People's Friend Mar 18 1886 -- Died - at the residence of his son, William in Wabash
township, Fountain county, Ind., on Monday, March 15 1886, at 3:30 a.m. Mr. Samuel S.
Yerkes, aged 69 years, 7 months and 13 days from a
stroke of paralysis. The deceased was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, on the 2d day
of August, 1816. In early lite he made a tour through the south and west,
visiting New Orleans, St. Louis, then a village and several points in Illinois. Not being
satisfied with these localities, he came to Fountain county in 1840, where he led a happy
and prosperous life. His generosity and kindness had won for him a large circle of Freind
for whom he lived and labored. Death having deprived him of his companion in early life,
he was again married to Ann Maria Bodine. Three children were born to them William,
Charles and Rolen, Charles died when young; Wm. and Rolen, now married are living on the
farm where their father had reared them, and of late years had made his home with them
with great comfort and satisfaction having given to his sons the entire care of a large
and well improved farm, he spent the last years in traveling, and with his many friend,
who will be sorry to hear of his death. In 1876 he and his son Rolen visited the scenes
of his childhood from June to the latter part of August, visiting his brothers, George,
Isaac and
Jonathan and other relatives in Philadelphia. He loved to converse with his old friends
of their many trials in the early
days of this country, and often spoke of the pleasure it gave him to visit his native
place. In his death Fountain county loses one of her best citizens and the neighborhood
sustains a great loss. Services at the residence, conducted by Rev. Boyd. The funeral was
perhaps more largely attended than any in Wabash township for years. Interment at Mt.
Hope.
=======
Beckwith, H. W. History of Fountain County, Indiana. Chicago: HH Hill, 1881, p. 390 --
S. S. YERKES, farmer, Soddy's Mills, was born in Montgomery County, PA Aug 2, 1816 and
is the son of William and Deborah Yerkes. His father died in 1829 age 50. His mother was
born in 1779 and died Aug 28, 1844. Mr. Yerkes came to Fountain County in 1843 and began
for himself by working by the month. In this way he earned money to buy some land, and by
hard work and economy he has become the owner of 413 acres of land, which he has improved
and got under good cultivation. He has been twice married. His first wife was Letitia
WATSON married in 1848. She was a native of KY born Aug 2, 1827 and died in 1854. He was
married again in 1855, to Ann M. BODINE, daughter of William Bodine who was among the
early settlers of Fountain. Mr. Yerkes has two sons: William and Rolen and one dead,
Charles H.