Husband of Eliza Ann Prater.
They were married on August 18, 1912.

He was the son of Joseph Abner St John and Alice Jane Woods.


Adam Delter St. John



Adam Delter St.John , second child of Joseph Abner (Joab) and Alcie Jane Woods, was born September 9, 1889 on Hills Creek in Cannon County Tennessee. He was educated in Cannon County schools attending the St.John School house, Iconium School and Elkins School. He received his college training at Middle Tennessee State College in Murfreesboro.
Along with his parents, brothers, and sisters he
moved to Coffee County in 1907.

In 1910, he was assigned his first teaching position at the J.E. Hoard School (Hoard's Cut) at Flowertown on the outskirts of Tullahoma, Tennessee. His salary was twenty dollars a month. He boarded with the Stapleton family which cost him five dollars a month. In 1911, he was assigned to the Sainsville School located in the 9th district of Coffee County, Tennessee
On August 18, 1912, he married his childhood sweetheart, Eliza Ann Prater, daughter of Thomas Indiamon Prater and Amanda Jane Ashford.

In October 1913, their first son Hubert was born. Also, he was assigned to the Simmons School, located in the 9th district of Coffee County and taught the final year it was in existence.
In 1914, their first tragedy occurred when Hubert died unexpectedly at five months of age. In 1915, William Leonard "Billy", their second child was born on a farm known as the Wolfe place near Manchester, Tennessee.
In 1918, Delter and Eliza moved to Alabama, and he taught school at Gum Pond, about 20 miles from Cullman. After two years he returned to teach in the Coffee County school system. The known schools he taught at were: Beech Grove, Cumberland Academy, Fountain Grove, Gossburg, Hickory Grove, Hillsboro, Hopewell, Mud Creek, Noah, Shady Grove, Summitville and Ninth Model.
In 1927, their third child, Charles D., was born at the Bailey Place in the Pleasant Knoll Community in Coffee County.

About 1930, Delter was appointed an elder at Pleasant Knoll Church of Christ where he served until his death.


In 1944, he was appointed to the County Court as magistrate for the Ninth Model District to finish the term of Horace E. Ramsey, who died unexpectedly. His friends elected him to this office until 1966 when he asked not to be returned because of failing health.

In August 1959, he began what would be his final year of teaching at Ninth Model School.

In May of 1960, more than 450 friends, neighbors and former pupils honored
Delter St.John with what was supposed to be a "surprise program" commemorating his retirement after fifty years of teaching; however, it was not a surprise, because he learned about it the day before at Manchester. He posed for pictures with pupils, former pupils, friends, and family. Three short speeches were given by life long friends, County Judge David W. Shields, one of the ten superintendents he taught under, Hugh Doak, former publisher of The Manchester Times, whom he had known from Cannon County, and Mr. Colonel I. Woods of Morrison, whom he had taught with on different occasions.

Clayton Smith, member of the Coffee County School Board from the 9th district was in charge of arrangements for the program.
In 1965 he suffered a massive stroke which incapacitated him. He died at his home in the Pleasant Knoll community in January of 1967.


Written by: LEONARD EDWARD ST. JOHN, GRANDSON