SAMUEL S. PETERS. A native of the Prairie State and prominent in agricultural, political and church circles in Sullivan Township. Moultrie County, is the stanch and worthy citizen whose name appears at the head of this article. He was born in Clark County, this State, November 11, 1834 and is a son of Andrew and Susan (Mitchell) Peters. The father was born and grew to manhood in the Green Mountain State and afterward removed with his parents to Ohio, where they located on a farm, which is now a portion of the city of Cincinnati, and there they died.

The father of our subject was married in Ohio, his wife being a native of Wardford County, Ky. They emigrated from the Buckeye State to Illinois at a very early day in the history of this State. This wife was called hence by death and Mr. Peters married again, the second wife being the mother of our subject. Two children were born to her, the second son, Oliver, being four years younger than Samuel. He married Love Clarke, and now resides in Iroquois County, this State. On the paternal side the family is of English ancestry and was established in Vermont at an early date in the colonization of New England.

The early life of our subject was spent on his father's farm in Clark County, and he was only twenty years of age when he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Saveree whose father, John, was a Frenchman and her mother. Eliza, a native of Ohio. Mrs. Peters is the second child in her father's family, of whom five are now living, namely; Jeremiah, now a widower, who resides in his native county; Cynthia A., who married James Madley and died on the homestead in Clark County; Elizabeth, who became the wife of John L. Collier and resides in Clark County; John M.. who married Mary Bell and lives in Vincennes, Ind., having served through the war as a soldier; Cynthia J., John W. and William, died in early life, the latter in the army at the age of sixteen years. He was a member of an Illinois regiment.

The father of Mrs. Peters died when she was ten years old and her mother married Fred Hilbert, who served as a soldier during the war in an Illinois regiment. Three children were born of this marriage, namely; Angeline, now Mrs. Nitzman and Henderson and Henry. The last named is now deceased. The mother passed away in Clark County, in 1883.

The five children who were born to Mr. and Mrs. Peters are as follows: Susie, who is now the widow of Nelson Fred and resides with her parents; Elizabeth, who died in infancy; John Andrew, who married Ellen Wheeler and is farming in Missouri; William, who is unmarried and lives at home with his parents and Mildra, who married Mr. G. M. Stivers, a druggist at Bement, Ill.

The subject of this sketch has made agriculture his life work. coming to Moultrie County in 1859 and renting land for several years until he was able to purchase, in 1872, the farm on which he now resides. He has ever taken an active interest in political affairs and espouses the principles of Democracy. He has served with great efficiency in the offices of Highway Commissioner and Justice of the Peace for nine years besides various school offices. He still holds the position of Justice of the Peace and his administration of justice is indeed conducive to the peace of the community, as bv his wise and judicious counsel, he saves many of his neighbors from expensive and aggravating lawsuits.

The Methodist Episcopal Church is the religious body with which Mr. and Mrs. Peters first became united, as they joined that in 1861 but as there has been no organization of that kind in the neighborhood where they reside, they withdrew from it six years ago and joined the Presbyterian Church, where they now worship and where they have proved themselves a power for good in all church work. This gentleman owns a splendid tract of two hundred and seventy acres and his son, William, has eighty acres adjoining. He is making preparations to build a residence the coming year, after which he will no doubt find great comfort in this new home in his declining years. He is identified with the order of Masons, being a member of Sullivan Lodge No. 764 and of Sullivan Chapter No. 128, as well as being identified with the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association.

Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, 1891 - p. 498/501

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