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JOHN SLATTERY, deceased, was one of the pioneers of Benton County. He was born in New York, Nov. 1, 1820, and was a son of John and Osie Slattery, who emigrated to Oakland County, Mich., when John was a small boy. The family subsequently moved to Jasper County, Ind., where John became acquainted with, and Dec. 31, 1848, married Elvira Yeoman, born in Fayette County, Ohio, Sept. 3, 1830, and daughter of Stephen and Hannah (Smith) Yeoman. Her father was a native of New York and her mother of Virginia, who emigrated at an early age with her parents to Ohio, where they were married. They were the parents of ten children, who lived to be adults — Sarah, now deceased, who married William Steward; Joseph, Elvira, James; Mary, wife of Mr. Coen, all living in Jasper County, Ind.; John, deceased; Minerva, wife of Stephen Hopkins; Ira, and Elizabeth, wife of Lewis Sayler, now living in Jasper County, Ind.; Stephen, now living in Phelps County, Neb. Mr. and Mrs. Yeoman were members of the Baptist Church for many years. Mr. Yeoman died in 1845 and Mrs. Yeoman in 1875, in Jasper County, Ind.
In June, 1851, Mr. and Mrs. Slattery left Indiana for Benton County, Iowa. They were sixteen days in making the journey, coming through with teams, often miring in the sloughs and requiring the assistance of others to get out. At that time there were few bridges, and they were compelled to ford nearly all the streams. Arriving in Benton County, they located in Polk Township, Mr. Slattery entering 320 acres of prairie and 160 acres of timber. He first put up a log cabin, ten feet square, where the family lived one year. He then built a hewed-log house, and subsequently a comfortable frame house. At that time their nearest trading-point was Cedar Rapids. Here they raised a family of children, six of whom are now living — Cornelia, wife of Fred Oyler, of Vinton; Joseph L., now in Lead City. Dak.; James M. married Nannie Hayward, of Vinton; Ella, wife of Edwin Halpin; Thursa and Willie. In 1846 at the call of the Government for volunteers in the Mexican War, he enlisted in Co. C. 5th Ind. Vol. Inf., and served until the close of the war. While in the service he was disabled by a wagon wheel running over his foot. In the fall of 1875 the family moved to Vinton, where Mr. Slatterly died Jan. 23, 1883. In an obituary notice published in one of the local papers the editor said : "There may have been more polished men, but none truer, than the subject of this notice. He was an honest, upright and respected citizen." Mrs. Slattery is still living in Vinton, respected by all who know her. She still owns the 160 acres of timber land which her husband took up.
Source Citation: "1887 Benton County, Iowa Biographies" [database online] Benton County IAGenWeb Project. <http://iagenweb.org/benton/>
Original data: "Portrait and Biographical Album of Benton County, Iowa." Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1887, p. 243-244.
Transcribed by: Sue Soden. Submitted to the Benton County IAGenWeb Project on January 28th, 2009. Copyright © 2009 The IAGenWeb Project.
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