Fetter, J. L.

FETTER

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 8/4/2008 at 13:59:24

J. L. Fetter

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.66, Belknap Twp.)
J. L. Fetter, farmer, P. O. Oakland, was born at Mt. Pleasnat, Westmoreland Co., Penn., September 19, 1820. He is the son of Christian and Sarah (Lobingier) Fetter. His father was born in Richmond, Va. He was a physician, and followed his profession up to the time of his death, which occurred in Caledonia, Putnam Co., Ill., in 1847. He came to his death by an accident. Upon returning home one evening from his usual round of professional visitation he came to a ditch which it was necessary that his horse should jump. He stopped upon the opposite side of the ditch, and called upon the animal to jump, which did so at once, but struck upon the unfortnuate man, inflicting injuries which proved fatal. His (subject's) mother was born at Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland Co., Penn., May 5, 1796, and died at the residencde of her son-in-law, Dr. L. S. Herrs, in Evansville, Ind., March 25, 1881. Our subject lived with his grandfather, John Lobingier, until he was twenty years of age. His grandfather was a prominent lawyer,a dn was Judge of Westmoreland County, Penn. He raised our subject, and gave him the best education that was obtainable in the city of Mt. Pleasant. Our subject came West with his father in the spring of 1840, and settled at Caledonia, Putnam Co., Ill. Here, he studied law. He was married April 19, 1843, eleven miles east of Lacon, Ill., at Elder H. D. Palmer's residence to Charlotte R. Palmer; born in Carlisle, Ind., November 1, 1821. She was the daughter of Elder H. D. and Martha (Angel) Palmer. Her father was born in South Carolina, and was one of the first ministers on the Christian Church. He was engaged in active ministerial labors for over forty years. He emigrated from his native State on account of repugnance for slavery. He and a number of others brought their slaves along with them, and liberated them upon their arrival at their destination. He first settled in Illinois, not far from Vicennes, Ind. and afterward moved to Carlisle, Ind. In the latter part of his life he moved to Eureka, Woodford Co., Ill., where he died at the age of eighty-one. His wife (our subject's wife's mother) was a native of North Carolina. She emigrated to Tennessee, where she was married to Elder Palmer. After his marriage, our subject lived in Lacon, Ill., until April, 1856, when he came to Bgi Grove, this county. He still resides on his original settlement - northwest quarter Section 10, Township 75, Range 40. He has been Magistrate for eighteen years, and was Town Clerk for ten years. He is at present Treasurer of the School Board. He has four children - Frank P. (a graduate of Oskaloose College, class of '78), Trannie B. (wife of J. H. Louis, who is County Recorder and Auditor of Shelby County, Iowa), Florence and May A. Our subject rents out his 600 acres of land, which he owns in Belknap Township. He and family are members of the Christian Church.