RIENZI M. DUNLAP.
Rienzi M. Dunlap, editor and publisher of the Muscotah Record, Muscotah, Kan., was born in Illinois, February 25, 1850. He is the son of John M. and Nancy (Fletcher) Dunlap, the former a native of Maine, and the latter a native of Illinois. John M. Dunlap was a descendant from Scotch-Irish ancestry, who immigrated from North of Ireland to America. His wife was of English descent, and a daughter of Kentucky parents, who emigrated from Kentucky to Illinois in the early days. John M. received his education in his native State, and was engaged in teaching school, a profession which he followed for twenty-five years. He taught school in Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and also in the State of Iowa. He finally located on a farm in northern Iowa, near Nashua, which he developed into a fine productive plant. He became well known as a skilled horticulturist, and originated several different kinds of fruits. He died at his home near Nashua, Iowa, in 1909. His widow still lives on the home place.
Rienzi M. Dunlap was educated in the schools of northeastern Iowa, and entered college with the intention of completing a college course, but his eyesight failing him, he was unable to complete his classical studies. Later, he prepared himself for the teaching profession by self-study, and received a teacher’s certificate. He taught school for fifteen years at various places in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. The last five years of his teaching was of a professional character, with the backing of a professional certificate. During all this time he had been preparing himself by hard study to enter the ministry, and on September 1, 1893, went to Wisconsin and began preaching in an Advent Christian church. He preached for four years in Wisconsin in the interest of the Advent Christian denomination, and later engaged in the market gardening business for the benefit of his health at Baraboo, Wis., where he resided until 1909, in the meantime preaching in the churches of the nearby towns. From 1909 until 1910 he had charge of a church at Linn, Kan. Mr. Dunlap, while engaged in teaching, managed to obtain considerable journalistic experience by working in various newspaper offices, among them being that of his uncle. Consequently, it is not surprising that in 1910 he came to Muscotah, Kan., and purchased the Muscotah Record. He is operating an excellent newspaper, which is noted for its clean, moral and fearless stand on all public questions.
Mr. Dunlap was married at Mendota, Ill., August 23, 1893, to Miss Retta Morris, of Ohio, who was also a public school teacher, who taught school fifteen terms previous to her marriage, several years of which were in Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Dunlap are the parents of three children: Morris O., a student of journalism in the Advent Christian College, Aurora, Ill., which course is to be followed by two years in the university; Ella M., a pupil in the eighth grade in the Muscotah school; Mary, a pupil in the sixth grade in the public school. Mr. Dunlap is an independent in politics, who has not allied himself in any form of politics, and believes that the best government results from the independent voting of its citizens. His newspaper is also noted for its independence.