My Genealogy Hound

JOHN T. PETTEYS is a prominent and influential farmer of Antelope township, Harlan county, and is a native of New York, his father, Valentine Petteys, and his mother, Eliza (Young) Petteys, being both natives of the Empire State. His parents were married in their native state and moved to Illinois in 1857, where the father lived three years, when he returned on a visit to York State and died, the mother still surviving and being a resident of that state. The father was a farmer and passed all his years in the peaceful pursuit of agriculture. He was an industrious, useful citizen, highly respected by all who knew him, and a man who discharged his duty to his neighbors in an earnest and faithful manner. The mother is a daughter of Phillip Young, who was a native of New York State, a lawyer by profession and a man of extensive interests and some public note. To Valentine and Eliza (Young) Petteys were born a family of five children, the subject being the eldest, the others being — James, Saloma J., Stephen P. and Nancy.

John T. Petteys was born in Oneida county, N. Y., May 3, 1833, and was reared on the farm and received a good common-school education. In 1858 he married Miss Lurana E. Field, a daughter of Elihu and Elvira Field, natives of New Hampshire, and in 1861 moved to Illinois and located in Henry county. There he purchased a farm and was engaged in farming for twenty-four years, coming in 1885 to Nebraska and locating in Harlan county. Here he bought a right to a homestead and homesteaded the northeast quarter of section 23, township 4, range 17. When he purchased his homestead there had been some breaking done on it, but there was no building; yet by industry and careful management he has made it one of the best farms in the county. He now has a fine house, good barn and granaries, implement sheds, groves and a splendid orchard. He raises mixed crops and has one hundred and twenty acres under cultivation. In addition to his extensive farming he has made stock-raising a very prominent branch of business, giving his attention to horses, graded cattle and hogs. To Mr. and Mrs. Petteys have been born six children, as follows — Frank A., Willard A., Isabel, Jennie, Hattie and Mina.

Mr. Petteys is a thorough business man and prominent in his community. He has tilled a number of local offices, the duties of which he has discharged with credit to himself and entire satisfaction to his neighbors. He has been justice of the peace of his township for one term, assessor one term, and is now serving his third term as supervisor. In politics he is a republican, being a warm supporter of the principles and methods of his party, is of influence in the councils of his party, and when occasion demands an efficient worker at the polls. He is a member of the Farmers’ Alliance of Harlan county and a stanch advocate of all measures looking to the relief of the farming community. Mr. Petteys and his excellent wife are both members of the Methodist church and zealous workers for the cause of christianity.