Prater/Prather Genealogy* 120,000+ Family Members
Benjamin Paul Prather

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Name Benjamin Paul Prather Born 29 May 1880 Urbana, Champaign Co., Ill. Gender Male Died 21 Nov 1947 Aberdeen, Brown Co., S.D. Record Change 12 Apr 2009 Occupation Farmer Person ID I29453 120k Last Modified 31 Jan 2016
Father Homer Silsby Prather, b. 10 Jun 1853, Clermont Co., Ohio , d. 23 Sep 1905, Urbana, Champaign Co., Ill.
(Age 52 years)
Mother Jesse E. Marriott, b. 18 Feb 1857, Champaign Co., Ill. , d. 13 May 1883, Champaign Co., Ill.
(Age 26 years)
Married 06 Dec 1877 Champaign Co., Ill. Family ID F14881 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family 1 Corda May Reese, b. Champaign Co., Ill. Married 06 Sep 1902 Champaign Co., Ill. Children 1. Avery Montell Prather, b. 31 May 1903, St.Joseph, Champaign Co., Ill. , d. Nov 1931, Dubuque, Iowa
(Age 28 years)
Last Modified 28 Jul 2015 Family ID F14884 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family 2 Mae Rose Harrington, b. 04 May 1888, Groton, Brown Co., S.D. , d. 11 Sep 1950, Aberdeen, Brown Co., S.D>
(Age 62 years)
Married 01 Jan 1907 Aberdeen, Brown Co., S.D. Children 1. Homer Justin Prather, b. 24 Feb 1908, Aberdeen, Brown Co., S.D. , d. 15 Jun 1981, Aberdeen, Brown Co., S.D.
(Age 73 years) [Natural]
2. Living Prather [Natural] 3. Raymond Howard Prather, b. 10 Mar 1912, S.D. , d. 31 Jul 1962 (Age 50 years) [Natural]
4. Frank Edward Prather, b. 18 Feb 1914, Aberdeen, Brown Co., S.D. , d. Napa, Calif.
[Natural]
Last Modified 28 Jul 2015 Family ID F14885 Group Sheet | Family Chart
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Photos
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Notes - Paul married Cordie in 1902, to which a son Avery was born in 1903. After
their divorce in 1906, Paul removed to the plains of South Dakota where he met
his 2nd wife, Mae.
In his begining years in South Dakota Paul worked on a local farm, the
"Lincoln Ranch". Near there he met Mae, of Brown Co., S.D. They married in
1907, and lived and farmed on rented land near Plana, S.D., (Cambria Township)
In 1915 they bought 160 acres in Bath Township, raised their four children and
lived there until Pauls death in 1947.
Over the years paul and his family raised live stock. But on of Pauls
specialities was the development of "Improved Brown County Yellow Dent Seed
Corn". To develop this chamion seed corn he took a good ear of corn, cut off
and discarded the tip and butt (small kernels), shelled the ear, "graded" the
kernels, and planted the bigger plum kernels. The result was ears with bigger
plum kernels. Paul sold this improved seed corn by the ear to farmer who came
from miles around.
During the dry weather periods of the 30's, their sandy S.D. plains soil blew
easily, requiring extraordinary measures to ensure a crop.
His name was listed as Benjamin Paul Prather on his birth Cert. but most other
documents including his divorce documents list him as Paul Benjamin Prather.
- Paul married Cordie in 1902, to which a son Avery was born in 1903. After