Forest E. Dillman

FOREST E. DILLMAN is a native of Nebraska, but for a number of years has been identified with Traer in Northwest Decatur County, Kansas, as cashier and organizer of the First State Bank of Traer.

Mr. Dillman was born at Curtis, Nebraska, September 8, 1887. He is of remote German ancestry. Two Dillman brothers came from Germany to America in Revolutionary times, one of them locating in Pennsylvania and the other in Virginia. Forest E. Dillman is descended from the Pennsylvania branch of the family. Five sons of this first American ancestor were murdered in a cave by the British soldiers during the War of 1812.

Clarence B. Diliman, father of Forest E., was born in LaSalle County, Illinois, January 30, 1855. He grew up there, later moved to Kansas, owning a little property at Cherryvale, then moved to Corning, Iowa, where he owned a drug store and where he married. After his marriage he moved to Curtis, Nebraska, shipping his drug stock from Corning, and engaged in the drug business two years. He then followed the carpenter trade until 1905, and has since lived in that community as a farmer and stockman, with the exception of the two had drouth years of 1895 and 1896, when he moved with his family to Cuba, Wisconsin, the home of his wife's people. He resided here from July, 1894, until May, 1896, when he moved his family back to Curtis. He is a republican and is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Clarence B. Dillman married Maren Whitham October 13, 1886. She was born at Elk Grove, Lafayette County, Wisconsin, December 3, 1862, and is of French-Scotch-English descent. Lord Cameron of Scotland was a great-great-great-grandfather. Forest E. is the oldest of their children. Clifford O. is a farmer at Moorefield, Nebraska. Vivian L. is an instructor in the public schools at Curtis, Nebraska. Kohler C. is a registered pharmacist employed at Broken Bow, Nebraska. Harold A. is at the home farm and Helen G. is a school teacher near Curtis.

Forest E. Dillman received his education in the public schools of Curtis, graduating from high school in 1903. The next two years he spent on the home farm and for a short period clerked in the Pioneer Drug Store of Curtis. He then entered the old State Bank of Curtis as bookkeeper, which position he held for three years, when he was promoted to assistant cashier. In 1910 the bank in which he was employed consolidated with the First National Bank and later was reorganized as the Security State Bank, Mr. Dillman remaining with these institutions ten years.

In June, 1915, Mr. Dillman organized the First State Bank of Traer, Kansas, and opened it for business August 24, 1915. He has been in active charge of the bank and its affairs as cashier and has brought the bank to an enviable degree of prosperity and with a large and important service in that community. The bank is capitalized at $15,000, with a surplus of $2,500. The president is Otis L. Benton, a well known banker and capitalist of Oberlin, Kansas. There are two vice presidents, one of them being M. Weil, president of the National Bank of Commerce of Lincoln, Nebraska, and the other H. O. Douglas, cashier of the Oberlin National Bank. They have recently erected a fine brick building and home for this bank. Mr. Dillman is a republican in politics and while living at Curtis, Nebraska, served as clerk of the town while it emerged from an idle village into a thrifty, lively, up-to-date modern little city. He is a member of the First Congregational Church of Curtis and is affiliated with Curtis Lodge No. 168, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of which he is past secretary, and with Curtis Lodge No. 170, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

May 28, 1913, at Curtis, he married Miss Blanche M. Taylor, daughter of R. W. and Mary (Morrison) Taylor, both now deceased. Her father was a lumberman and merchant at Edison, Nebraska, where he resided with his family at the time of his death. Mr. and Mrs. Dillman have two children, Dorothy E., born June 1, 1914, and Blanche E., born July 25, 1915.

Pages 2418-2419.