John William Sherman Dillon was born 4 May 1868 in Allen Township, Worth County, Missouri to Isaac and Jane (Rapp) Dillon. He was better known as Sherm. As will be seen, Sherm was a very intelligent man who valued his family, although his legacy would be destroyed by fire.

To begin, John"s father Isaac was born 11 June 1835 in Monroe County, Ohio. He began his career as a teacher in Lawrence County. It didn"t last long before his brother, Peter, and brother-in-law, John Hagerman, and he decided to explore northwest Missouri. Supposedly, they pooled their money together to purchase ten acres. Peter became ill so the transaction was cancelled. It is said the ten acres they were about to purchase later became downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

Peter and John returned to Ohio, but Isaac found a job teaching in Iowa until the Civil War erupted. He volunteered for service at White Cloud, Kansas on or about 20 August 1863 and became a soldier in Company G, 2nd Kansas Calvary. He noted his residence as Brownville, Nebraska when he enlisted. He was discharged 8 September 1865 in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Isaac"s corps was present at Lawrence, Kansas after the city was burned by Quantrill"s Raiders. In an engagement near Poisen Springs, Arkansas, he was taken prisoner by Kirby Smith"s troops. It was at this time, about 18 April 1864, he was wounded in the right elbow and arm, crippling him for life. He was imprisoned in Shreveport, Louisiana. Following the Confederate"s surrender, he was paroled at Red River Landing, Louisiana and mustered out at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. According to his pension file, “…Isaac Dillon received a wound by a large ball passing through the lower third of the right humerous [sic] breaking the bone so as to involve the joint thereby rendering the right arm almost useless.”

Following the war, Isaac returned to his occupation as a teacher. He married Jane Rapp of Lawrence County, Ohio in 1867 before settling down and building a home in Worth County, Missouri. Isaac and Jane had three children: John William Sherman “Sherm”, Exie Avonia “Fawna”, and Greta Ethel.

Isaac spent the rest of his life farming and raising his family. He died 30 October 1893 in Worth County, Missouri and is interred in the Wesley Chapel Cemetery in Harrison County. Isaac"s wife, Jane, died 27 Mar 1897 and is buried next to her husband.

Sherm followed in his father"s footsteps of becoming a teacher after receiving a college education from Missouri State University. He usually led his classmates in grades in practically every class while carrying twice the number of classes as the average student. He began teaching in 1892 and was hired as superintendent of Grant City schools by 1894.

Following his mother"s death in 1897, Sherm gave up his short-lived career as a teacher and worked his father"s farm. He also took his sisters on a vacation along the east coast and Canada. It was during the return from that vacation when he stopped in Lawrence County, Ohio to visit relatives and became interested in his family history. Sherm learned that he was a great-great-grandson of Thomas Dillon of County of Mayo, Ireland who was a soldier during the latter part of the American Revolution, and his great-grandfather, John, fought in the War of 1812.

Isaac didn"t live to see his son, Sherm, become commander of Grant City, Missouri"s Shiloh Camp #48 of the Sons of Veterans of the United States of America in 1896. At the 1897 State Encampment in Warrensburg, Missouri, John was elected Junior Vice Commander followed by his election the following year as Commander of the Division of Missouri at the annual encampment held in Carthage, Missouri. At that time, the Division of Missouri included the states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas. He chaired the next annual encampment at Kirksville, Missouri in 1899.

Sherm became the sole owner and editor of the Grant City Star newspaper. He also became postmaster in Grant City, Missouri.

Dillon married Francis M. Mullins in 1909. The couple never had any children.

Sherm died 21 February 1953 at the Missouri Methodist Hospital in St. Joseph, Missouri. He was interred in Grant City, Missouri next to his wife, Francis. Both of his sisters, neither of whom ever married, are also buried in the same cemetery.

Gage, Erica.  “Missouri State Archives - Death Records Certificates.”   Missouri Secretary of State.  State of Missouri Government.  30 Dec 2006   <http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/>.

Glick, Ben.  “Grant City Cemetery.”   Worth County, Missouri USGenWeb Project..  Aug 2001.  RootsWeb.com.  31 Dec 2006 <http://www.rootsweb.com/~moworth/cemetery/grantcity.html>.

Stewart, Phil, and Kathi Stewart.  Headstone photograph of Isaac Dillon.   Wesley Chapel Cemetery in Harrison County, Missouri.  3 Jan 2007.

Stewart, Phil, and Kathi Stewart.  “Wesley Chapel Cemetery.”   Harrison County, Missouri.  4 Nov 2003.  RootsWeb.com.  31 Dec 2006 <http://www.rootsweb.com/~moharris/wesleychapelcem.html>.

Sutko, P. Matthew, and Henry Dillon.  “Dillon Family Genealogy.”   rwtest.  15 May 2004.  RootsWeb.com.  31 Dec 2006 <http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~kell/dillon.html>.