Orlan C. Denny, age 94, retired owner and president of the former Purity Dairy on Beloit-Westville Road, died at 2:45 p.m. Thursday, July 28, 2005 at Crandall Medical Center in Sebring, Ohio. He previously lived in Alliance.
Born November 27, 1910 to Leroy and Bertha Althouse Denny of Beloit, Mr. Denny began his career at the Morley Dairy in 1929 where he worked as plant manager and driver. In 1937 he and his wife Mary Ann (Bandy) Denny purchased the dairy from A.N. Morley and changed the name to Purity Dairy. At that time, there were 3 employees, 17 milk producers and 3 brokered milk routes.
Under his ownership, Purity Dairy grew to be a leader in the industry. He was continually expanding his business through acquiring other dairies, producing new products, purchasing the latest equipment and using the newest dairy technology. Purity was one of the first dairies in the area to use a bulk tank truck to bring milk from the farms to the processing plant. All the dairy products sold by Purity were made at the plant, and the dairy was known for its excellent ice cream.
When he sold the business to Superior Dairy of Canton, Ohio in 1965, Purity Dairy had grown to 100 employees, 102 milk producers, 30 milk routes, 72 cream shippers and 5 brokered routes.
Mr. Denny was the last surviving charter member of the Alliance Lions Club, founded in 1944. He encouraged the Lions Club to designate June as Dairy Month and he began the Lions Club project of selling homemade ice cream at the Alliance Carnation Festival Days in the Park. With help from his fellow Lions, he made 225 gallons of ice cream needed each year. His awards include Lion of the Year in 1981 and the Melvin Jones Fellow in 1992.
He helped form the Tri-County Milk Producers Association, served on the Board of Directors for the former Mount Union Bank, now known as Unizan, and was a director and vice president of the former Alliance Federal Savings and Loan. He was a member of the Sebring Masonic Lodge, Mile Branch Grange, the Elks Lodge of Alliance and the United Commercial Travelers. He had been a life long member of the Bethel United Church of Christ where he served as a deacon.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Bandy Denny, whom he married May 24, 1933 and recently celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary; two daughters, Carol (Elvin) Barnett of Alliance, and Doris (Gary) Homan of Ellicott City, MD; four granddaughters, Karen (James) Lynn of Uniontown, Ohio, Linda (Kenneth Jr.) Harris of Beloit, Ohio, Elizabeth Homan of Montgomery Village MD, and Jill Homan of Durham, NC, three great-granddaughters, Kathryn Lynn, Julia Harris, and Allison Harris, and two brothers, Raymond Denny of Salem, and Frank Denny of Damascus.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and two brothers, Richard Denny and John Denny.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday at Cassaday-Turkle-Christian Funeral Home with Rev. Jeffrey Davis of Bethel United Church of Christ officiating. Friends may call from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Sunday. Interment will be at Highland Memorial Park.
Memorial Contributions may be made to Bethel United Church of Christ, 25701 Buck Road, Beloit, Ohio 44609 or Sebring-West Branch Foundation, P.O. Box 176, Sebring, Ohio 44672.
Born November 27, 1910 to Leroy and Bertha Althouse Denny of Beloit, Mr. Denny began his career at the Morley Dairy in 1929 where he worked as plant manager and driver. In 1937 he and his wife Mary Ann (Bandy) Denny purchased the dairy from A.N. Morley and changed the name to Purity Dairy. At that time, there were 3 employees, 17 milk producers and 3 brokered milk routes.
Under his ownership, Purity Dairy grew to be a leader in the industry. He was continually expanding his business through acquiring other dairies, producing new products, purchasing the latest equipment and using the newest dairy technology. Purity was one of the first dairies in the area to use a bulk tank truck to bring milk from the farms to the processing plant. All the dairy products sold by Purity were made at the plant, and the dairy was known for its excellent ice cream.
When he sold the business to Superior Dairy of Canton, Ohio in 1965, Purity Dairy had grown to 100 employees, 102 milk producers, 30 milk routes, 72 cream shippers and 5 brokered routes.
Mr. Denny was the last surviving charter member of the Alliance Lions Club, founded in 1944. He encouraged the Lions Club to designate June as Dairy Month and he began the Lions Club project of selling homemade ice cream at the Alliance Carnation Festival Days in the Park. With help from his fellow Lions, he made 225 gallons of ice cream needed each year. His awards include Lion of the Year in 1981 and the Melvin Jones Fellow in 1992.
He helped form the Tri-County Milk Producers Association, served on the Board of Directors for the former Mount Union Bank, now known as Unizan, and was a director and vice president of the former Alliance Federal Savings and Loan. He was a member of the Sebring Masonic Lodge, Mile Branch Grange, the Elks Lodge of Alliance and the United Commercial Travelers. He had been a life long member of the Bethel United Church of Christ where he served as a deacon.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Bandy Denny, whom he married May 24, 1933 and recently celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary; two daughters, Carol (Elvin) Barnett of Alliance, and Doris (Gary) Homan of Ellicott City, MD; four granddaughters, Karen (James) Lynn of Uniontown, Ohio, Linda (Kenneth Jr.) Harris of Beloit, Ohio, Elizabeth Homan of Montgomery Village MD, and Jill Homan of Durham, NC, three great-granddaughters, Kathryn Lynn, Julia Harris, and Allison Harris, and two brothers, Raymond Denny of Salem, and Frank Denny of Damascus.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and two brothers, Richard Denny and John Denny.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday at Cassaday-Turkle-Christian Funeral Home with Rev. Jeffrey Davis of Bethel United Church of Christ officiating. Friends may call from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Sunday. Interment will be at Highland Memorial Park.
Memorial Contributions may be made to Bethel United Church of Christ, 25701 Buck Road, Beloit, Ohio 44609 or Sebring-West Branch Foundation, P.O. Box 176, Sebring, Ohio 44672.
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