Mark Bell Penick, son of Jacob and Nancy Jones Penick, was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, on January 22, 1834. In 1840, he moved with his parents to a farm in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, which was entered from the Government, by his father, Jacob Penick. The land being timberland, it was necessary to clear the same and this, Mark Bell Penick and the other sons assisted in doing. In 1852, Mark Bell Penick hired himself out to work on a farm, at seven dollars a month, and was afterwards advanced to eight dollars a month. In June 1852, he entered the village school and attended three months, after which time he took an examination at New Philadelphia, Ohio, and obtained a certificate to teach school.

Mark Bell Penick went to Chillicothe, Ohio, about eight miles from the home, and taught school three months, at twenty-seven dollars a month, and obtained his board by boarding among the families of the school children. In the spring of 1854, he taught school at Cuby, Iowa, at thirty dollars a month and board, and while teaching, became acquainted with a Dr. Smith, who was a Swedish missionary and doctor, and who took him into his family, and he began to study medicine and at the same time teaching English to the Doctor's children. In the later part of 1854, with Dr. Smith's family he moved to Fairfield, Iowa, and in 1855, from there to Palmyra, Missouri, where they remained until 1856, when they moved to Barry, Illinois, where Mark Bell Penick remained and taught school for three years, until 1858. In the meantime, Dr. Smith had moved back to Missouri, and in 1858, Mark Bell Penick went to Columbus, Adams County, Illinois, and entered the office of Dr. John Torrence, and studied medicine with him for about one year. In the year of 1859, he moved to Kinderhook and entered the home of Almon Churchill, where he boarded and lived for three years and six months. During this time he taught school at Elm Grove, Barry Township, Illinois, and became acquainted with Sarah Elizabeth Hull, daughter of Smith Hull and Elizabeth McAtee Hull. On March 18, 1865, he was graduated from the Electric Medical College, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and has practiced the profession of medicine in and about Kinderhook continuously.

To the union of Mark Bell Penick and Sarah Elizabeth Penick there was born four children, namely: Minni Luella Penick, who died in infancy; Ninus Smith Penick, now residing in Springfield, Illinois; Jacob Franklin Penick, now residing at Quincy, Illinois, and Janna May Larimore, now residing at Kinderhook, Illinois

Contributed by David Bethard
Kinderhook Centennial Issue (Souvenir) 1836-1936