John Dice, an enterprising farmer and stock raiser of Dallas Township, was born in York County, Penn., on September 3, 1832. He is the son of Jacob and Rebecca (Shup) Dice, who were American born, but of German descent. The ancestors took part in the Revolutionary War. The parents were married in York County, Penn., where they afterward resided about four years, the father working at the carpenter's trade. They then came to Ohio, and settled in Sandusky County on a farm where they resided until about 1860, at which time they immigrated to Missouri, locating in De Kalb County, where the father continued in agricultural pursuits until his death in the later part of 1881, at seventy-two years of age. The mother is seventy-six years of age, and still lives in De Kalb County. John is the eldest of six children. He was reared on his father's farm, and received a common-school education. His whole life has been given to agricultural pursuits. When a child he removed with his parents to Ohio, and in his twenty-fourth year went to Iowa, where he worked as a farm laborer three or four years. In 1856 he preempted 160 acres of land where he now lives, and complying with the laws of the State, he entered the land in 1857. In December, 1860, he wedded Miss Margaret Cownell, who was born in Pennsylvania. This was a happy union until May 1, 1877, when the wife died at thirty-six years of age. She left five children—two sons and three daughters. One grown daughter is her father's housekeeper. Mr. Dice has been a very successful farmer, and now owns in De Kalb and Daviess Counties over 1,000 acres of land. Politically he is a Democrat.
Source: History of Andrew and DeKalb Counties, Missouri (Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1888), p. 558.