John D. Deets Biography


	This biography appears on page 80 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				JOHN D. DEETS.  

	John D. Deets, who since 1911 has been commissioner of 
immigration with office in Pierre, South Dakota, was born in Oil City, 
Pennsylvania, on the 9th of March, 1865, a son of Joseph and Margaret 
(Hayes) Deets, both representatives of old families noted for their 
loyalty to everything American. The mother belonged to the well known 
Hayes family of western Pennsylvania. Her father, who came from County 
Antrim, Ireland, was of Scotch-Irish descent and was the first of the 
family to settle in the western part of the Keystone state. He was soon 
followed, however, by his brothers, some of whom settled in western 
Pennsylvania and others in eastern Ohio. The Deets family comes of 
German ancestry. Joseph Deets died in 1871, while Mrs. Deets, long 
surviving him, passed away in 1906.  

	Pursuing his education in the public schools at Parker, 
Pennsylvania, John D. Deets there mastered the common branches of 
learning and afterward entered Allegheny College at Meadville, 
Pennsylvania, being graduated from that institution on the completion 
of the classical course in 1888 with the Bachelor of Arts degree. 
Following his graduation from the high school he engaged in teaching 
and also worked in shops as a machinist until he had acquired a sum 
sufficient to enable him to defray the expenses of his college 
training. After leaving college he entered the ministry of the 
Methodist Episcopal church and devoted sixteen years of his life to 
that work. He has been continuously in the government service since 
1906 in which year he became a United States special agent in charge of 
allotment work for the Indians. Five years later he was made 
commissioner of immigration and has filled the office continuously and 
acceptably since 1911.  

	On the 16th of April, 1896, at Jackson, Minnesota, Mr. Deets was 
united in marriage to Mrs. Villa Belle Boehl, a daughter of Joseph and 
Esther Dunham. The father was an extensive farmer and stock-raiser and 
was very successful. Mrs. Deets was born in Illinois and by her 
marriage has become the mother of five children: Margaret, Katherine, 
Emma, June and Deaver.  

	The parents hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and 
Mr. Deets is also a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Knights of 
Pythias. In politics he is a progressive republican and he is ever 
loyal to any cause which he espouses. It is well known that he stands 
fearless in defense of his honest convictions and neither fear nor 
favor can swerve him from a course which he believes to be right. He is 
therefore a very acceptable public officer and his record through the 
past seven years in office is an untarnished one.