11. John Meek was born about 1808 in Pennsylvania. He died 26 Feb 1889 in Polk Co., IA at the age of 81 according to his death certificate. (No other information available from death certificate.) He married (1) unknown who was the mother of some of his children. He married (2) Sarah A. _____. She was born about 1831 in Kentucky. John, Sarah and Martha are listed in the 1850 census of Polk Co., IA. His occupation was given as “none”. In 1860 the family is listed in Lee TWP, Polk Co., IA. In 1870 the family is joined by Rueben Meek age 26. In the 1880 census they are listed in Saylor Township, which is likely the same location as Saylor Township was organized in December of 1870. Son Benjamin is listed separately in a near by household working as a farmer.
104. Martha A. Meek was born about 1848 in Iowa.
105. Francis A. Meek was born about 1852 in Iowa.
106. Matilda J. Meek was born about 1854 in Iowa.
107. Benjamin Meek was born about 1856 in Iowa. He resided in Saylor TWP in 1880. Se below.
108. John W. Meek was born about 1858 in Iowa. He does not appear to be with his parents in the 1870 census.
109. Rachel W. Meek was born about 1861 in Iowa.
200. Eliza Meek was born about 1862 in Iowa.
Given the difference in ages between John and Sarah one might assume that he had been married before and/or had other children. There were no other men named Meek in early Polk County. There were however three Meek children living with Matthew Matthewson.
The census records are confusing about the possibility that John had other children. There were two men named Rueben Meek in the 1870 census. One lived with John, Rueben age 26 born in Indiana, and one lived with Rachel Whitaker. The ages are the same but the places of birth are different.
In the later group Rueben was reported to have been born in Missouri. However, also included in this household was Jennie age 32 who was born in Indiana. These same three people were listed in the 1860 census living with Isabella Matterson. (It is believed that the name was Matthewson.) Jennie was named Jane age 25 born in Indiana. In this census Rueben age 15 was report to have been born in Indiana. In the 1850 census Isabella is the wife of (or living with) Matthew Matthewson again with Rueben and Jane Meek. Also listed was Margaret Meek age 10. All three children were born in Indiana.
The confusion continues. In the 1850 census living with John Meek is Margaret Matheson age 10 born in Indiana and Rueben Matheson age 8 born in Indiana. John Meek and Matthew Matthewson were born within a year of each other. Matthew was born in New York but Isabella was born in Pennsylvania. The Mathewson children living with John were born in Indiana as were the Meek children living with Matthew.
Returning to the 1870 census, we then have two men named Reuben Meek with the same age and place of birth. One has to accept the possibility that this was the same person listed twice given the fact that there were so few Meek families in the area. Either way, a young man named Rubin Meek had a connection to John Meek. It is also possible that all three of the Meek children living with the Matthewson family were John’s children by his first marriage.
201. Henry Meek was born Jul 1881. He died 30 Apr 1926 in Siskiyou, CA.Lois Meek Andersen
202. Luvisa A. Meek was born Feb 1883.
203. Rupert W. Meek was born Mar 1884.
204. Ruth Emily Meek was born 8 Jun 1890. She died 20 Dec 1911 in Siskiyou, CA.
205. Frank Craig Meek was born 11 Jul 1892 in Boulder Creek, CA. He died 17 May 1959 in Siskiyou, CA. He married Eunice Sillivan. She was born about 1899.
206. Clarence Rambo Meek was born 1 Jan 1894 in Yreka, Siskiyou Co., CA. He died 5 Oct 1976 at Yreka, CA. He married Maybelle J. Henry. She was born about 1899. She died in 1930.301. Edgar Clarence Meek was born 25 Jan 1921 in Gazelle, Siskiyou Co., CA. He died 2 May 2009 in Yreka, CA. He married Berneice Virginia Johnson. She was born 31 Oct 1920 in Ohio. She died 17 Jan 2002 in Yreka, CA.207. Reuben Mathewson Meek was born 20 Sep 1896. He died 7 Mar 1972 in Siskiyou Co., CA. He was listed in the 1930 census with his mother.401. Female meek
402. Leslie Paul Meek was born 10 Mar 1944. He died 20 Jun 1960.
403. Robert Clarence Meek was born 6 Feb 1948. He died 7 Mar 1963 in Oregon.
208. Jeremiah Meek was born Mar? 1899
208. Gerald Cunningham Meek was born 17 Mar 1896 in Santa Cruz, CA. He died 8 Dec 1979 in Etna, Siskiyou Co., CA. He married Marvel Raethe Cousino. She was born 29 Aug 1900. She died 30 Jan 1988.311. Male
312. Male
313. Ruth G. Meek was born 20 Jan 1919. She died 18 Jul 1997. She married ____ Middleton. This is the family of Daniel Rudolph.
314. Irving Ward Meek was born 9 Feb 1921 in Edgewood, Siskiyou Co., CA. He died 26 Aug 1984 in Etna, Siskiyou Co., CA. He married ______ Freshour.
315. Frankie E. Meek was born about 1922 in California.
316. Ruben W. Meek was born about 1928 in California.
211. Franklin Benjamin Meek was born 4 Aug 1880 in Marshalltown, IA. He died 14 Oct 1963 in San Diego, CA. He married Bessie Myrtle Hutchinson. She was born 29 Mar 1888 in Smith Co., KS. She died 1964 in San Diego, CA. Her parents were Edwin F. Hutchinson and Annie Elliott.311. Edwin Franklin Meek was born 28 Aug 1906 in Lebanon, KS. He died 5 May 1972 in Los Angeles, CA.
312. William Harold Meek was born 2 Jan 1908 in Lebanon, KS. He died 18 Apr 1988 in Vista, San Diego, CA. He married _______ Hildreth.
It is not clear that this is the same Benjamin Meek who was the son of John Meek of
Polk Co., IA.
Information from Susan Roettger
susan_roettger@hotmail.com
Benjamin Franklin Meek worked for Northwest Railroad as a construction foreman. Ellen and her mother Mary Doannelly ran the boarding car for Northwest Railroad as the railroad tracks were being laid west of Chicago. They provided room/board for the railroad laborers. Benjamin and Ellen had one child, Franklin Benjamin Meek born Aug 4, 1880 on a railroad boarding car in Marshalltown, IA. Benjamin Franklin Meek was killed by lightning as he stood next to a flatcar of rails, near Cedar Rapids, IA in May 1880, three months before Franklin Benjamin was born. Franklin Benjamin, my grandfather, lived with his mother and grandmother on the train until he was 2 years old, when his mother, Ellen, wrote to her sister in law, Anne Meek Angelo, asking her to take Franklin because it was difficult to raise him on the boarding car. Franklin was raised by Anne and Will Angelo in Driftwood, Oklahoma. Franklin worked as a utilities engineer (not sure of his formal education) and married my grandmother Bessie Hutchinson on Aug 28 1906 in Cora, Smith, Kansas. I knew my grandparents, Franklin and Bessie very well. They were kind loving people. They told me these stories and many others. I was born in San Diego CA, Feb 3, 1944. They lived in San Diego also. My father Harold Meek (William Harold Meek) was their second child.
1850 IA Polk Co. 7 Sep 547 569 Meek, John M 37 PA Occupation “None” 1813 Sarah A. F 18 KY 1832 Martha A. F 1 IA 1849 Matheson, Margaret F 10 IN 1840 Rueben M 8 IN 1842 1850 IA Polk Co. Ft. Des Moines 23 Aug 207 217 Matthewson, Mathew M 38 NY Occupation “Plasterer” Isabella F 45 PA Meek, Jane F 18 IN 1832 Margaret F 9 IN 1841 Rueben M 6 IN 1844 1856 IA census Meek, John 44 M 1-9 PA Farmer Sarah Ann 25 F 1-9 KY Rueben 13 M 9 Martha Ann 7 F 7 Francis 5 F 5 Matilda 2 F 2 Benjamin 0 M 0 1860 IA Polk Co. Lee TWP 7 July 1257 1145 Meek, John M 47 PA 1812 Sarah A. F 30 IN Martha A. F 12 IA Francis A. F 9 IA Matilda J. F 6 IA Benjamin M 4 IA John W. M 2 IA 1860 IA Polk Co. Des Moines TWP 11 June Matterson, Isabella F 62 PA Whitacer, Rachel F 57 PA Jane Meek F 25 IN 1833 Rueben M 15 IN 1844 1870 IA Polk Co. Lee TWP Meek, John M 62 PA 1808 S. A. F 40 KY M F 20 IA F F 18 IA J. F 16 IA B M 14 IA R F 11 IA E F 1 Rueben M 26 IN 1844 1870 IA Polk Co. Des Moines Whitaker, Rachel F 64 PA Meek, Rueben M 26 MO 1844 Jennie F 32 IN 1838 1880 IA Polk Co. Saylor TWP 50 50 Jun 18th Meek, John M 70 PA PA PA 1810 Sarah F 49 KY KY VA Martha F 31 IA Francis F 28 IA Matilda J. F 26 IA Rachel W. F 19 IA Eliza F 18 IA 45 55 Meek, Benjamin M 24 IA PA PA