WILLIAM HENRY YEATES

From the 1911 History of Vernon County, Missouri, p. 1071-1073:

   William H. Yeates, a Kentuckian by birth, was born on the home farm, on the line dividing Anderson and Shelby counties, October 14, 1833.  He is the eldest of three children born to Enoch and Mathilda (Watts) Yeates, the former born in 1812, and the latter on July 3, 1811.  The parents moved from their farm in Kentucky to Vernon county, Missouri, in 1866, and settled on a farm of 320 acres in [Township 38N Range 32W] sections 26, 27, 34 and 35, Metz township, and there passed the remainder of their lives, the father dying February 28, 1878, and the mother on July 4, 1881.  They were worthy members of the Baptist Church, in which the father was an honored deacon many years.  He was a Democrat in political opinions.

     Of their other children, Richard W. died in 1856 and Mary E., born in 1843, is married to Mr. William C. Hedden, of Bates county, Missouri.

     William H. acquired his early education in the schools of Anderson county, Kentucky, supported by subscriptions, and remained on the home farm till 1853, when he came to Shelby county, Missouri, and settled on a farm owned by his wife.  Four years later he moved onto a small farm he bought in Macon county, and lived there ten years.

       In 1867 Mr. Yeates settled in Vernon county on a tract of 120 acres in Metz township and lived there till after the death of his parents, inheriting one-third of the family homestead, he moved onto it in 1883 and has since made his home there, engaged in farming operations with eminent success.  He has added to his landed possessions from time to time and now owns in Metz township, in all, 810 acres.

     He is a Democrat in political sentiment and action, but has never held any political office.  In religious faith and fellowship, he is affiliated with the local Baptist Church and has been an honored deacon for some forty years.  Mr. Yeates is a man of inventive genius and has invented and put into operation a road scraper and grader.  It is built on wheels, and operated by one man and a span of horses and is of great practical utility.

     Mr. Yeates is highly esteemed in the community and each succeeding year the anniversary of his birth is celebrated by a family reunion at his home, which is looked forward to with high anticipation by those honored with invitations to participate in it.

     On November 15, 1853, Mr. Yeates was united in marriage with Miss Mildred Medley, who was born in Randolph county, Missouri, February 2, 1833, to Ambross and Malinda (Settles) Medley, the marriage being celebrated on the Family homestead where Mrs. Yeates was born.

     Of nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Yeates, Enoch M., born December 28, 1854, died September 8, 1899; Susan Emma, born February 7, 1856, was married to Mr. Norman Falor, now deceased, and lives in Metz township; Richard F., born February 6, 1858, lives in Metz township; Mary E., born December 28, 1860, is the wife of Mr. N. S. Brown, of Metz township; Harriet R., born October 15, 1862, is married to Mr. N. C. Brown, and lives in her parent’s home; William L., born September 26, 1864, is a resident of Jerico Springs, Mo.; Ida M., born September 20, 1866, passed away July 31, 1887; Laura M., born December 19, 1868, is the wife of Mr. Marion A. Sheddrick, of Metz township, and John A., who was born September 13, 1871, lives at Wapiti, Wyo.  There are now in the family thirty-nine grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren living.

     Mrs. Yeates died November 30, 1874.  Mr. and Mrs. Yeates’ daughter, Harriet R., was united in marriage with Mr. Nelson C. Brown February 14, 1888.  Mr. Brown was born in Kentucky in 1853; his parents, Nelson and Nancy Brown moved to Monroe county, Missouri, and the father died there.  He settled in Vernon county in 1884, and after his marriage with Harriet R. they lived three years with her parents, then went to Eureka Springs, and spent one year, after which they lived on a farm in Osage township twelve years, then returned to the home farm, where they now reside.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown have a family of five children, the names and dates of those births are:  Frank E., who was born November 21, 1888, and lives on the farm in Osage township; Bruce J., who was born November 24, 1889; Truda M., who was born September 11, 1893; Max B., born July 23, 1897, and Archie, born April 4, 1899, all of whom live at home.

     Both Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members of the Baptist Church, and he is a Democrat in political sentiment.

     Mr. and Mrs. Yeates’ daughter, Laura M., was married July 5, 1884, and her husband, Marion A. Sheddrick, was born in Kentucky December 8, 1861, to Thomas D. and Mary A. (Hedden) Sheddrick, who settled on a farm in Metz township in 1866, where Marion R., the eldest of two children, grew to manhood.  He is a Democrat in politics, but has held no office except that of township assessor.

     Both Mr. and Mrs. Sheddrick are Baptists in religious faith.  They have ten surviving children, viz.:  Mildred A., the wife of Mr. Merrill Skillings, of Los Angeles, Cal.; Hattie A., who is married to Mr. Ray Munson, of Goshen, Cal., and has one child, named Alice; Alice Mabel, the wife of Mr. Luther Porter, of Sprague, Bates county, who has one child named Elmer; and Lena May, Louis A., George A., Ray A. and Roy F., twins; Doris I., and Paul Y., all of whom live with their parents; and James W., who died in infancy.

This picture of William H. Yeates, taken at the Foster Studio in Nevada, Missouri, was provided by great-great-granddaughter, Terresa Etter. 

William Henry Yates and Mildred Medley married November 15, 1853. 

Mildred Yeates died November 30, 1874; and Henry Yeates died December 24, 1918.  His Missouri death certificate says that he died of bronchial pneumonia.  They are both buried in Fairview-Rider Cemetery in Bates County, Missouri.

Adult children of William H. and Mildred (Medley) Yeates

Front row:  Mary Betty (Yeates) Brown, William Henry Yeates, Richard Franklin Yeates, Emma Susan (Yeates) Falor DeJarnett.

Back row:  Laura Melinda (Yeates) Sheddrick, Harriet Rebecca (Yeates) Brown, John Alvin Yeates, William Lee Yeates. 

Teresa Etter's information explains names and spouses:

Mary Betty Yeates married Nathan Brown (brother to Nelson Brown).

William Henry Yeates married Mildred Medley.

Richard Franklin Yeates married Elizabeth Bell Moore.

Emma Susan Yeates married Norman Falor; DeJarnett.

Laura Melinda Yeates married Marion Sheddrick.

Harriet Rebecca Yeates married Nelson Brown.

John Alvin Yeates married Roxie [--?--].

William Lee Yeates married Carrie March.

Enoch Medley Yeates, married Elmyra Falor, and Enoch was deceased at the time of photo.

This is another picture provided by Teresa Etter who identifies the older woman in the center as Malinda (Settles) Medley, wife of Ambross Medley.  The young man is her son, Frank Medley.  The young woman is her daughter, Mildred Medley, who married William H. Yeates.

Enoch Yeates and Matilda (Watts) Yeates were the parents of three children:  William H., Richard, and  Mary Elizabeth Yeates.  All were born in Kentucky.

Enoch was born in Shelby County, Kentucky, November 15, 1812, and died in Vernon County, Missouri, February 27, 1878.  He is buried in Fairview-Rider Cemetery located southwest of Rich Hill, Missouri, about a mile north of the old Bethel Baptist Church of which he was a founding member.

Matilda Watts was born July 3, 1809, in Shelby County,  Kentucky, the daughter of Jacob and Mary Watts.  She died in Vernon County, Missouri, July 4, 1879 and is also buried in Fairview-Rider Cemetery.  The gravestone gives "Aged 70 yr."

Their daughter Mary Elizabeth Yeates married William Columbus "Gabe" Hedden, and they lived in Bates County, Missouri.

Terresa Etter said that when she was a teen, she hand-copied the below articles from old newspapers.  They were probably in the Metz neighborhood news in the Rich Hill Mining Review.  William C Hedden ("Gabe" Hedden) wrote "Gabe's Gab" in the Rich Hill Mining Review. 

     "W. H. Yeates is batching.  He is getting to be a splendid cook.  Yeates has also quit "chawing tobacka.""    Gabe

     "Uncle Billy Yeates, a pioneer of Metz township, Vernon county was in Rich Hill Tuesday on business.  Uncle Billy is a typical pioneer citizen, hospitable and courteous and a man of interesting character.  The 5th of April marks the fiftieth year of his residence in north Vernon county, and during all of this period he has lived in Metz township, and most of the time on one farm.  He is familiar with the early history of Rich  Hill, and this section of the country and recalls that in 1868, the year following his settling in this section of Missouri, he saw 14 deer with a lot of cattle being driven over land on which now stands the city of Rich Hill.  Uncle Billy is now in his 84th year and his friends in Bates and Vernon county hope his life will be lengthened for years to come."  Apr. 17, 1917.

     "Uncle Billy Yeates died at his home four miles northeast of Metz at 9 o'clock Tuesday morning, after a few days illness with pneumonia.

     He was aged 85 years, 2 months and 10 days.  He is survived by seven children, three sons and four daughters, all of whom have been here this week.

     Wm. lived in this area over fifty years and was highly respected for his strict integrity and sterling qualities.  "Uncle Billy died December 24, 1918."

The below picture was taken at a birthday party for William H. Yeates, probably in 1905 when he was 72 years old.  This picture was also provided by Terresa.  "Uncle Billy" is the older gentleman in the center of the group with his hat on.  Click on picture to see a LARGE copy.

Click here to see identification of attendees.

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