Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Dilley, James M. 1864 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 23, 2007, 11:29 pm Author: Emma E. Forter (1917) JAMES M. DILLEY. James M. Dilley, one of Guittard township's best-known and most substantial farmers and former trustee of that township, is a native of the state of Illinois, but has been a resident of Kansas since the days of his childhood. He was born on a farm in Carroll county, Illinois, November 22, 1864, son of Richard and Mary (Barnes) Dilley, who were the parents of six children, of whom the subject of this sketch and his twin brother were the last born. Richard Dilley was born on December 27, 1828, in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, and when a young man moved to Illinois, where he engaged in farming, later coming to Kansas and settling on a farm in the neighborhood of Hamlin. He died at St. Joseph, Missouri, in November, 1913, near the eighty-fifth year of his age. Richard Dilley was twice married. His first wife, Mary Barnes, mother of the subject of this sketch, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1830, died in 1877 an<3 in 1878 Mr. Dilley married Martha Burgess, who is still living. To that union one child was born. James M. Dilley was reared on a farm and completed his schooling in the schools of Hamlin, this state. Following his marriage at the age of twenty-one he began farming on his own account, on a rented place, and two years later, in 1887, bought the farm in Guittard township, this county, where he ever since has made his home and on which he has made all the present substantial improvements. Mr. Dilley is the owner of a quarter of a section of land in section 18 and has a very pleasant home, his house being situated on the Rock Island highway, two and one-half miles northwest of Beattie. In addition to his general farming he long has given considerable attention to the raising of high-grade live stock, specializing in Shorthorn cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs, and has done very well. Mrs. Dilley has more than a local reputation as a breeder of Barred Plymouth Rock chickens and has frequently made successful exhibits of her poultry at the fairs at Topeka, Marysville and other points. Mr. Dilley is a Democrat and has long given his earnest attention to local civic affairs, having served for some time as trustee of his home township. On December 24, 1885, at Hiawatha, Kansas, James M. Dilley was united in marriage to Anna J. Martin, who was born at Seneca, this state, February 27, 1870, daughter of Charles and Elizabeth (Merry) Martin, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Canada, who came to Kansas in 1867 and settled in Marshall county, later moving to Nemaha county, and to this union seven children have been born, namely: Arthur, a graduate of the Beattie schools, now farming in Franklin township, who married Myrtle Pautz, of Brown county, and has one child, a son, Martin; Richard, a farmer in Guittard township, who was graduated from the high school at Beattie and taught district schools for six terms, married Edna Capps, of this county, and has one child, a daughter, Lauretta; Addie, who also was graduated from the Beattie schools and "from Nazareth Academy, taught school for four terms, married Martin Flannigan, a grain and live-stock dealer at Summerfield, and has two daughters, Catherine and Mary; Clyde, also a graduate of the Beattie schools, who is at home; Annabel, at home; Coburn, also at home, and one, the sixth in order of birth, who died in infancy. The Dilleys are members of the Catholic church and take a proper interest in the affairs of the same, as well as in the general social activities of the community in which they live, helpful factors in the promotion of all causes having to do with the advancement of the common good thereabout. Additional Comments: Extracted from: History of Marshall County, Kansas: its people, industries, and institutions by Emma E. Forter Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co. (1917) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/marshall/bios/dilley494gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ksfiles/ File size: 4.4 Kb