Page 47 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 47
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 84]:
George E. Deneal was “smart and sharp as a tack,” but once found his equal. He was preaching on a week day in a
private home and few people were present. At the end of the sermon, the preacher asked all who wanted to go to heaven
to rise to their feet. All stood except Mr. Slimholt. Deneal then asked all who wished to go to hell to stand. Slimholt
remained seated. The minister was nonplussed. “You are a strange man. You neither want to go to heaven or hell. Where
do you want to go?” “When I am regularly dismissed, I want to go home,” was the man’s reply. [Funkhouser 1921,
pp. 125, 134, 148, 245-246; Glovier 1965, pp. 50, 88]
DENTON: Benjamin Denton became a member of Conference and licensed to preach in 1855; local
preacher and farmer; grandfather of Rev. S. L. Rice; died about 1856; buried at Dry Run. [Funkhouser 1921,
pp. 126, 134, 257-258; Glovier 1965, p. 89]
DENVIE: Daniel Denvie was a designated Conference Itinerant, 1830-31. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 242]
DICKSON: Bishop John Dickson (b. June 15, 1820; d. Feb. 22, 1907),
21st bishop of the UBIC, presided over Va. Conf. in 1877, 1880, 1882-86, and
1891; and he dedicated Broadway Church in 1891. John Dickson was born
near Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pa.. He was converted under the
labors of Rev. J. C. Smith (Pa. Conf.) in 1842. In Apr. 1844, was granted
license to exhort. His quarterly conference license to preach was granted at a
camp meeting held near Littlestown, Adams County, dated Aug. 9th, 1845.
He joined the Annual Conference at a session held near Carlisle, Pa., Mar. 12,
1847, Bishop Hanby presiding. Dickson was ordained at a conference held in
York, Pa., Jan. 26, 1850, Bishop Erb officiating. He was married to Mary Jane
Adair (1827-1904) on Nov. 14, 1848. From [Holdcraft 1938, pp. 316-317]:
After serving a number of pastorates most acceptably, he became a presiding
elder and in 1869 was elevated to the bishopric, which office he filled with great distinction until 1893, a
period of 24 years. Bishop Dickson was known as a model expository preacher. He was a prolific writer,
especially for the Telescope. Although unfavorable to the change made in the constitution of the Church in
1889, he remained loyal to the Church and probably did more than any other one person to hold to the
Church a considerable proportion of the membership that was conservatively included. One son, Rev. William
Adair Dickson, was an honored member of Pa. Conf. from 1875 to the time of this death in 1921, and a
daughter, Dr. Madge Dickson Mateer, has spent a life-time of service as a missionary in China, working under
the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. He served Perry Circuit, 1846-47; Carlisle Circuit, 1847-49;
Hershey’s Station, 1849-50; Big Spring Circuit, 1850-51; Chambersburg Station, 1851-54; Presiding Elder,
Chambersburg District, 1854-56; Big Spring Circuit, 1856-57; Shopp’s Station (Shiremanstown), 1857-61;
Orrstown Station, 1861-62; Chambersburg Station, 1862-66; Greencastle and Alto Dale Circuits, 1866-67;
Greencastle Circuit, 1867-68; and Big Spring Station and Plainfield Circuit, 1868-69. He was elected bishop
and served in this capacity 1869-93. He retired in 1893. Bishop Dickson died in 1907 at the age of 87. The
picture on the left is from [Glovier 1965, pp. 69], taken in 1886; the one on the right is from [U.B. Yearbook
1898, p. 71]. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 194, 257, 274, 278, 281-282, 284-286, 291, 293; Glovier 1965, pp. 37,
69; Lycoming 2013]
DILLE: Robert E. Dille served Pleasant Valley Circuit 1951-53. In 2013 he was living in Harrisburg, Pa.
He was a son of Donald Dale Dille and Lillie Frances (Moore) Dille. His brother Melvin Dale Dille died July 27,
2013. His wife Helen Margaret Green Dille died March 25, 2024 in Harrisburg. She was the daughter of Elmer
Martin and Clarice Harshburger Green. Rev. Dille was pastor of Westmoreland UMC for several years, including
1993.
DONOVAN: Dorman M. Donovan (Donavon) was born Dec. 28, 1873, in Rockingham County, Va., son of
Dorman and Mary Elizabeth Owens Donovan; and he died June 19, 1960, at Enid, Okla. A member of the
Singers Glen congregation, Rev. Donovan was converted at age 13, and he began preaching early in life. His
youthful age earned him the appellation of “boy preacher.” The 1905 U.B. Yearbook lists his address as
Ridott, Illinois, where he was serving the Illinois Conference. He transferred to the Oklahoma Conference in
1908 as pastor of First Church of Enid. He served as treasurer of the Oklahoma (Texas) Conference from
1929 to 1955. Dorman Donovan married Emma E. Neuberger, Apr. 27, 1907. The Donovans had no children.
[Glovier 1965, p. 159; MacAllister 1976, p. 115]
DONOVAN (DONAVON; DONAVAN)41: John D. Donovan “was born of
religious parents near Singers Glen in Rockingham County, Va., on May 10,
1855. At an early age, he embraced Christ and joined the Church in 1874. His
call to the ministry was clear.” He entered the ministry in 1877, and was
ordained on Mar. 7, 1881. He attended Shenandoah Seminary 1879-81.
41 The spelling used in this History is the one used by the Donovan Memorial U.B/EUB/ UMC Church.
Biographical Sketches 35
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 84]:
George E. Deneal was “smart and sharp as a tack,” but once found his equal. He was preaching on a week day in a
private home and few people were present. At the end of the sermon, the preacher asked all who wanted to go to heaven
to rise to their feet. All stood except Mr. Slimholt. Deneal then asked all who wished to go to hell to stand. Slimholt
remained seated. The minister was nonplussed. “You are a strange man. You neither want to go to heaven or hell. Where
do you want to go?” “When I am regularly dismissed, I want to go home,” was the man’s reply. [Funkhouser 1921,
pp. 125, 134, 148, 245-246; Glovier 1965, pp. 50, 88]
DENTON: Benjamin Denton became a member of Conference and licensed to preach in 1855; local
preacher and farmer; grandfather of Rev. S. L. Rice; died about 1856; buried at Dry Run. [Funkhouser 1921,
pp. 126, 134, 257-258; Glovier 1965, p. 89]
DENVIE: Daniel Denvie was a designated Conference Itinerant, 1830-31. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 242]
DICKSON: Bishop John Dickson (b. June 15, 1820; d. Feb. 22, 1907),
21st bishop of the UBIC, presided over Va. Conf. in 1877, 1880, 1882-86, and
1891; and he dedicated Broadway Church in 1891. John Dickson was born
near Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pa.. He was converted under the
labors of Rev. J. C. Smith (Pa. Conf.) in 1842. In Apr. 1844, was granted
license to exhort. His quarterly conference license to preach was granted at a
camp meeting held near Littlestown, Adams County, dated Aug. 9th, 1845.
He joined the Annual Conference at a session held near Carlisle, Pa., Mar. 12,
1847, Bishop Hanby presiding. Dickson was ordained at a conference held in
York, Pa., Jan. 26, 1850, Bishop Erb officiating. He was married to Mary Jane
Adair (1827-1904) on Nov. 14, 1848. From [Holdcraft 1938, pp. 316-317]:
After serving a number of pastorates most acceptably, he became a presiding
elder and in 1869 was elevated to the bishopric, which office he filled with great distinction until 1893, a
period of 24 years. Bishop Dickson was known as a model expository preacher. He was a prolific writer,
especially for the Telescope. Although unfavorable to the change made in the constitution of the Church in
1889, he remained loyal to the Church and probably did more than any other one person to hold to the
Church a considerable proportion of the membership that was conservatively included. One son, Rev. William
Adair Dickson, was an honored member of Pa. Conf. from 1875 to the time of this death in 1921, and a
daughter, Dr. Madge Dickson Mateer, has spent a life-time of service as a missionary in China, working under
the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. He served Perry Circuit, 1846-47; Carlisle Circuit, 1847-49;
Hershey’s Station, 1849-50; Big Spring Circuit, 1850-51; Chambersburg Station, 1851-54; Presiding Elder,
Chambersburg District, 1854-56; Big Spring Circuit, 1856-57; Shopp’s Station (Shiremanstown), 1857-61;
Orrstown Station, 1861-62; Chambersburg Station, 1862-66; Greencastle and Alto Dale Circuits, 1866-67;
Greencastle Circuit, 1867-68; and Big Spring Station and Plainfield Circuit, 1868-69. He was elected bishop
and served in this capacity 1869-93. He retired in 1893. Bishop Dickson died in 1907 at the age of 87. The
picture on the left is from [Glovier 1965, pp. 69], taken in 1886; the one on the right is from [U.B. Yearbook
1898, p. 71]. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 194, 257, 274, 278, 281-282, 284-286, 291, 293; Glovier 1965, pp. 37,
69; Lycoming 2013]
DILLE: Robert E. Dille served Pleasant Valley Circuit 1951-53. In 2013 he was living in Harrisburg, Pa.
He was a son of Donald Dale Dille and Lillie Frances (Moore) Dille. His brother Melvin Dale Dille died July 27,
2013. His wife Helen Margaret Green Dille died March 25, 2024 in Harrisburg. She was the daughter of Elmer
Martin and Clarice Harshburger Green. Rev. Dille was pastor of Westmoreland UMC for several years, including
1993.
DONOVAN: Dorman M. Donovan (Donavon) was born Dec. 28, 1873, in Rockingham County, Va., son of
Dorman and Mary Elizabeth Owens Donovan; and he died June 19, 1960, at Enid, Okla. A member of the
Singers Glen congregation, Rev. Donovan was converted at age 13, and he began preaching early in life. His
youthful age earned him the appellation of “boy preacher.” The 1905 U.B. Yearbook lists his address as
Ridott, Illinois, where he was serving the Illinois Conference. He transferred to the Oklahoma Conference in
1908 as pastor of First Church of Enid. He served as treasurer of the Oklahoma (Texas) Conference from
1929 to 1955. Dorman Donovan married Emma E. Neuberger, Apr. 27, 1907. The Donovans had no children.
[Glovier 1965, p. 159; MacAllister 1976, p. 115]
DONOVAN (DONAVON; DONAVAN)41: John D. Donovan “was born of
religious parents near Singers Glen in Rockingham County, Va., on May 10,
1855. At an early age, he embraced Christ and joined the Church in 1874. His
call to the ministry was clear.” He entered the ministry in 1877, and was
ordained on Mar. 7, 1881. He attended Shenandoah Seminary 1879-81.
41 The spelling used in this History is the one used by the Donovan Memorial U.B/EUB/ UMC Church.
Biographical Sketches 35
