Biographies
For
Muscatine County Iowa
1889



Source: Portrait and Biographical Album, Muscatine County, Iowa, 1889, page 190

JOHN W. MEEKER, a pioneer settler of Muscatine County, residing on section 18, Seventy-six Township. was born July 7, 1840, in Montgomery Co., Ohio. He is descended from good old Revolutionary stock, his paternal Great-great grandfather, who had a family of seventeen children, having served in the War for Independence, as also did his sons, one of whom died in his effort to secure freedom for the Colonies.

Jonathan Meeker, the father of our subject, was born in Ohio, on the 1st of February, in 1809, and is a son of Joseph and Martha Meeker, who had a family of six children. He was a blacksmith by trade, and followed that occupation while living in Ohio. In 1843 he emigrated to the West, going down the Ohio and up the Mississippi River to Muscatine County, Iowa. He followed the occupation of farming after coming to this State, and rented land for two years. He then entered eighty acres, and afterward entered forty acres more, and by subsequent purchase he added to this land until he had a fine farm, comprising 340 acres, under a high state of cultivation.

In 1835 Jonathan Meeker was united in marriage with Martha Shellabarger, and to them six children were born: Mary E., the eldest, born Feb. 14, 1838, is now the wife of J. W. Brookhart, of Muscatine County; John W. , of this sketch, is the second in order of birth; William H. was one of the defenders of the Union during the late war, and having received his discharge, started home, but in a railroad accident, which occurred Nov. 6, 1864, he was killed; Thomas S., who was also one of the boys in blue, was born June 17, 1845, and is now living in this county; Joseph W., of Muscatine County, was born Jan.17, 1849; Margery A., born Aug. 17, 1854, and now living in Omaha, Neb., was the youngest of the family, but Mr. and Mrs. Meeker reared from infancy an adopted son, Thomas S. Caylor, who is now living in Kansas. The death of Mr. Meeker occurred Aug. 20, 1887, at the age of seventy-nine years, and Mrs. Meeker departed this life May 22, 1886, at the age of seventy-four. They were highly respected people in this community, esteemed for their many excellent qualities.

Our subject was reared to farm life, assisting his father in cultivating his land until tweny- one years of age, when he entered the army. Responding to President Lincoln's second call for troops, he enlisted, and was assigned to the 11th Iowa Infantry. The first important engagement in which he participated was the battle of Shiloh, which was followed bythe siege of Corinth, the siege of Vicksburg, the battle at Big Shanty, where he was sunstruck, the Atlanta campaign, in which he was under fire 100 days, and in which two of the hardest battles of the war occurred, the battles before Atlanta, July 22 and July 28, 1864, the siege of Savannah Ga., and the battle at Bentonville, N. C., which was the last regular engagement of the war. He was with Sherman on his celebrated march to the sea, and when the war was over, was honorably discharged from service July 22, 1865.

On the 1st of March following his return Mr. Meeker was united in marriage with Miss Harriet Gates, a daughter of S. G. and Eve ( Fitzgerald ) Gates, the former a native of New York and the latter of Pennsylvania. The union of this worthy couple has been blessed with a family of eight children: Carl W., born Jan. 20, 1874; Howard A., Oct. 24, 1875; Mary M., Aug. 12, 1877; Warren E., March 15, 1879; George W., April 18, 1881, and Harry C. Aug. 13 1886. Two died in infancy.

The young couple began their domestic life upon the farm owned by Mr. Meeker's father. He now has the management of 100 acres of land, and carries on general farming and stock-raising, making it a point to sell his cattle direct to the feeders. He and his wife are both members of the United Brethren Church, and in his political views Mr. Meeker supports the Republican party. Almost his entire life has been spent in this county, coming here when three years of age, and only leaving when his country called for volunteers to put down the Rebellion. He has been identified with its history during all this time, has done all in his power to advance its interests, and is numbered among its best citizens.


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