John Prater, III.

1852 - 1931  (~ 79 years)

• Name	John Prater
  Suffix	III.
  Born	Jan 1852	Prinston, Grundy Co., Mo
  Gender	Male
  Died	02 Oct 1931	Hot Spr., South Dakota
  	Soldiers Home
  Record Change	12 Apr 2009
  Occupation	Blacksmith
  Person ID	I33966	120k
  Last Modified	28 Jul 2015

  
  

  Father	John Prater, II. Steady John,   b. 06 Mar 1814, Salyersville, Magoffin, Ky ,   d. 03 Mar 1901, Salyersville, Ky.  (Age 86 years)
  Relationship	Natural
  Mother	Jemima Auxier, Susannah,   b. 16 Aug 1818, of, Magoffin, Ky ,   d. 28 Aug 1903, Prestonburg, Salyersville, Ky.  (Age 85 years)
  Relationship	Natural
  Married	16 Aug 1838	,Floyd Co., Ky
  Family ID	F16351	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Mary,   b. of Mercer Co., Mo
  Married	of Mercer Co., Mo
  Children	1. Cora E. Prater,   b. Jan 1888, of Mercer Co., Mo  [Natural]   2. Frank L. Prather, Prater,   b. 08 Feb 1891, of Mercer Co., Mo  [Natural]
  Last Modified	28 Jul 2015
  Family ID	F16999	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Mary Belle Holt,   b. 16 Nov 1877, of Mercer Co., Mo
  Married	Centerville, Linn Co., Kan.
  Children	1. Cora E Prater,   b. 1895, of Centerville, Linn, Ks  [Natural]   2. Living Prater  [Natural]   3. Glenora Laura Mae Prater,   b. 21 Aug 1899, Centerville, Linn Co., Kan. ,   d. 26 Oct 1972, Phoenix, Maricopa, az  (Age 73 years)  [Natural]   4. Virgil Martin Prater,   b. 12 Sep 1902, Centerville, Kan. ,   d. 03 Jan 1977  (Age 74 years)  [Natural]   5. Ralph Raymond Prater,   b. 19 Feb 1904, Lostime, Oregon ,   d. 20 Nov 1981, Garnett, Kan.  (Age 77 years)  [Natural]
  Last Modified	28 Jul 2015
  Family ID	F17000	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  In 1880 Military enlistment papers show he enlisted at a camp on the Quapaw Reservation in Indian Territory (Oklahoma) on 23 Aug., 1880. From this, it is assumed that he was of Quapaw descent. He was known by the family to have had a grandmother who was "full Blood Indian". This is doubtful, but she was probably of indian descent, and could have been Quapaw. John had said that he was of Eraquois descent. (?) At the time of his enlistment he stated that he was a farmer. He served five years in the U.S. Army, as a private, in Co. K, 19th Reg. Infantry. He was stationed at the Quapaw Reservation until 28 July, 1881, then at Ft. Gibson, Indian Territory until 1 Nov., 1881, then at Ft. Brown Texas until 12 Dec., 1882, and then at Ft. Clark, Texas until 22 Aug., 1885. He was honorably discharged with a "goo" character reference. Enlistment papers describe him as 5' 7 1/4" tall, Grey eyes, dark brown hair and dark complexion. He had a scar on his left forehead. At the time of his first marriage he was a Blacksmith, living in Goodrich, Kan. in 1890. (per an advertisement in the Goodrich Graphic 31 Jan., 1890) The advertisement: "New Blacksmith Shop - We are now ready for business and all work entrusted to our care will be done with neatness and dispatch. Give us a call. "PATER & MAPES" Also in the same paper: "John Prater has his house completed and his family came up last Saturday and are again settled to housekeeping" After his first wife died he remarried Mary Belle Holt, daughter of John Wesley and Sarah Lucy (Vinton) Holt. About 1903, John and Mary moved to Oregon. Mary returned to Kan. a few years later, and they were divorced. John Prater remained in Oregon. By Sept. of 1930 he was at the Soldier's Home in Hot Springs, South Dakota. He died there and was buried on October 2, 1931 in the National Cem. - Section 9, Row 3, Grave #14 at Hot Springs, S. Dakota. Mary Holt Prater remarried to a Mr. Kerr and had children: Lloyd Kerr, Lester Kerr, and others The above information was supplied to me by a great grandson of John Prater, who was given the same name: John Prater of Kincaid, Kan. Thanks to people like him, we are able to preserve the history of our family for those who follow. Gary Benton Prather (1994)