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Below is a family biography included in the book, Portrait and Biographical Record of Johnson and Pettis County Missouri published by Chapman Publishing Company in 1895.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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MERRITT YEATER, City Engineer of Sedalia, is a very bright and promising young man, and already has achieved distinction as a civil engineer, surveyor and assayist. He was first appointed to the position he now holds in 1888, and served from that time until July 1, 1892, when he resigned. He was re-appointed on his return to this city in August, 1893, by Mayor Stevens, and since he has acted in this capacity has superintended and surveyed the laying of all the principal sewers in the city, and the paving of most of the important streets. He has platted several additions to the city, among these being South Park, Smith & Cotton’s, R. L. Hale’s, Arlington Heights and Baird & Metsker’s, all of which are large additions, and he has also surveyed several smaller ones.

The great-great-grandfather of Merritt Yeater emigrated from Germany to Virginia, in which state his son, the next in line of descent, was born. He first moved to Kentucky, and later to Missouri, while it was still a territory, being one of the first settlers in the northern part of the state, and there he died at the age of sixty-six years. Charles H., grandfather of our subject, was born in Bourbon County, Ky., and for twenty years was a merchant in Osceola, St. Clair County, Mo., in which place his death occurred in 1862, at the age of sixty years. He was a member of the Christian Church, and in political faith was a Democrat. His wife, Judith, was born in Kentucky, being a daughter of John Jamison, an early settler in Callaway County, Mo., and of English descent. Mrs. Yeater died when in her sixty-seventh year, and of her children three grew to maturity, namely: James J.; J. K., who was in the Sixteenth Missouri Infantry, Parsons’ brigade, of the Confederate service; and Sarah, Mrs. Harrison, of Fayetteville, Ark.

James Jamison Yeater, father of our subject, was born in Troy, Lincoln County, Mo., December 1, 1831, and when seven years of age moved with his parents to Callaway County. In 1841 he went to Osceola, where he attended the public and subscription schools, and then for a year he pursued his studies in Highland Academy, Jackson County. From his boyhood he was trained to be a commercial man, and was in business with his father until 1857, when he started out on his own account in Osceola, continuing in trade until 1861. He was burned out by the Union army, and soon afterward enlisted on the Confederate side, being commissioned as Quartermaster and
Commissary (with the rank of Captain) of the Tenth Missouri Cavalry. He took part in several battles and skirmishes in Missouri and Arkansas, but was never injured in the slightest way. In September, 1865, he came to Sedalia and was employed in commercial pursuits until he retired, in 1886. For twenty years he was a Director in the Citizens’ National Bank, and in the spring of 1893 was very influential in the organization of the Bank of Commerce, being made President of the institution from the start. Mr. Yeater was united in marriage with Sarah J. Ellis, who was born near Montpelier, Vt., and of their union were born four children. Chase, Merritt, Laura and Stella.

Merritt Yeater was born in Georgetown, Pettis County, March 1, 1868, and from the time he was three years of age lived in Sedalia. He obtained his education in the public schools of this place, and graduated from the high school in 188 1, after which he took an academic course in the State University at Columbia. In 1886 he received the degrees of civil engineer and mechanical engineer from that university, after taking the required course in those branches. Then, going to St. Louis, he was for eight months chemist for the Western Steel Company, and later was assayer and chemist for the Gold King Mining and Milling Company of Telluride, Colo. In a little less than a year he went to San Diego, Cal., working as a civil engineer, and then obtained a similar position in Texas on the Frisco Railroad.

In the spring of 1888 Mr. Yeater was appointed City Engineer of Sedalia by Mayor Crawford, was re-appointed by him the following year, and in 1890-91-92 received his appointments from Mayor Stevens. On his resignation from the office in July, 1892, he went to Hannibal, Mo., taking a contract to build a reservoir holding forty million gallons for the Hannibal Waterworks Company. This task he completed satisfactorily at the end of nine months. He was next offered a position with the General Electric Company of Chicago, to survey and lay out the Intramural Railway at the World’s Fair, and carried out his part of the contract. Afterward he laid a few sewers in that city, but in the early fall of 1893 returned to Sedalia, and was at once urged to resume his former position as City Engineer, and acceded to his friends’ wishes. Like his father, he is a Democrat, and fraternally is a Knight of Pythias.

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This family biography is one of the numerous biographies included in the Pettis County, Missouri portion of the book,  Portrait and Biographical Record of Johnson and Pettis County Missouri published in 1895 by Chapman Publishing Co.  For the complete description, click here: Pettis County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Pettis County, Missouri family biographies here: Pettis County, Missouri Biographies

View a map of 1904 Pettis County, Missouri here: Pettis County, Missouri Map

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