Dorsey Virgil Mann was born on May 16, 1874 in Darke County, Ohio. He served in the Spanish-American War before settling in Shelby County, Ohio, where he turned his attention to farming. Dorsey married Mary Jane Moyer on September 21, 1908. Mary Jane was the daughter of Samuel and Terissa Clawson Moyer. This union produced two children, John and Ellen.
Dorsey and Mary Jane purchased a Shelby County farm from Mary Jane's uncle. His last days were spent at the Veterans Home in Dayton, Ohio. He was found dead on July 14, 1940, holding a newspaper that contained his wife's obituary.