos and Lydia (Ridle) Peterson. She was nine years of age when her father died and eleven when her widowed mother brought her seven children to Illinois and settled upon a small piece of land given to her by her father, who was then living in Fulton County. Mrs. Peterson was a woman of great courage and ability, for not only did she manage the little farm profitably, but she reared her family, the oldest of whom was only twelve when she came to this state, and gave them all a good education. Five of the children became teachers, and one son, Clinton, enlisted in the One Hundred and Twelfth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He served about three years and although he participated in many important battles, was never wounded nor taken captive. After her children were grown, Mrs. Peterson married Almer Hoig and lived in Monmouth, Illin!!ois, until her husband's death, after which she made her home with Mrs. Dickey during the rest of her life. She was about ninety-five years of age when called to her final rest. Mr. And Mrs. Dickey had three children. Alice Addie died in infancy and a sketch of Arthus J. appears elsewhere in this work. Grace Lillian was born September 4, 1866. She received a good education, being a graduate of the Northwestern Normal School of Geneseo of the class of 1886, and taught for one year in the school near her home. On the 2d of October, 1888, she gave her hand in marriage to Edgar Loren Macomber, who had come to Henry County in 1886. He was born in southern Ohio, May 29, 1865, a son of Jonas P. and Sarah (McMillen) Macomber. The former was born in Gallion County, Ohio, January 13, 1840, and the latter, also a native of Ohio, was born January 17, 1834. Jonas P. Macomber enlisted in the Sixtieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, becoming a member of Company K, on the 10th of August 1862. He was in a number of important battles during the war, including the engagements at Winchester, the battle of Shenandoah Valley, Antietam and Bolivar. In the last n!!amed he was taken a prisoner and held for nine weeks. He was then exchanged and immediately rejoined his regiment, serving thereafter to the close of the war. He was honorably discharged at Alexandria, Virginia, December 18, 1865. He was married September 24, 1859, to Miss Sarah C. McMillen, a native of Ohio. They have five children, of whom two were living, Samuel, a resident of Columbus, Ohio; and Laurin of Atkinson, Illinois; Myra, Louisa and Jonas have all passed away. The mother, who was commonly and affectionately called Aunt Sarah throughout the neighborhood, was a life-long Christian, uniting with the church when seventeen years of age. She held membership in the Free Baptist Church at the time of her death, which occurred May 11, 1901. The father, Jonas Macomber still resides at Benton, Ohio. Mr. And Mrs. E. L. Macomber have one daughter, Lillian Dickey, who was born April 17, 1893. She received a diploma for eighth-grade work and is now a sophomore in the Geneseo High School. Mr. Dickey was a staunch Republican in his political views, and while never remiss in any of the duties of citizenship was not an aspirant for public office. At the time the Free Will Baptist Church of Cornwall became the Liberty Union Congregational Church he and his wife became members of it, and he was loyal to its teachings to the time of his death, October 14, 1903. His was an earnest and consistent Christian life, characterized by stern integrity and honesty of purpose, and he left to his family the priceless heritage of a good name, for his record was not sullied by any unworthy or questionable act. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Alice Gless