Samuel Meek

(1781-1865)


By Christopher A. Meek

1. Samuel Meek was born 27 Sep 1781 in Washington Co., PA. (The source for the place of birth is unknown.) He died 17 Aug 1865 in Hamilton Twp, Lee Co., IL at the age of 85 years, 10 months and 21/24 days. This indicates a date of birth of 1779. He is buried in Stevens Cemetery, East Grove Twp, Lee Co., IL.

He enlisted in the War 1812 on Aug. 22, 1812 at St. Clairsville, Belmont Co., OH as a private, 3rd Reg., Ohio Militia, 1st Brig of Ohio, commanded by Col. Charles Miller. Served in Capt. Joseph Kirkwood's Company from October 22, 1812 and discharged Feb. 22, 1813. (Source; Roster of Ohio Soldiers in War of 1812, Vol. 1, pg.23.)

He arrived in Lee County, IL in 1840. He Owned many flour mills and was a Justice of the Peace. One such mill was mentioned in "Recollections of the Pioneers of Lee Co." It says Meek's mill "was near the road from Princeton to Dixon that passed by the tollgate. It was a log building two stories high." He was listed in the 1840 census of Lee Co., IL. He was listed in the 1850 census of Hamilton TWP, Lee Co., IL

He married Sarah Meek about 1814. She was born 1796 in Maryland, and died after 1865 in Lee Co., IL. Samuel's will lists the heirs as Nathan Meek, Nancy Mellick, Richard Meek, Samuel Meek, Polly Meek Burge, Harriet Meek Johnson, children of George Meek, deceased.

Significance of DNA: Descendants of two different son have a 37/37 marker match which includes DYS390=23. They Match Group B1 which includes ancestors who lived in Washington Co., PA between 1775 and 1800. DYS390=23 deviates from the Group B modal values. This MAY indicate that Samuel carried the same mutation which would distinguish his descendants from those of other Meek families that came from Washington Co., PA. However, more testing is required to confirm this.

Children of Samuel Meek and Sarah Meek were:

  • 2. Nathan B. Meek was born about 1815 in Belmont Co., OH. DNA kit# 284171
  • 3. Richard Meek was born 8 May 1816 in Belmont Co., OH. He died 18 Dec 1885 in Walnut, Bureau Co., IL. He married Hannah Holt 2 Jun 1835 in Sandusky Twp., Erie Co., OH. She was born 28 Mar 1812 in Maryland. She died 7 Nov 1897 in Walnut Twp, Bureau Co., IL. He was listed in the 1840 census of Lee Co., IL with a son age 0-5 and two daughters age 5-10 and 10-15. He was listed in the 1850 census of Hamilton TWP, Lee Co., IL. Son Nathan is not listed. However, Martha age 11 is. Is Martha one of the two females in the 1840 census or is that really Nathan incorrectly recorded?
    • 31. Mary Meek was born about 1837. She married Christopher Renner, of Nebraska.
    • 32. Nathan Meek was born 23 Feb 1839 in Delaware Co., OH. He died 10 Dec 1911. He married Catherine B. Adams 21 Jan 1866. She was a daughter of William Adams. She died 23 May 1899. On the 13th of August 1862 he enlisted in Co. I, Ninety-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was discharged 5 Jul 1865.
      • 161. William F. Meek
      • 162. Samuel Meek was born on 28 Dec 1867 in Bureau Co., IL. He died 3 Jun 1944. He married Margaret Dir 21 Feb 1907. She died in 1954.
        • 311. Mable D. Meek was born 30 Jan 1908. She married Howard 0. Richmond 29 Dec 1928.
      • 163. Richard Meek
      • 164. John Meek was born about 1872. He resided in Tampico, Whiteside Co., IL. He married Tena Johannah Wessels. She was born 2 Oct 1891 in Illinois. He is listed in the 1900 census of Whiteside Co., IL
        • 321. Glen Wessels Meek was born about 1912. He married Sarah Vivian Ruth Irby
        • 322. Ethyl Meek
    • 33. Martha Meek was born about 1839 according to the 1850 census. This person may not exist.
    • 34. William Meek was born about 1842. He was a farmer near Walnut, Bureau Co., IL.
    • 35. Nancy Meek was born about 1846. She married Eli Harris.
    • 36. Elizabeth Meek was born about 1847. She married Reason Renner.
    • 37. Samuel Meek was born after the 1850 census.
  • 4. John Samuel Meek was born 3 Nov 1817 in Belmont Co., OH. He died 22 Feb 1889 in Junction City, Lane Co., OR. He Arrived Oregon and Lane Co., 14 Jul 1853. Owns 4000 acres in Lane County and 4700 acres in Linn County. He married Sarah M. Johnson 6 Dec 1868, Lane Co., Oregon. She was born 6 Apr 1836 in Canada. She is buried at Rest Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Junction City, OR. Married house of Samuel Meek, Witnessed by E.C.Goodwin, Lydia Meek, Marriage Book 19, page 85. They were listed in the 1870 and 1880 censuses of Lane Co., OR.
  • 5. Mary Meek was born about 1820 in Belmont Co., OH. She married John Burge about 1842 in Delaware Co., OH. He was born about 1820.
  • 6. Nancy Meek was born about 1823. She married ________ Maharty 23 May 1844.
  • 7. George Washington Meek was born about 1825 in Belmont Co., OH. He died 1 Sep 1864, Willow Springs, Wasco Co., OR. He was murdered by Henry Deadmon who was hanged for his crime. He appears in the 1850 census of Hamilton Twp., Lee Co., IL at age 28 with his parents George Moved to Oregon in 1854 with both Lydia and Margaret. He appears in the 1860 census of Lane Co., OR. Indications are that he was married or cohabitated with both women at the same time. The exact number of children is not known.

    He married (1) Emily Louisa Bridgman in 1847 Lee Co., IL. She was born 19 Sep 1828 in Bainbridge, New York. She died Oct 1873 in Amboy, Lee Co., IL.

    He married (2) Lydia E. Johnson in 1850 in Lee Co., IL. She was born 13 Sep 1831 in Canada. She died 19 Sep 1900 in Lane Co., OR. Her children are named Johnson in the 1860 census and Meek in the 1870 census. She was living alone with her children and Arlington in the 1870 census of Eugene, Lane Co., OR. She is listed in the 1880 census of Lancaster, Lane Co., OR.

    • 41. Harriet Johnson was born about 1855 in Oregon.
    • 42. Cyrus Johnson was born about 1856 in Oregon. He was named Squire in the 1870 census. He was listed with his mother in the 1880 census named Schyler.
    • 43. John Johnson was born abotu 1859 in Oregon.
    • 44. Jefferson Johnson was born about 1861 in Oregon.
    • 45. Clarissa Johnson was born about 1864 in Oregon.
    • 46. Eveline Johnson was born about 1869 in Oregon.
    He married (3) Margaret Renner 20 Feb 1851 in Bureau Co., IL. She was born in 1834 in Greene Co., PA. She died before 1900 in Oregon. She married (2) William Farris. William Farris, Margaret and her children were listed in the 1870 census of Lancaster, Lane Co., OR
    • 47. Arlington A. Meek was born 05 Feb 1851 in Lee Co., IL. He died 29 Dec 1911 in Benton Co., OR. He married Charlotte Maude Rhea about 1890. She was born 14 Feb 1874 in near Heppner, Oregon. She died 1953 in Eugene, Oregon. She was the daughter of John B. Rhea and Ruby Laura Baker. They were listed in the 1900 and 1910 censuses of Benton Co., OR.
      • 171. Walter Meek was born about 1891 in Oregon.
      • 172. Naomi Meek was born about 1893 in Oregon.
      • 173. James Robert Meek was born 21 Nov 1898 in near Irish Bend, Oregon. He died 1947 in Oregon City, OR. He married Clarissa Susan Hubbard. She was born 27 Mar 1897 in Caton, NY. She died 05 Nov 1950 in Oregon City, OR. She was the daughter of John Godfrey Saxe Hubbard and Georgia Ellen Henry. They were listed in the 1920 census of Benton Co., OR. They were listed in the 1930 census of Lane Co., OR. Children of James Meek and Clarissa Hubbard are:
        • 201. Margaret DeVoe Meek was born 07 Feb 1920 in Corvallis, Benton, OR.
        • 202. John Robert (Jack) Meek was born 25 Jan 1924 in Portland, Multnomah, OR. He married Margaret Lucille Feller She was born 06 Aug 1926 in Donald, Marion, OR.
          • 331. Terry J. Meek ----- DNA Kit #74844
        • 203. Geraldine Ann Meek was born 23 Jul 1926 in Eugene, OR. She died 08 Apr 1987 in Canby, OR. She married Richard Ferdinand (Jr.) Cheadle 14 May 1948 in Canby, Clackamas, OR.
        • 204. Living Meek
    • 48. Isabil Meek was born about 1855 in Oregon.
    • 49. Emily Meek was born about 1856 in Oregon.
    • 50. Samuel Meek was born about 1858 in Oregon.
    • 51. Sarah A. Meek was born about 1859 in Oregon.
    • 52. Alice Meek was born about about 1863 in Oregon.
    • 53. Amanda Meek was born about 1865 in Oregon. She was listed with her mother in the 1880 census of Jackson Co., OR.
    • 54. George Washington Meek was born about 1866 in Oregon. He was listed with his mother in the 1880 census of Jackson Co., OR.
  • 8. Harriet Meek was born Jan 1834 in Muskegon Co., OH. She died 12 Oct 1915 in Amboy Twp., Lee Co., IL. She was listed in the 1850 census of Lee Co., IL living with her parents. She married Calvin Johnson 27 Dec 1852 in Lee Co., IL. He was born 21 Oct 1829 in New York. He died 22 Apr 1895. She is buried at Prairie Repose Cemetery.
    • 61. Josephine Johnson
    • 62. Sadie Johnson
    • 63. Samuel Johnson

Disclaimer: This genealogy was prepared by the author using undocumented and/or unverified sources. Some facts presented here MAY NOT be correct. Never accept as factual any information you find in a library, the Internet or from other genealogist unless it is supported by documentation. Documentation DOES NOT include the undocumented genealogies of other people including those on this web site.

GO TO TOP

Note: Letter from Samuel Meek to his daughter Mary 10 July 1849
Provided by Steve Knoblock

To John Burge
Pharisburg
Union County
Ohio From Samuel Meek, Shlburn Lee
County Illinoies Palistine Grove
Postage 10 Shilluns
August 14
[Letter from Samuel Meek, f/o Mary Meek m John Burge. John Burge f/o Samuel Burge. Mary Burge d/o Samuel Burge. Mary Burge m Charles Cletis Knoblock.
---Original transcript by Norma Ada (Tyrrell) Knoblock, circa 1950
---revised by Steve Ernest Knoblock, 1994.]

THIS TRANSCRIPT IS CORRECTED FOR SPELLING AND GRAMMER
FROM THE ORIGINAL LETTER!
July the 10th 1849 

Dear children,
I write these lines to let you know that we are all well at present.
I am hoping that these few lines will find you all in the same state
of health.  I have thought long of seeing you and promised myself year
after year, and fall after fall, that I would come to see you, but I
have so much business on hand that I have almost given up ever getting
to come see you in my lifetime, for at the furthest it can't be long
(that I will live).  I would like you both to come and see me if you
can.  I have got considerable property in my hands.  I have a mill
with two run of stones in it.  I have a quarter section of land and
generaly keep from 60 to 80 head of cattle.  I can cut enough hay on
my own place to keep four or five hundred head of cattle.  John Samuel
would like for you to sell and move out here.  He has not got a wife
yet.  His farm joins mine and Richard owns a farm 2 1/2 miles from me
and they are all adoing well.  Nathan B. Meek lives in the state of
Misourri; good property there, and is adoing well from what I can
learn from his letters.  This eleventh of July I am engaged in trying
an assault and battery suit between a woman and a man.  The man was
the transgressor in the case.  We're waiting now for more witnesses.
Tomorrow morning they will all be here at eight o' clock in the fore
noon.  John Samuel Meek wants you to come and live on his place and
keep house for him, if you would like to do so.  Dorebs is dead.  She
got hurt in my mill and only lived 4 days and died.  Her thigh was
broke in both places and both of her legs were broke and the bones
were scattered over the floor.  She was caught by the bottem shaft and
was wound round and her clothes were torn from her in strings.  She
died happy.  Your brothers send their best respects to you both and to
all inquiring friends.  Harriet and Mother sends their best repects to
you and all our old neighbors.  Children, I would like you to write me
as quick as this comes to hand, and if you know where Henry McHunter
lives and when you write let me know where he lives, and what county
and state and post office.  Now, children, we live in a good point of
the country and would be glad for you to share with us these lines.
From your afectionate father until death.

To John Burge and Mary Ann
     From Samuel Meek Senoir.
P.S. Children, remember me to Samuel Barkust and all his family and
brother Marten and sister Marten and to all my inquiring friends.  My
best respects to my old nieghbors.
Samuel Meek J. P.
You will direct your letters to:
Shelborne-Lee Co., Illinois, Palistine Grove.

To John Burge                From Samuel Meek
Pharisburg                Shelborne-Lee Co.
Union Co., Ohio.                Illinois
Postage 10 shillings            Palestine Grove

GO TO TOP