David grew to manhood in the Crider neighborhood of souther GasconadeCo., Missouri. He spent many of his childhood years in the householdof his maternal grandparents John and Drusilla (Durbin) Reed. He is credited with planting the 'old maple tree', a landmark on the John Reed and Crider homestead. A few months after his marriage on 3 July 1857, David was given a deed to an eight acre tract of land by his grandparents the Reeds. The land had previously been purchased by John Reed on 21 September 1854 when as public land it was made available for purchase by an adjacent owner of imporved land. The land is legally described as W. 1/2 of S.W. 1/4 of Sec. 20, Twsp. 41, R. 6. The price paid for the land by John Reed was 12 1/2 cents per acre, or ten dollars for the entire tract. Final certificate granting ownership to JohnReed was rendered by President Franklin Pierce on 15 January 1856.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, David was enrolled as a Private in Company F of the 34th Regiment of Enrolled Missouri Militia. According to tradition, he later attempted to enlist in a Federal Army unit, but after walking to St. Louis from Gasconade County, it is said that he was rejected due to a lame leg. During the raid by Confederate General Price into Missouri, David was pressed into service with the state militia. He continued to serve with the unit until 10 November 1864

David and Barbara (Shockley) Crider establised their home on the eight acre tract that he had received from his grandfather and spent mostof their married life there. They are shown in the census enumeration of 1860, 1870 and 1880 as a resident of Gasconade County, Missouri. David and Barbara are both buried in the Crider Cemetery located on his former farm.