Meneray, Freeman W. (1862-1939)

MENERAY

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/22/2019 at 17:39:33

Freeman W. Meneray
Sep 1, 1862 - Dec 14, 1939

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.454)
F. W. MENERAY, a prominent nurseryman and orchardist near Crescent City, was born in that village September 1, 1862, a son of William and Sophia A. (PACKARD) MENERAY. His father was born in Upper Canada, March 29, 1822, and his mother in Parkman, Ohio, October 1, 1828, of Puritan origin. Grandfather MENERAY was an English military officer for a number of years.

William H. received a fine education at the Toronto (Canada) College; early learned the carpenter's trade; left home at the age of sixteen years and made a tour through the southern states, buying furs from the Indians for an American company. Following this business for a number of years, he became widely known among the various Indian tribes. He next engaged in the lead mines near Galena, Illinois, and made quite a fortune. Disposing of his mineral claim there, he went to Hazel Green, Wisconsin, and engaged in speculations by which he lost heavily. After visiting St. Louis, he came to Kanesville, now Council Bluffs, about 1850, engaging in mercantile business in partnership with Blake & Spooner. At the same time, he owned a number of grist and saw mills about the country and also a farm of 120 acres in Hazel Dell Township, known as the Meneray farm. During this period, he lost money in the failure of a bank in Florence, Nebraska. This so crippled him financially that he had to dispose of his business. Coming to Crescent City, he traded for the property whereon he made his home until his death, March 10, 1878. Being a shrewd manager, he after all left his family in good circumstances.

He married his wife March 1, 1846, at Nauvoo, Illinois, to which place she had come when very young. She is now living on the old home place, keeping house for herself, now aged about sixty-two years. She had eleven children, as follows: William H., who resides at Springville, Utah; Eliza, wife of Dr. M. DON, and residing at Nephi, Utah; John R., at Springville, same Territory; James W., living in Crescent City; R. C., in Springville; P.A., at Louisville, Kentucky; Joseph H., deceased; F. W., the next in order; Lulu L., wife of William DUTRO in Crescent City; Sophia A., who married William CURRY and is now deceased; and E.D., who is with F.W., the subject of this sketch.

Mr. F. W. MENERAY was reared at home in farm life, and also in the business of raising fruit and nursery stock; in the latter interest, they had thirty-six acres which was left to R.C., F.W., and J.R. MENERAY, and which our subject has brought up to its present state of development. He has forty-five acres devoted entirely to nursery, and twenty-five acres exclusively to fruit-raising, doing an annual business of $12,000 to $15,000 and employing agents throughout the country. Thus, Mr. MENERAY is a prominent businessman in the world of farmers and orchardists.

In his political views, he is a Republican, and as a citizen and businessman, he is highly honored. For his wife he married Sarah MEGINNESS of Pennsylvania parentage and English ancestry on her mother's side. Her father came west with his parents, went to Utah and returned in 1858 to Iowa, and married Hannah NIXON, who was born May 3, 1835, near Pittsburg, and came to Iowa with her parents in 1848, locating in Hazel Dell Township, where he was married. She was the second child in her parents' family of six children, born March 31, 1864; and educated for the teachers' profession, served in that capacity until she was married March 20, 1883. Mr. and Mrs. MENERAY have two children: Luemma A., born January 1, 1886, and Albert O., November 23, 1887