Kit Carson County, Colorado
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Kit Carson County Pioneers:

William R. and Elizabeth (Cole) Suiter, 8 South 43 West



In 1850 Iowa County, Iowa, Elizabeth Cole is 13, born in Illinois, with Burris 42 and Mary 40, both born in Kentucky. James is 16, Elizabeth 13, Zacharian 8, Mary A. 4, and Sarah E. 1.

"Mordecai Y. Suiter and Jeremiah M. Suiter wrote accounts covering their emigration to Iowa from Ohio in 1846, and the early years of settling the land in Iowa and Keokuk Counties. Jeremiah became the blacksmith at Hinkletown, on the county line."

By Jeremiah M. Suiter - February 4, 1905

The snow during the winter of 1847-48 was 3 and 4 feet deep and in places it would drift to ten and fifteen feet. I remember that winter we had a big snow, and a big gale of wind with it, and it drifted in places along the fences clear over them so you could walk over the fences into the field when it had frozen. We did not have a thermometer in those days, but I know it was a very cold winter.
My father and I spent our time hunting and splitting fence rails to fence in the land when we had cleared it the next spring. My father killed many deer and other wild game. He also killed two big bucks, five pointed fellows, he being a fine shot with a rifle, and was not getting into difficulties all the time and having to fight his way out as I was.
Our nearest neighbor was Sam Watters, who lived a mile east of us on the road, but you could not call it more than a trail. There were a great many people passed our home on the trail on their way to California during the gold excitement of 1847-48. I remember one day in the spring a man passed our log cabin with a big prairie schooner, he having come from North Carolina by steamboat and brought his covered prairie schooner. He had his family and two girls, who wore tow linen dresses, and one boy. He had a flock of sheep with him and the boy and girls herded them along the trail while he and his wife rode in the schooner. His name was Mr. Hill. He went on west of us and settled on the same divide, about five miles from us. My father and they were very good friends, and I think there are some of his descendants living there yet, as I know there was when I was there last.
Along about the first of April, my father and I went to work to breaking up the land, and it was a big job clearing it, as there were 400 acres in all, but we did not clear only about 25 acres the first year. The first land we cleared was about five acres for a garden and an orchard. My father having bought quite a few trees when we came out from Ohio. These he set out and in about four years he had a very good orchard. We also went out into the timber and got a lot of wild plum trees and set them out north of the cabin in a little clearing on the edge of the timber.
We hired my uncle, Mr. Breeden to help clear the land for a corn field of 20 acres, he using two yoke of oxen, yoked to a big breaking plow, with a wooden mould board and a steel sheer. The plow had two wheels to it, one that run in the furrow and the other on the ground and that kept the plow straight.

Affidavit of H.R. Rodgers, August 5, 1863 "On or about the last of April, 1863, I was initiated into what was called the "Order of the Star." Jeremiah Suiter asked me to become a member of a "Benevolent Institution." He took me to an untenanted house in a secluded place in the north-east part of Keokuk county. There was fifteen or twenty persons present, among whom were Wesley Funk, Dolph Faucet, W. M. Butterfield, Jerome Chandler, John Chandler, B. Breeden, Thomas Powell, John Welch, James McKinney, Samuel Knight, Pat McCann, Thomas Starkweather, and other names not recollected. At the first meeting they swore me to be true to the United States and to the State of Iowa, and to use all the Constitutional means in my power to restore peace and harmony to this distracted country; to use all the means in my power to put down disunion parties, both North and South, under penalty of death."

"That summer (1849) the settlers got together and built a log schoolhouse. It was built in Iowa County. The schoolhouse stood up on a big hill and was surrounded by hickory timber, so the school was called Hickory Grove. The schoolhouse was 16 X 18 feet, and was covered with shingles made out of oak timber, and shaved out with a drawing knife. The floor was made of rough oak boards. We sent down to Washington county for a teacher. We got Miss H. Govey (Gowey), who taught the school that summer and fall. We had no school in the winter as the pupils lived too far to come in the winter, and the teachers were hard to get. The school had an average of about 15 pupils. The school teacher boarded with her brothers who lived a quarter of a mile west of us.
Jeremiah M. Suiter. "

One post said Jeremiah Suiter, died October 10, 1875 in Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa.

William R. Suiter is in Scott County, Illinois in 1850, age 18, with Jeremiah 45 and Elizabeth 44. Mary A. Robertson is 25. "Moulicar" D. Suiter is 16, Elizabeth D. 14, Hiram B. 10, Stephen T. 6, Jeremian F. 4, and Ellen C. 5.

William R. Suiter and Elizabeth Cole married in Iowa County, Iowa on April 28, 1854.

In 1856 Keokuk County, Iowa, Stephen T. Suiter is 12, Elizabeth D. 18, with Jeremiah 50 and Elisabeth 49.

In 1856 Liberty, Keokuk County, Iowa, Wm. Suiter is 24, Elisabeth 18, with Mary E. 1.

William and Elizabeth are farming in 1860 Keokuk County, with Mary E. 5, Melissa F. 3, William D. 1, and a Mary A. Cole 13.

Mary was with Burris Cole 48 and Mary Cole 46 in 1856 Keokuk County, Iowa, age 10. James is 22, Aacharia 13, Sarah E. 7, Henry 5, and B Una H. 3.
Mary A. Blackstone 1846-1926 is buried in Stanton County, Nebraska # 67051391, with Abraham Blacksotn 1837-1912.

In 1870 Keokuk County, Iowa, William Suiter is farming, 37, with Elizabeth 39, both born in Illinois. William D. 12, Rosanna M. 6, Martha J. 5, and Anna V.E. 2 were born in Iowa.

In 1880 Keokuk County, William is a carpenter 47, Elizabeth B. 43, David M. 21, Rosanna 16, Martha J. 14, Anna V. 12, Margaret D. 10, and Eliza C.l 8.

Martha J. Suiter, 18, married George Winchell in Keokuk County, 25 on May 11, 1883.

In 1885 Republic County, Kansas, Wm. Suiter is 53, Elizabeth 47, Margaret 15, Eliza 13, David 26, and Steven Suiter 42, widowed.
Next three households are Sturm families, with one being W.R. Sturm 20 and Ina 17, with Walter four months.

William Suiter claimed a quarter in section 29, 8S 43W in 1891.

William R. Suiter, January 17, 1832-December 10, 1905 is buried in Fairbury, Nebraska # 19784142, with Elizabeth Baker (Cole) Suiter born July 26, 1837- dying February 27, 1913 # 19784148 "Daughter of Burris Cole and Mary Miller"

William D. Suiter claimed a quarter in section 14, 8S 43W, also in 1891.

In 1900 Phillips County, Kansas, William Suiter born January 1843 in Ohio, married 48 years to Elizabeth B. July 1844 Illinois, are with son William D. born Dec 1857 in Iowa. Elizabeth has had 13 kids, six living.

WILLIAM DAVID

One post said William D. Suiter died in 1910 in Phillips County, Kansas.


MARGARET

Margaret Demaris (Suiter) Harris 1870-1961 is buried in Lincoln, Nebraska # 80052407, with James L. Harris 1865-1959.


INA

Ina V. Suiter, 16, married William R. Sturm, 26, on October 26, 1884 in Hardin County, Iowa.

(Ina Virgina Ellen (Suiter) Sturm 1868-1948 is buried in Fairbury # 84752788.)

1943 Fairbury Nebraska " Mrs. H. O. Custer of Los Angeles, Calif., arrived at DeWitt last week to visit at the Earl Suiter home with her son, William Suiter, who is spending his furlough there. "

December 1945 "William D. Sutler has received his discharge from the U. S. Navy at St. Louis. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Suiter, Sr., of Liberty and the son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. John F. Thompson of Beatrice. He has been in the service for three years."

In 1910 Saline County, Nebraska, Earl W. Suiter is farming 28, with Mariane 31, Eady 2 and William 1.
All four were born in Nebraska.
FindaGrave # 101247019 says Earl 1882-1963 was the son of Joseph Suiter 1837-1911 and Catherine E. (Fuller) Suiter 1840-1935.
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