VARNUM H. DILLEY

This progressive business man of Lacota is engaged in charcoal burning and also buys and ships grain. He is very successful in his undertaking and is highly esteemed in his community as an upright and honest citizen. He was born in Nottingham, Ohio, in 1856, and was eight years of age when his parents came to MI and located in Geneva Township, Van Buren County.

Our subject is the son of Varnum D. and Margaret J (Eddy) Dilley. The father is a native of the Buckeye State, where his birth occured in 1824, and the mother hailed from New York. The elder Mr. Dilley was one in a family of seven children of whom we give the following: T. Charles died in Andersonville prison during the late war; Varnum D. was the second in order of birth; Harris is deceased; Darwin resides in Cleveland, OH; Clay makes his home in Chicago; Corwin died in the army, and Caroline is Mrs. Nathan Lord and resides in Euclid, OH.

The paternal grandparents of our subject were Asa and Mary (Johnson) Dilley, who were among the early settlers of Cayuga Co., OH. The original of this sketch was reared on a farm and received a common school education. When reaching his sixteenth year, he attended school for a twelvemonth near Cleveland. Later he clerked a few years for a Mr. Adam White of Lacota and managed his store for a period afrter his death. At the end of that time he engaged in business for himself, but soon sold out his interest in that direction and established himself in the charcoal business. In connection with E. Graves, also buying and shipping grain on his own account. He is wide-awake and progressive and is making a success of his undertaking.

Mr. Dilley of this sketch was married in 1880 to Miss Hattie WHITE, a very intelligent and estimable lady. Carrie Dilley, a sister of our subject, became the wife of William Burlingame and is now deceased. His twin brother, Marshall, is residing in Lacota. Socially, he of whom we write is a member of the Indpendent Order of Odd Fellows at Lacota, and in politics is a strong Republican.

(Sketch located in "Portrait and Biographical Record of Kalamazoo County, MI", book housed at Western Michigan University Archives, Kalamazoo, Michigan)

Return to DILLEY Bios