My Genealogy Hound

L. E. Prickett was born in Grant County, Ind., March 4, 1849, and is one of eight living children of a family of nine born to Levi and Catherine (Fees) Prickett, of English and German descent, respectively. Levi Prickett was born in Brown County, Ohio, November 11, 1822, and was a son of William and Catherine Prickett. He was reared on a farm, and afterward engaged in farming and merchandising. In an early day he went from Ohio to Indiana, where he was married April 2, 1846. In 1852 he removed to Iowa for his health, but returned to Indiana. In 1856 he again removed to Iowa, locating in Adams County, where he lived until his death, February 23, 1888. His wife was born in North Carolina June 3, 1825, and was a daughter of John and Anna Fees. She died October 13, 1864. Both were consistent members of the German Baptist Church. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Prickett married again April 26, 1868, choosing for his wife Sarah Harader, the widow of Jacob Harader, of Adams County, Iowa. She is also dead, having preceded her husband about two years. L. E. Prickett was reared on his father’s farm and secured a limited education, most of which was acquired by private study, as his opportunities for attending school were very meager. He remained with his parents until he was sixteen years of age, when he began the battle of life for himself on a farm. When twenty-one years of age he began saw-milling, which he continued for three years, after which he was engaged in farming in Iowa, Missouri and Kansas until 1876, when he engaged in milling, which he has successfully continued. He came to Missouri in 1873, locating in Newton County, near Grangeville, but in November, 1876, he went to Kansas, and first began milling in that State at Little Dutch, Cowley County, where he remained one year. July 1, 1870, he wedded Sarah Ann Harader, a daughter of Christian and Mary Ann Harader, of Iowa. She was born in Preston County, Va., August 11, 1851. Mr. and Mrs. Prickett are members of the German Baptist Church. In 1880 Mr. Prickett bought the Pioneer Roller Mills, which were built in 1878 by John L. Morton. After purchasing the mill Mr. Prickett was sole proprietor until 1885, when he sold one-half interest to Tillman Hoover. They then rebuilt the mill and refitted it with the roller process. In January, 1886, Mr. Prickett purchased Mr. Hoover’s interest and ran the mill alone for some time, when he sold one-fourth interest each to W. T. Ellston, R. C. Stone and G. W. Gurley. In October, 1886, W. T. Ellston retired from the business, and the next February Mr. Gurley sold his interest to C. W. Krider. The company is now known as the Pioneer Roller Mill Company, composed of L. E. Prickett, R. C. Stone and C. W. Krider. Mr. Prickett is manager of the mill.