Periodically I run into printed biographies that don’t appear to match historical records and this is one case. A biography based on this subject was printed in the “1905 Historical Souvenir of Williamson County” and the interviews were composed about 1904 when the subject was 52 years old. I will publish the unedited version of the biography and then follow it with actual records found, most of the disparity is in the early life information.
“Benjamin H. Jeter was born in Frankfort, Franklin County on August 20, 1849. When an infant his parents moved to Marion and soon after to St. Clair County, near Mascoutah, where his father followed blacksmithing and farming for a good many years. Ben was reared and educated on the farm, brought up to handle the plow, and inherited the vigorous constitution which generally goes with it.
July 18, 1869, just before he became 20 years old, he chose a helpmate in the person of Miss Mary A. Lamaster, and the same year moved back to Marion and went onto the farm, where he lived and worked for 20 years.
When the coal fields of Williamson County began to be developed, Mr. Jeter mined coal in the winter and “minded” his farm in the summer for some years. He then came to Marion and ran a retail coal yard in connection with the teaming business for five years. He now has a grocery store on North Jeter Street, near West Main Street, which he opened in August, 1903.
In politics, Mr. Jeter is a lifelong Republican, but has been very active in party politics. At the last municipal election, April 1905, he ran for alderman of the first Ward, and was elected over his opponent W.J. Walker, by 87 votes. He and his worthy spouse are both members of the M.E. Church at Cedar Grove, but attend Dr. Thomson’s church in Marion. He is a member of the insurance order of the Golden Cross and his wife is active as a member of the W.C.T.U (Women’s Christian Temperance Union) of Marion.
As a family man, Mr. Jeter takes the cake and platter too. They could easily carry off the Rooseveltian gold medal for the most numerous family of children in the county or perhaps in the state. No less than fifteen children, ten boys and five girls, have arisen to call them blessed, of whom twelve are living. Six are married and six unmarried, but all are living within sight of the paternal home. Eleven grandchildren have come to help fill the branches of the family tree. It would be hard to find another family in the state its equal, though happily Illinois has not yet decided on race suicide.”
Benjamin Hugh Jeter, appears in the census record for the first time right here in Marion Township which in that time was roughly the equivalent of West and East Marion Township together but smaller. This is where the 1850 federal census located him at the age of 10 months. Oddly, the census was taken in December 1850 and Ben was shown as 10 months which would make him born in February 1850, but, census records do often contain mistakes and errors. His parents were John J. Jeter and Elizabeth Lamaster. His father was a blacksmith and a Civil War veteran.
I could not locate an 1860 census, however, a state census taken in 1855 recorded the family as being in St. Clair County, near Mascoutah. This is confirmed by his father’s induction into the Union Army which was initiated there. Also, one of Benjamin’s sisters, was born there in 1862, the same year their father entered the Union Army.
Although Ben was supposed to have married Mary Ann Lamaster on July 28, 1868 the 1870 federal census, taken in June, indicated that Ben, 21, was living on a farm in Township 9 Range 2 (West Marion Township) headed by his 51-year-old mother, Elizabeth along with 5 siblings. The farm was valued at $5,000 and personal estate valued at $350. The father, John J. was not present and the census did not indicate marital status for either Ben or his mother, however it is known that the father was still alive and didn’t pass away until much later in Washington County so it’s likely that Joseph separated from the family for one reason or another.
The 1880 census found Ben H. 30 and Mary Ann 35 living on a farm and farming in Marion Township (this included the city of Marion and parts of what is now West & East Township surrounding Marion.) A state agriculture census taken the same year revealed that the farm was 70 acres. The family had 8 children almost all called out by initials. They were a daughter M.J. 11, son T.H. 11, son A.A. 9, son Edward 8, son F.W. 7, daughter A.C. 6, son R.H. 5 and son C.E. age 1. In this same census year, Ben’s father John J. was located living alone on a farm in Washington County near DuBouis claiming to be a widower.
In 1888, the Leader newspaper stated that B.H. & his brother John left for Washington County to the side of their ailing father.
On September 13, 1892, Ben and Mary Ann purchased Lot 2 of Block 6, of Gallagher and Aikman’s addition to the plot of Vicksburg in Marion from William J. Aikman for $100. Only 2 months later on November 29, 1892, they borrowed $1,200 from the Southern Building & Loan Association to build their family home on that lot which became 210 N. Bentley St. Presumably, construction proceeded the following year of 1893.
In March 1900, an article appeared in the Leader newspaper stating that Horace Jeter, 18-year-old son, had died in their home. When the 1900 census was taken in June, the Jeter’s were likely already living in the home they had built at 201 N. Bentley St. Ben, now 52, was working as a coal dealer and they owned the home free of mortgage. Mary Ann, 54, reported that they had birthed 15 children and that 12 were living. The children present in the home were; Gussie 26, Robert 24, horse dealer, Cullen 21, a teamster, Leonard 17, a teamster, Ernest 16, Effie 14, Ben H. Jr. 11 and Ethel age 9.
In 1906 Ben was elected to the Marion city council as alderman under Mayor Charles H. Denison and while part of that city council Ordinance 60 was passed allowing for the city to establish a city library, later to become Marion Carnegie Library.
An Anti-Saloon convention was held in Marion in March 1907 and a city ticket was drawn up to enforce temperance in the city. The anti-saloon slate proposed was A.M. Townsend for Mayor, and B.H. Jeter, J.W. Wilder, J.L.D. Hartwell, O.W. Williams and Milton Norman for aldermen. Most elections through this time period were alcohol related wars against the wet’s and the dry’s. In the 1907 city election, the wet’s won.
A 1907 city directory indicated that the Jeter family lived at 210 N. Bentley St. and B.H. Jeter operated a grocery store at 206 N. Bentley St.
By the 1910 census, Ben had reached 60 and Mary Ann 65. They were living in their home on Bentley Street and claimed no occupation. It was re-iterated that Mary Ann had birthed 15 children and that 11 remained alive.
An article appeared in the Egyptian Press paper in 1913 reporting that their son, Leonard, had been seriously injured several months ago in a Frisco railroad accident and had been confined to a hospital in Farmington, Missouri since. He gave his wife and family a surprise by walking in the door in March.
On July 28, 1918, the Jeter’s celebrated their 50th anniversary in their home, confirming that the marriage date given in the 1905 biography was off by a year and the actual marriage date would be July 28, 1868 instead of 1869.
In the 1920 census, Ben was then 70 and Mary Ann 75. Ben claimed an occupation of being a merchant. One son, Robert 42, lived with them and was out of work.
An article appearing in the Marion Daily Republican on July 18th indicated that Ben had suffered a stroke of paralysis and was in serious condition. This was followed by the announcement of his death on July 24, 1921. Ben was survived his wife and children; Theodore Jeter of Marion and his twin sister Mrs. Heschel Stroud of Pittsburg; Ed Jeter, Fred Jeter, Mrs. Robert Bryan, Robert Jeter, Cullen Jeter and Leonard Jeter of Marion; Ernest Jeter of Carterville and Mrs. Ethel Goodwin of Cape Girardeau, Mo. Two sisters, Mrs. Ann Barth of Carterville and Mrs. Matilda Moore also survive. Mr. Jeter was a lifelong Republican. His father and two oldest brothers fought in the Civil War, but Ben was not old enough. Mr. Jeter was the first assistant supervisor in the county and at different times served as Justice of the Peace, school director for four terms, city alderman and highway commissioner. He was a member of the First Methodist Church. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery.
Mary A. Jeter, widow of the late B.H. Jeter, died at her home in May 1922. The mother of 15 lost one infant named Myrtle. Mrs. Jeter was born north of Marion (Cedar Grove area) on January 5, 1845 and when died was 77 years, 5 months old. She married Ben at Belleville on July 20, 1866. The children who survive are Mrs. Herschel Stroud, living north of Pittsburg, Ed Jeter, Fred Jeter, Cullen Jeter and Leonard Jeter, all of Marion. Ernest Jeter of Carterville and Mrs. F.B. Goodwin of Cape Girardeau, Mo. Those who preceded her in death are Theodore, Albert, Myrtle, Horace, Mrs. Effie Goodwin and B.H. Jeter, Jr. At the age of 12 Mrs. Jeter joined the Cedar Grove Church, then known as Perry Camp Ground. When she moved to Marion, she attended the First Methodist Church. Mrs. Jeter suffered a stroke of paralysis and had been in serious condition for the past four weeks. The funeral service will be held at the First Methodist Church and the E.D. Jeter Dry Goods Store and the Bryan Shoe Store will be closed all day, Interment was in Rose Hill Cemetery.
Notes on Children:
Theodore W. Jeter, 1869-1921, married May Goodall, dau of William Goodall & Margaret Glover on Aug. 20, 1899 while working as a coal dealer. Twin to Malissa Jane Jeter
Malissa Jane Jeter, 1869-1953. Twin to Theodore W. Jeter. Married Heschel Stroud, lived in Pittsburg.
Albert A. Jeter, 1870-1884
Edward D. Jeter, 1872-1952, married Ada Feator, dau of Anthony Feator & Julia Huffman at age 27 while working as a clerk on May 25, 1898
George Frederick “Fred” Jeter, 1873-1948, married Rose Goodall, dau of William Goodall and Margaret Glover on July 7, 1897 while working as a 24 yr old coal miner
Augusta C. “Gussie” Jeter, 1874-1964
Robert Hugh Jeter, 1875-1925, born in Marion on Nov. 10, 1875, married to Madeline Hurst of Mt. Carmel who died 6 years before him. He served as a corporal in the Spanish-American war and honorably discharged in 1899. He was the manager of Bryan Shoe Store in Marion and was a member of the First Methodist Church in Marion. Died on January 4, 1925 at his sister’s home, Mrs. Robert Bryan.
Myrtle M. “Mertie” Jeter, 1877-1877
Cullen Ewing Jeter, 1878-1946, born Nov 29, 1878
Horace D. Jeter, 1882-1900
Leonard Franklin Jeter, 1882-1937
Ernest G. Jeter, 1884-1955
Effie Oma Jeter, 1884-1908, marred Fred Godwin, mother of two, died in Cape Girardeau in Nov. 1908 from typhoid fever
Benjamin H. Jeter, Jr. 1889-1914, killed instantly Dec. 1, 1914 in mining accident at Peabody No. 3 mine while working as a trip rider. Left parents, wife, siblings and one child named Guinn, aged 6. Survived by wife, Daisy Williams Jeter.
Minnie Ethel Jeter, 1890-1933
(Sources: Federal Census records, 1905 Historical Souvenir of Williamson County, Egyptian Press, The Leader, Marion Evening Post, Marion Daily Republican and Carbondale Free Press newspapers, Marion Street Directories, Marion City Cemetery, FindaGrave.com, Williamson County Marriage Records, Williamson County Mortgage records, Williamsosn County Deed records, Ancestry.com. Compiled by Sam Lattuca on 9/25/2023)