MEIRICK, Joseph & Helen

MEIRICK, MCARTHUR, KUHN, SCHWEIGER

Posted By: K. L. Kittleson
Date: 8/22/2010 at 17:56:37

JOSEPH AND HELEN MEIRICK

Joseph Meirick, son of Bernard and Katherine (Mullman) Meirick, was born January 3, 1872 near Alta Vista, Iowa.

Helen Rademacher was born June 3, 1874 near Lawler, Iowa.

Joseph and Helen were married at McCaulyville, near Kent, Minnesota on October 28, 1898. They started farming in East Lincoln Township. After farming about four years they moved back to the North Dakota side of the Red River, renting out their Mitchell County farm. They were there about three years.

Their second child, Dora, was kidnapped by a couple of young Indian women. The Meirick's and their neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver and small son went to a big Indian Pow-Wow. They drove a team of horses, had spring seats in their wagon, and took food and bedding to stay overnight. They stood with a group of white people watching the Indians dance in full Indian dress. The squaws sat on the ground around the edge. Two young Indian women stood nearby admiring little Dora, one year old, all dressed in white with her white hair. The women wanted to hold her and Helen let them for some time. When Helen glanced away to watch the dancing, the women ran around the tent and someone yelled, "Joe, there goes your baby!" Joe was right after them and caught them as there were going into a cave. They left for home at once, quite shaken up.

The Meirick's nine children were: Millie Kuhn, Dora Schweiger, Carl, Paul, Walter, Edna McArthur, Herbert, Mercedes (Jovita), and Virginia.

Joseph died November 10, 1936. Helen died March 20, 1959. They are both buried at St. Peter's Cemetery, New Haven, Iowa.

(The story of the kidnapping was taken from Millie Kuhn's "Meirick Ancestors".)

By Gertrude Meirick

MITCHELL COUNTY HISTORY, published 1989, p 365