Meek, William Hixon – 1864-1944

HARP, HUFFMAN, LIKEN, MEEK, WEEKS

Posted By: Donna Sloan Rempp (email)
Date: 7/27/2016 at 12:57:47

Retired Educator Succumbs of Heart Ailment; Rites Here Friday
William H. Meek, 79, former school man and a well-known Newton resident, succumbed at his home at 500 South Third avenue East, this morning of a coronary ailment. Stricken Sunday, Mr. Meeks’s condition had grown steadily weaker. Death came at 7:30.
Funeral services will be held on Friday at 2 o’clock at the Morgan Funeral home with the Rev. L. Churchill Austin, pastor of the Newton First Congregational church of which he is a member, officiating. Interment will be in the Monroe cemetery with Masonic graveside rites.
Native of Jasper County
Son of the late Levi and Ruth Liken Meek, William Hixon Meek was born in a log cabin in Buena Vista township, Jasper county, on April 11, 1864, one of a family of 13 children. During his childhood _________ a covered wagon with his parents.
After attending the rural school of his community, Mr. Meek was graduated from Hazel Dell Academy in Newton and later received a Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State College at Ames and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa. While a student at the university he was elected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa, honorary scholastic fraternity.
Wife, Daughter Survive
On June 1, 1893, he was united in marriage to Ora May Harp of Dunreath, Ia., who survives. Other surviving relatives are: an only daughter, Mrs. Betty Meek Huffman, who has made her home with her parents since the death of Mr. Huffman; a sister, Mrs. Ollie Weeks of Rapid City, S.D.; two brothers, Noble Meek of Des Moines and Hamilton D. Meek of Los Angeles, Calif., and several nieces and nephews.
Mr. and Mrs. Meek went to housekeeping at Jewell Junction, Ia., where he was superintendent of the public schools, a position he later held in the Scranton, Deep River and Wall Lake, Ia., schools and at Howard, S. Dak.
Retires
In 1902, Mr. and Mrs. Meek returned to Iowa and after serving as superintendent of the Bussey and Monroe schools, retired from the profession to establish a real estate business in Monroe. Four years later on Feb. 6, 1916, they moved to their present home in Newton where he continued in the real estate business.
Mr. Meek was a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 59 of the A.F. & A.M., and of the Newton Chapter No. 100 of the Order of Eastern Star, was a Past Grand Patron of the Order of the Eastern Star and a member of the Daily News Three Quarter Century club.
Mr. Meek took an active part in community projects and during his lifetime had traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada.
Source: Newton Daily News; 02 February 1944, page 1 (Monroe Silent City, Block 10, row 5)

W. H. Meek Rites Held Here; Burial Service At Monroe
Funeral services for William H. Meek, 79, retired educator and Newton business man who succumbed at his home here Wednesday, Feb. 2, were held at the Morgan Funeral home Friday afternoon with the Rev. L. Churchill Austin, pastor of the Newton First Congregational church of which Mr. Meek was a long-time member officiating.
During the services Kathryn Parker-Matthews, accompanied by Helen Toedt, sang, “In The Garden” and “City Foursquare.”
Pallbearers were C. J. Muilenberg, Roy W. Denniston, Chester Van Zee, Dr. A. E. Sterling, Elmer Pickens and Frank Berry. Mrs. Earl Cooper and Mrs. Clistie Luken were in charge of the flowers.
Interment in Monroe
Interment was in the Monroe cemetery with Masonic graveside rites.
Son of the late Levi and Ruth Liken Meek, William Hixon Meek was born in a log cabin in Buena Vista township, Jasper county, on April 11, 1874.
After his graduation from Hazel Dell academy in Newton, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State College at Ames and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa where he was named to Phi Beta Kappa, national honorary scholastic society.
Mr. Meek served as superintendent of Iowa and South Dakota schools prior to his retirement from the profession to establish a real estate business in Monroe. Four years later in 1916, Mr. and Mrs. Meek, the former Ora May Harp of Dunreath, Ia., moved to Newton where they continued to make their home.
Surviving Relatives
In addition to his wife, he is survived by an only daughter, Mrs. Betty Meek Huffman; a sister, Mrs. Ollie Weeks of Rapid City, S.D., two brothers, Noble Meek of Des Moines and Hamilton D. Meek of Los Angeles, Calif., and several nieces and nephews.
Attending the services from out of the city were: Mr. and Mrs. Noble Meek and sons, Frank and Victor and daughter Verna of Des Moines; Mrs. Emma Dearth, Monroe; Mr. and Mrs. M. L. Wilson of Iola, Kan.; Mr. and Mrs. Jens Sorensen of Monroe; Mrs. Peter Danks, Runnels; Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Colyn of Prairie City; Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Brown and Mrs. Royce Harp of Colfax; Major and Mrs. Ray H. Thompson of Omaha, Neb.; Mr. and Mrs. L. Farrel of Des Moines; Ralph Farrel and Miss Alice Dearth of Des Moines; Mr. and Mrs. Paul Harp of Pleasantville; Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Way of Bussey, and Sadie Billingsley of Pleasantville.
Source: Newton Daily News; 10 February 1944, page 8