Kit Carson County, Colorado
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Kit Carson County Pioneers:
Jeremiah Shetler, 8 South 43 West
In 1850 Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Henry "Shettler" is 55, Mary 46, both born in Pennsylvania. Sarah Dutton is 21, Jeremiah Shettler 16, Susanna 14, Jacob 10, Jesse 6, Wm 4, and Anna Mary Dutton 1, all born in Ohio.
Jeremiah cash-claimed a quarter in section 3, 8S 43W in 1893.
One of the prominent old settlers of Sherman county, Nebraska, is the gentleman whose name heads this biographical sketch. When but a young man, he showed his love of country by enlisting and serving for three years during the civil war. He gained an enviable war record, and was afterwards for a time in business in Taylorville, Illinois. Since that time he has made a name for himself in Sherman county as a successful farmer, and is now a resident of Loup City, having retired from active management of his estate.
Mr. Shetler was born in Ohio, on May 29, 1834, and was the fifth in a family of ten children born to Henry and Mary Hammel Shetler. Of this large family, only five are left, two sisters in Indiana, one brother in Illinois, one in Sioux county, Nebraska, and the subject of this sketch. The father, Henry Schutlar, as the name was originally spelled, was a veteran of the war of 1812, and was born in Pennsylvania, of German descent; he died in 1867 in Illinois. The mother, Mary Hammel before marriage, of Scotch-Irish descent, was also a native of Pennsylvania; she passed away in New Philadelphia, Ohio, in 1887.
Our subscriber received his limited education in the local schools of his native state; and in his young manhood learned wagon and carriage making, working at his trade in Ohio, until 1857, when he went to Illinois for a short time. Later, he went to Keosauqua, Iowa, and during his residence there, he was married on February 8, 1858, to Miss Matilda A. Hunt, a native of Pennsylvania. He went next to Huntsville, Randolph county, Missouri, and after four years residence in this state, the family came to Taylorville, Illinois. This was at the outbreak of the civil war, and the Missourians at that time being intolerant, his life was in danger, as his sympathies were with the north. Being a fine marksman, his neighbors stood somewhat in awe of him in a fair fight, but they were treacherous and apt to kill in the night.
In August, 1862, Mr. Shetler enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Fifteenth Illinois Volunteers, and served until the close of the war, being mustered out at Camp Harker, Tennessee, in June, 1865. He was in a number of decisive engagements and during the winter of 1863-64 and being one of the finest mechanics in the army, was engaged in building pontoons at Nashville, Tennessee.
After the war was over, he returned to Illinois and engaged in the manufacture of the famous Schutlar carriages and wagons and until
the spring of 1883, when he came to Sherman county, Nebraska, and took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in sections twenty and twenty-one, township fifteen, range sixteen, and this homestead was his home for many years. At the same time, he also took a timber claim of like acreage near the homestead. He still owns the original three hundred and twenty acres.
( In 1880 Taylorville, Christian County, Illinois, Jeremiah is a wagon manufacturer,
45, born in Ohio, married to Martha 43 Pennsylvania. Louis Hake is 20,
an adopted son 20, a painter, born in Illinois.)
1882 " Be it known that I, JEREMIAH SHETLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tay lorville, in the county of Christian and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Tenoning-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw. ings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. - This invention relates to improvements in machines for forming tenons on spokes or other articles whereon it is desired to form a round tenon. "
On April 27, 1887, our subscriber was united in marriage to Mrs. Martha Rouse, who was a native of Tennessee, but grew up in the state of Illinois. They have but one child, Walter, who is married and living on the old Shetler homestead.
In June, 1906, Mr. Shetler retired from active labor and removed to Loup City, where he has built a comfortable home, and where he is now enjoying the results of his early toil. He is a man of much native ability and is respected by all who know him. He has considerable artistic talent and has executed many fine pieces of furniture and wood carving, heads of dogs, deer, lions, and other animals. For many years he has served as a member of the school board in his home district and has also held office as justice of the peace. In politics Mr. Shetler has been successively republican, populist and democrat. He is a member of the Masonic lodge and chapter at Taylorville, never having transferred his membership. For over sixty-five years he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Mr. Shetler first lived in a dugout with a sod front, the most primitive residence of the pioneers. At the time of his residence in Missouri, during the fifties, deer were plentiful on the Charitan river. On coming to Nebraska he killed one while on a trip to the Dismal River Valley. Often the family camped in that region to gather the wild fruit that grows there in profusion. While there they occasionally saw mountain lions, lynx and grey wolves, but were never molested by them.
Jeremiah is in the Sherman County Nebraska 1890 Veterans Schedule, a private in A., 115th Illinois.
Jeremiah B. 'Jerry' Shetler 1834-1918 is buried in Loup City, Sherman Couty # 58722464.
"Mrs. Jeremiah Shetler passed away at the farm of her son, Walter Shetler near Litchfield on Friday, December 27th, after a short illness, from acute pneumonia, aged 68 years 4 months and 8 days.
Martha Elizabeth McKamy was born in Tennessee, August 19, 1850, where she spent her early childhood. With her parents she moved to Illinois, where she resided until she came to Nebraska in the year 1885.
In 1888 she was married to Jeremiah Shetler, who preceded her to the Great Beyond about six weeks ago.
Mrs. Shetler resided in Loup City from 1906 until a few weeks ago and had many friends here. She leaves to mourn her departure one son and family and three sisters and a brother.
Funeral services were held at the home farm on Sunday, December 29, and interment made in Evergreen cemetery, Rev. L. V. Slocumb conducting the services.
The Sherman County Times - Jan 2 1919"
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