Civil War Veteran,

Private, Co. B & I, 19th Wisconsin Infantry

member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Freeman Thayer Post 59, Watertown, SD

George "Aratus" Pettit and Rachel (McMullin) Pettit

The ancestors of George Aratus had come from France in about 1750 and settled in New Jersey. In 1800 the John Pettit family moved to Kaskaskia, Randolph County, Illinois. It was here that Thomas Pettit, the father of George Aratus was born on 30 November 1808, the 7th son of Jonathan and Susannah (Depue) Pettit. Thomas Pettit married Eliza Franklin in Perry County, Illinois on 24 February 1831. After their marriage, they lived on a farm in Randolph County, Illinois for ten years. They then moved to Joe Davies County, Illinois to work in the lead mines. It was here that George Aratus, the 8th child of the family was born on 15 January 1847. When George was two years old the family moved again to Iowa County, Wisconsin where they lived for many years. This was during the Civil War and the four sons of Thomas and Eliza Pettit all enlisted in the service and served in Wisconsin Regiments until the war was over. Fortunately all four of their sons, James, John Wickliffe, Edmund, and George Aratus returned home safely. George served in the 19th Wisconsin Regiment, Company B Infantry. 5 December 1866 George Aratus married Rachel McMullin at Avoca Wisconsin, Iowa County. Rachel was born in Guernsey County, Ohio in 1851, the daughter of James and Catharine (Johnson) McMullin, and had moved with her family to Iowa County, Wisconsin. 7 January 1868 their first son, James Thomas Pettit was born. When James was two years old the family moved to Red Oak, Iowa where they lived for ten years. Five sons were born to George and Rachel in Red Oak, Iowa. Two died in infancy and three survived -- Walter, Fred, and Claude. Another son, Arthur "Bruce" was born in Clark County, South Dakota.

When George and Rachel, with their four sons, came to Willow Lake in 1880, they homesteaded in Washington Township, Clark County. One of the first schools built in Washington Township was known as the Pettit School. As was the custom of the time, the school was named for the family living nearest it, which was the George Pettit family. The school was later known as the McLain School, district 26. The earliest school record of the Pettit School was during the term of 1887. Fred, Claude, and Walter were all listed as students for that term. Interestingly, the teacher of that term was Florence Garland, the daughter of George Pettit's sister Margaret Francis (Pettit) Garland. Margaret, known as "Aunt Fran" had homesteaded in Clark County in 1880.

Among the earliest burials in Collins Cemetery, near Willow Lake, is that of Catharine (Johnson) McMullin, who was born 4 October 1812 and died 12 April 1889, the mother of Rachel Pettit. Another early burial was the mother of George Pettit, Eliza (Franklin) Pettit was was born 27 October 1811 in Illinois and died 6 February 1888 in Willow Lake.

George and Rachel (McMullin) Pettit acquired several farms in Washington and Pleasant Townships which they rented out. In 1900, George purchased a home in the town of Watertown, South Dakota at 304 4th St SE where he and Rachel spent the rest of their lives. Rachel took in boarders after the children married and moved from home. Rachel died in Watertown 21 January 1924 at the age of 70. George died 23 January 1938 at the age of 91.

above bio by #48809896