D. W. Handy was born in Barren county, Kentucky, in 1826, and is a son of Robert A. and Rosana Handy. Mr. Handy lived in Kentucky until the year of 1865 when he moved to Daviess county, Missouri, settling on a farm three miles south of Salem. He remained on the farm three years, when he sold his farm and went into the mercantile business at Bancroft in this county. Here he remained about a year when he sold out and moved to Salem, buying out the store of his brother, R. W. Handy. He remained in business at. Salem until 1879, when he sold out again, and since that time has been engaged in farming and raising and dealing in stock. He recently sold his farm of 500 acres adjoining the town of Salem for $9,000, and now thinks of resuming the mercantile business at the first favorable opportunity. Mr. Handy is now holding the office of trustee and treasurer of Salem township, to which office he was elected in April, 1881. He has been a member of the Baptist Church for twenty-two years.
In 1848, Mr. Handy was married to Miss Mary J. Cook, of Kentucky. They have seven children living, as follows: Maggie, wife of J. I. Weldon of Salem; James B., Aaron, William F., Ida B., Olley and Charles M. One child, a boy, named John, died in 1858 at the age of one year.