Everett Ewing Jeter, a.k.a “Doc”, was born in Marion to Cullen Jeter and Minnie Mae Smothers on January 21, 1916. When the 1920 federal census was taken. Everett’s parents were living at 306 N. Bentley Street in Marion in a home they owned with a mortgage. Everett’s 41 year old father, Cullen, was working as a coal miner. The parents then had 3 children in the home, Leon 17, Cletis 15 and Everett aged 4. Also living with the family were widowed 73 year old Mary Smothers, Everett’s grandmother on his mother’s side and his father’s brother in law, divorced 40 year old William Stoker, also a coal miner.
Everett’s mother, Minnie, passed away on August 31, 1925 and this clearly put some pressure on the family to survive together. By the time the 1930 census was taken, Everett, 14, had gone to live with his mother’s brother, John H. Smothers, a Marion city policeman, his wife Edna Smothers and their two sons Ralph and Paul who were living at 702 S. Madison Street. Ralph and Paul Smothers would go on in the 1940’s to open a confectionary/ bus station on the square called Speed’s Confectionary and Paul would become the Marion postmaster. Everett’s father, Cullen, at the time the 1940 census was taken was living alone as a boarder at 306 N. Monroe and working as a carpenter.
Everett graduated from Marion High School in the class of 1934 and after leaving school worked for 8 years as a clerk at the Economy Variety Store which at the time was located in the street level floor of the Goodall Hotel in the 1100 block of the Public Square. (This building burned down in 1943 and was later replaced by the W.T. Grant building.)
When the 1940 federal census was taken, Everett was living as a lodger in the home of J.B. Abrams and his wife at 316 Thorn Place in Marion along with Lee Crouse and Howard Moore, both watch makers and jewelers. (Lee Crouse would go on to develop Crouse Jewelry in Marion.) Everett noted that he had been working 48 hour weeks and that he had worked 52 weeks out of the previous year earning about $1,000 in income.
Also in the same year of 1940, Everett filled out his WWII draft record. He noted that he was living at 540 E. Thorn St. and listed his contact person as his brother, Leon. He was working at the Economy Variety Store as a clerk and was physically described as 5’ 11”, 175 lbs., with blue eyes, brown hair and a light brown complexion.
After being inducted into the U.S. Army in early 1942, Everett was sent to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri to receive his initial training after which he was transferred later in the year to Hawaii where he spent some time before assuming duty in the South Pacific in the 47th Fighter Squadron. When Everett wrote a letter home in 1943, he had been promoted to Staff Sergeant and his father was living at 601 N. Otis St.
An article in the Marion Daily Republican newspaper noted that in October of 1945, SSgt Jeter had returned home following 43 months of overseas duty with the U.S. Air Corps in the South Pacific with an honorable discharge. He spent 4 years in the military reserves after leaving the military. His father died the following year in 1946.
Jeter graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry in 1947 and got involved locally in the Civil Air Patrol. By 1951, Jeter was a Lieutenant in the C.A.P. and served as commander of the Marion Flight. He was a Major, group commander of Southern Illinois by 1954 and by 1957 he was a Lt. Colonel in the C.A.P.
When the 1950 census was taken, 34 year old Everett was living as a lodger in the home of Mabel Dunaway at 306 S. Market Street. Mabel was a 64 year old high school teacher in Marion. Another lodger in the home named John Gossett was also an optometrist just like Everett.
In 1956, after the death of Williamson County Coroner, Sam Simmons, Everett attempted to get on the primary ballot for his position but lost out. Later in 1956, Everett was elected as the President of the Marion Kiwanis Club succeeding Mason Absher.
An article appearing the Southern Illinoisan in June of 1957 reported that Everett Jeter, pilot and passenger Frank Chenoweth from Marion were flying to Bloomington and when attempting to land at Pana Municipal Airport, the brakes failed to engage causing an overrun of the runway and the plane flipping over. No injuries were incurred in the incident.
In 1960, Jeter was a Republican candidate in the primary election for Williamson County Coroner and won but lost in the November election.
In February 1962, a special Marion city election was held to replace the local magistrate and one city commissioner. The commissioner position was to replace Oscar Harris after his resignation due to winning a county commissioner position.
In the 1963 April city elections, Jeter won in a bid to become a permanent city commissioner in the same year that Robert L. Butler became Mayor for his first term. Jeter would go on to be re-elected in every city election under Mayor Butler until 1987.
Everett retired from his optometry business which he conducted out of his home at 105 S. Gray Street in 1996. He died at his home on December 31, 2001.
Jeter was a lifelong resident of Marion and in earlier years a member of the Warder Street Baptist Church. He was a member of the Marion Elks Lodge No. 800, Veterans of Foreign Wars Heyde-Pillow Post No. 1301 and for many years was a member and past president of the Marion Kiwanis Club. He enjoyed flying and held a private pilot’s license for many years.
Dr. Jeter is survived by his half-brother, Bill Jeter and wife, Carol, of Mt. Vernon; two nieces, Doris Langan and husband, John of Marion, and Jeanette Murphy and husband, Don of Redford, Michigan; two nephews, Harold Jeter and Ralph Jeter; great niece Rebecca Parks and husband Monty of Marion and great great nephew Casey Haynes of Marion.
His parents, infant sister, Mary Evelyn Jeter and two brothers, Leon and Cletis Jeter, preceded him in death. Interment was in Rose Hill Cemetery.
(Sources: Federal census records, WWII Draft records, the Southern Illinoisan and Marion Daily Republican newspapers, Marion City Cemetery records, Marion Street directories. Compiled by Sam Lattuca on 9/12/2024)