Shelby Co. Kentucky birth records, on LDS microfilm #216840, record birth of John Dennis Douning to John P. Douning and Nancy Nichols on 7 Apr 1859.

Missouri death certificates scanned online at the Missouri State Archives web site record John Dennison Downing, widowed, age 93, born 7 April 1859 in Kentucky, parents unknown, late wife Ardella May Downing, died 13 Aug 1952 in Leeton, Johnson Co., Missouri, cause of death acute cerebral vascular accident & senility, informant Alice Plankington, Leeton, Mo., burial in Providence Cemetery, Johnson Co., Mo.

In 1880 he was listed as age 21, a farm hand with the family of Bedford and Polly Ann Brown, whose daughter Lucelia later married his brother Joseph, although in 1880 she was married to her first husband, Wesley Oates.

Missouri death certificates scanned online at the Missouri State Archives web site record Ardella May Downing, age 82, born 5 Dec 1870 in Missouri, married, wife of John D. Downing, died 28 July 1952 in Leeton, Johnson Co., Missouri, father James Bailey, mother’s maiden name Cynthia Holcomb, cause of death uremia due to chronic pyolonephritis, informant John Downing, Leeton, Mo., burial in Providence Cemetery, Johnson Co., Mo.

1910 census of Johnson Co., Missouri, Post Oak township, lists as family #73/79:
Downing, John D., 50, farmer, b. Ky Ky Ky, 2nd marriage; Della, wife, 38, 2nd marriage, married 1 year, 0 children.

The next household is that of John’s brother Jesse.