Raymond R. Kennedy
Raymond R. Kennedy, attorney-at-law and secretary of the Spencerville Home & Savings Association, belongs to one of the old established families of the place. He was born here in the house which is now occupied by his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Mary Washburn, on the west side of the canal, south of the Methodist Episcopal Church, on October 12, 1875, and is a son of Claude M. and Handia J. (Washburn) Kennedy.
Claude M. Kennedy, father of our subject, was born January 11, 1851, in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, and in the following year was brought to Spencerville by his parents, Joseph and Elizabeth (Lawrence) Kennedy. The family is of English, Scotch, Welsh and Irish extraction. In the spring of 184, Mr. Kennedy was married to Handia J. Washburn, who was a daughter of Thomas and Mary Washburn, the former of whom is deceased. Three children were born to this union, viz: Brice, who died at the age of 11 years; Bessie, who died aged three years; and Raymond R., who is the only survivor.
After completing the common and High School course at Spencerville, our subject taught one term of district school and then completed his education in the Ohio Northern University at Ada, where he was graduated in the law department, in the class of 1899, being admitted to the bar on October 14th of the same year. He opened his office at Spencerville six days later and has continued in practice ever since, although he has also had many political and business interests outside of his profession.
Since casting his first presidential vote, in 1896, he has been very active in politics. That year he was secretary of the Bryan Club of Spencerville, which had 400 members, and in the succeeding year he was secretary of the Democratic Executive Committee of Allen County, and until the present he has served as a delegate on many occasions to congressional, judicial and senatorial conventions. In 1898, while still reading law with Attorney J. N. Bailey, at Spencerville, he was appointed to a position in the State Senate at Columbus.
Mr. Kennedy has been identified with insurance interests at Spencerville for some years, having purchased the insurance business of J. J. Miller, who had established it in 1891. Mr. Kennedy represents 10 of the best companies of New York. In January 1901, he was elected secretary of the Spencerville Home & Savings Association, and has served in this capacity ever since.
The Spencerville Home & Savings Association is one of the important business enterprises of Allen County. It was organized October 3, 1887, by S. L. Ashton, a popular newspaperman of Spencerville. The present officers are: Dr. L. R. Pence, president; Raymond R. Kennedy, secretary; and A. L. Gamble, treasurer. The Board of Directors is composed of the following capitalists: Dr. L. R. Pence; F. C. Snow, editor and proprietor of the Spencerville Journal-News; J. H. Beach; C. H. Baum; D. M. Connor; C. M. Kennedy and J. M. Beard, all of Spencerville. The officers are all elected annually. Since Mr. Kennedy's first election on the first Monday in January 1901, the business has rapidly increased. The June statement for the six months prior to June 30, 1905, showed that the loans and mortgages amounted to $64, 590. 85, secured by real estate valued at $200,000. Loans are made on first mortgages only and must be well secured.
Mr. Kennedy is one of three trustees of the Victoria Colonization Company, which owns 18,500 acres of land outside of Victoria, Texas, a town of 7,000 population. The land has been improved, the company having erected about 40 houses and dug as many wells. The locality favors the growing of rice and other products suitable to the climate. The venture has been very successful for all concerned. Other property owned by Mr. Kennedy is the Keeth House property at Spencerville.
On June 2, 1898, Mr. Kennedy was married to Susie Dunathan, who is a daughter of J. H. Dunathan. For a number of years Mr. Dunathan was a general merchant in Auglaize County, which he served two years as county commissioner. In August, 1881, he moved his store from Deep Cut on the canal to the present site just opposite the Keeth House in Spencerville, later selling it to John H. Taft, who is a prominent business man owing three stores in as many towns. Mr. Dunathan died in October 1899. His wife survives and resides in Spencerville. The survivors of their 11 children are: Mrs. Henry Richardson, of Spencerville, whose husband is the proprietor of the Peoples' Drug Company; Mrs. F. E. Weining, whose husband is proprietor of the Spencerville Steam Laundry; Harmon L., who is in the drug business at St. Marys, Ohio; Susie; and Thomas R., who resides in Paulding, Ohio. Mrs. Kennedy is a graduate of the Spencerville High School, and is not only a lady of many accomplishments but also of unusual business ability. She has a thorough understanding of the building and loan business and assists her husband greatly in his work in this connection.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Spencerville. With his accomplished wife, Mr. Kennedy is popular in the literary and social circles of Spencerville. Fraternally he is a Mason and belongs to Arcadia Lodge, No. 306, of Spencerville.
From History of Allen County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Edited by Charles C. Miller. Richmond & Arnold, Publishers, Chicago, 1906