MANATREY, John Peter Sr 182? - 1880

MANATREY, LAVELLE, LAVAL

Posted By: Richard K. Thompson (email)
Date: 10/8/2011 at 11:09:45

Special notes: The date of birth is subject to interpretation. The Evergreen Cemetery inscription for John Peter Manatrey Sr. has the death date as June 12, 1880 and the Aged as 58 yrs. 8 ms. 24 ds. That produces a estimated DOB of either September 18 or 19th, 1821 - depending on the tombstone birthdate calculator used.

The Fairfield Ledger obituary quotes "November 19, 1821" while the Fairfield Tribune obituary quotes "Nov. 19, 1822" for the date of birth.

There are also significant date differences between the two obituaries as to when Mr. MANATREY Sr. came to the United States and settled in Jefferson county. Family researchers should use the obituary quoted dates with caution.

It isn't known or clear if the Fairfield Ledger and Fairfield Tribune (owned and operated by separate owners/editors) were both provided the same information from which the obituaries were composed and the differences extrapolated from incorrect information or mistakes made by the editorial staff in interpretation, or if the information was provided to each by different sources which led to the differences in dates attributed to his life. Sometimes the editorial staff wrote the obituaries themselves, without credit, so each may have had differing accounts from which to draw on for the content.

Either way, the specific dates used should be considered with caution by family researchers.

Iowa did not mandate birth and death records to be kept at the state and county levels until mid-1880, so the death of Mr. MANATREY Sr. in June of that year was probably just outside the range when such a record would have been kept. As a result, one is left with the headstone inscriptions and obituary accounts for birth and death dates, which in this case sometimes conflict with each other.

The obituaries that follow are transcribed verbatim, except that the Manatrey surname and Lavelle/Laval names are put in CAPS per obituary submission guidelines. The original content does not have those names in CAPS.

//rkt October 8, 2011

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Fairfield Ledger
June 16, 1880
Page 3, Columns 4 & 5

AN OLD SETTLER GONE

Sunday morning last, John Peter MANATREY passed over the deep river of death and his remains now rest quietly in our beautiful cemetery. Mr. MANATREY was born in France, November 19, 1821. He immigrated to the United States in 1840, and became a citizen of Jefferson county in 1842. As a young man and as the head of a family he was always industrious, and by strict attention to his business became one of the richest farmers in the county. The disease that finally took him from amongst us prostrated him a few months ago, and while his friends were hopeful of his recovery he apparently thought his end was near. As neighbor and friend he was highly esteemed, because of his strict and honorable dealings. The Catholic funeral services were observed, the closing exercises taking place in the church in this city. His remains were followed to the grave by a large concourse of relatives, Monday last.

* Transcribed verbatim, for genealogy purposes; I am not related to the person(s) mentioned.

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Fairfield Tribune
Thursday June 24, 1880
Page 3, Column 3

A BRIEF SKETCH OF AN OLD CITIZEN

Mr. J. P. MANATREY (sic. a/k/a John Peter MANATREY Sr.), the brief notice of whose death was made in our last week's issue, was a native of France, born Nov. 19, 1822, and remaining in that country until Nov. 14, 1846, when he embarked for North America, landing in New York City. He wended his way westward and finally came to Jefferson county, Iowa, in the year 1847, and engaged in the occupation of building. In 1848 he was married to Miss Julia LAVELLE (sic. LAVAL), and continued to carry on the business of carpentering and building until 1852 when he settled with his wife on forty acres of land near the present location of his late residence, where by industry, energy, and perseverance he accumulated property, improved what real estate he had, and by economy soon saved sufficient means to enlarge the boundaries of his farm. As the years passed he purchased adjoining farms and fitted them for stock raising, so that in the last few years he gave nearly his whole attention to that business, having large heards of stock and about nine hundred acres of grazing land.

He commenced complaining of his health about two years ago, gradually growing worse until the latter part of the winter, when his affliction assumed a serious character and he continued to gradually decline until Saturday night, June 12th, at 10 p.m. when he quietly sank away in death (sic. note that the Fairfield Ledger obituary used "Sunday morning" for the day/time of death). His funeral was attended on the following Monday by an unusual large concourse of personal friends, although the day was rainy and disagreeable for persons to be out. He will be greatly missed by his neighbors, as he was accommodating to those around him in every way possible - a large hearted, genial man, prompt in business, correct in judgement, and possessed of a keen perception in relation to changes that might occur in commercial and financial affairs; and will be missed also by a large circle of friends who have learned to appreciate his worth, and who will the more fully appreciate it now that he is gone. He leaves a wife, son and daughter to mourn his loss, and reconcile themselves to the ways of providence.

* Transcribed verbatim (with two notes) for genealogy purposes. I am not related to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: Buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, Iowa. The MANATREY family plot (Old.P.334) is bordered by a cement boundary, with a large monument in the middle with inscriptions for John Peter MANATREY Sr, his wife Julia, and their son John Peter MANATREY Jr. and his wife Cordelia, engraved. At the top of this tall monument is a large statue that, thankfully, has not been toppled by vandals. Within the boundaries of this family plot are several generations of this MANATREY family, spouses, and grandchildren. Several of the smaller headstones within this plot are double-sided with inscriptions for two persons, inasmuch as at least two sets of burials are within a single plot and it probably wasn't feasible to have separate headstones for each person within the physical space of this plot.