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Oliver Perry Dunkin, one of the leading citizens and pioneer farmers of Clinton township, Sac county, Iowa, was born January 21, 1826. His father, Joshua Dunkin, was a native of Virginia and a soldier in the war of 1812. His grandfather, John Dunkin, was a descendant of Scotch ancestry. The maiden name of our subject's mother was Sarah Richardson. She was born in Ohio, a descendant of German ancestry, and was first married to a Mr. Riley by whom she had four children. She married Mr. Dunkin in Brown county, Ohio, and her death occurred in Fulton county, Illinois, at the age of sixty. After her death the father came to Clinton county, Iowa, where he died at the age of seventy. He voted for Fremont in 1856, but was a Democrat all his life. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and for many years was a Class Leader. Oliver P. was a lad of fourteen or fifteen years when the family moved to Fulton county, Illinois, and on his father's farm in that county he was reared. He then moved to Jackson county, Iowa, and some years later went to Clinton county and settled near Elwood. From Clinton county, in 1875, he came to Sac county, bought 320 acres of land, and on it has since resided. He has his farm well improved with good buildings and a nice orchard and grove. Mr. Dunkin was married in Clinton county, Iowa, November 12, 1854, to Mary Jane Clark, a native of New Jersey. Her father, Barnabas Clark was born at Ashfield, Massachusetts, in 1799, was a wagon-maker by trade, and was a resident of Conway, Massachusetts. The family trace their settlement in New England back to 1623. Mrs. Dunkin's mother was before her marriage Miss Submit Hitchcock, who was born in Massachusetts, January 2, 1801, daughter of Heman (Herman?) Hitchcock. At an early day Mr. and Mrs. Clark settled in Delaware county, Ohio, and from there came to Clinton county, Iowa in 1853. They reared a family of five children, two sons and three daughters. One of their sons, Fred, served in the war in an Iowa regiment, and is now a resident of Clinton county, this State. The mother died May 6, 1878, and the father passed away in September 1890. He was a member of the Christian Church and his wife was a Congregationalist. Mr. and Mrs. Dunkin have five children, viz.: Frederick, a resident of Wall Lake township, Sac county; Frank L. on the home farm; Sarah Submit, wife of J.B. Southwell, of Hayes county, Nebraska; and William and George, at home. Mr. Dunkin is a Republican in politics, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Transcribed by B. Horak, November 2002 |
Created on ... Sept. 3, 2003