Biography - ELMO ETTER

Elmo Etter, chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Macoupin County, is a representative citizen of Western Mound township, where he has lived and engaged in agricultural pursuits throughout his entire life. He was born August 21, 1875, and is a son of George and Mary (McCoy) Etter. He is a grandson of Henry and Asbereen Elizabeth (Davidson) Etter and great-grandson of Henry Etter.

Henry Etter, Sr., our subject's great-grandfather, was born in Wythe County, Virginia, and at the age of 23 years moved to Eastern Tennessee where he was married to Elizabeth Parks, a native of that State but of New England ancestry. Twelve children were born to them. About 1826 they removed to Greene County, Illinois, settling three miles southeast of Greenfield, at a time when that section was sparsely settled.

Henry Etter, grandfather of our subject, was born in Andrew County, Tennessee, May 14, 1820, and was six years of age when he accompanied his parents to Illinois, here receiving a meagre educational training in the public schools. He lived with his parents until his marriage on November 14, 1844, to Asbereen Elizabeth Davidson. She was born in Barren County, Kentucky, May 12, 1824, and was a daughter of E. Davidson and Margaret Wright, and granddaughter of John Davidson, who emigrated from Scotland to America. Henry Etter began farming in Western Mound township on a farm adjoining that of his father, and in 1845 moved to a farm in section 16, South Palmyra township, where he acquired 480 acres of land (all of which went to his children), and where he still resides. He is a Democrat in politics, as was his father before him, and cast his first vote for, Polk in 1844. Four children were born to him and his wife: George, James, Smith and Elijah.

George Etter was born in South Palmyra township, and was educated in the common schools of the county. With the exception of four years spent in teaching school, he has always farmed, and at the present time owns 160 acres in Western Mound township, and 40 acres in Bird township. He married Mary C. McCoy, who was born in Missouri and came to Illinois with her parents. They have four children: Elmo; Horace; Myrtle and Herbert. In politics he is a Democrat and has served as township supervisor and township assessor several terms. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.

Elmo Etter received the rudiments of an education in the common schools, after which he completed a course in Blackburn University at Carlinville. He then engaged in teaching for a period of six years, since which time he has followed farming with a high degree of success. He has always taken a deep interest in politics, and is enthusiastic in his support of the Democratic party. He was elected assessor of his township in 1900, and supervisor of Western Mound township in 1901 and again in 1903, being made chairman of the Board of Supervisors in June of that year. Although young in years, Mr. Etter has won the confidence and esteem of the people to a marked degree and his future is an exceedingly bright one. Fraternally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and the M. P. L.

Extracted 2018 May 05 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 74-77.