Seth Eugene Meek - son of Hiram and Mary Meek

Great-Grandfather Samuel Meek's brother, Hiram Meek, of Mark Township, Defiance County, must have really emphasized education in his family, as well as a sense of adventure.  Almost all of his children were either involved with teaching in some way and/or traveled to the West to better themselves or both.

One of the best known of Hiram's children was Seth, who was named after one of Hiram's brothers who died as a youth.  Seth was born near Hicksville, Ohio on 01 April 1850.  Still living with his parents at age 21, as evidenced by the 1880 census, he was a student. He went to Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.


As part of his education, he was sent to Washington DC in 1884.

 He married Ella Tourner on Christmas Day, 1886 and the couple settled first in Illinois.  
The 1900 census found the couple enumerated at 57th Street in the Hyde Park District of Chicago on June 12th.  Seth was 41 and working as a curator in a museum, while Ella, 38, ran the home which included four lodgers, all teachers.
In 1910, Seth's occupation becomes more distinct as the census stated he worked at the Field Museum of Natural History as a naturalist.  He and Ella owned their own home on Lafayette Avenue, Chicago.

Seth was, in fact, a prominent ichthyologist (a scientist who studies fish), and he traveled all over Mexico, Panama, and areas of the United States documenting his finds.  (See Wikipedia.)  Not only was he an author of books and articles on the subject, but he also discovered an previously unknown species of fish and had a fish named after him! Although he lectured all over the country, he didn't forget his Defiance County roots.  An article in the December 12, 1912, Hicksville Tribune announced one of his hometown lectures.

Sadly, Seth died relatively young from heart trouble that developed from a fever that he contracted on a trip to Mexico.  In August 1915, this obituary appeared:

"HICKSVILLE MAN DEAD.
Prof. S. E. Meek, Assistant Curator of Zoology at Field Museum, Chicago, Succumbs.

Prof. Seth Eugene Meek, author, assistant curator of zoology at the Field Museum of Natural History, and a zoologist of renown, died suddenly of heart disease at his home, 6733 Lafayette avenue, last night.  Prof. Meek had been in ill health since his recent trip to Mexico for the Field Museum.  He contracted a fever which affected his heart.

Prof. Meek was born at Hicksville, April 1, 1850.  He graduated from the Indiana university at Bloomington, with a B. S. degree, received an A. M. degree in 1884, and a Ph.D. degree in 1886.  He then attended Cornell university.

In 1886, he married Miss Ella Tourner of Bloomington, Ind. and accepted the chair of natural science at Eureka college, Eureka, Ill.  In 1887, he accepted the chair of natural science at Coe college, Cedar Rapids, Ia., and in 1892, became assistant professor of zoology and geology at the University of Arkansas. In 1896, he was appointed a member of the United States fish commission, and a few months later became associated with the Field Museum in Chicago.

Among many of the important books written by Prof. Meek are 'The Fishes of Mexico North of the Isthmus of Tehauntepec,' and one called 'Fish and Reptiles.'

Prof. Meek leaves a widow.  The burial will take place in Bloomington, and arrangements have been made to hold a short service at the Lafayette avenue home today."
Chicago Tribune 

The couple had no children, but Ella had siblings in Bloomington for support.  By 1920, she had her brother, Henry, 66, living with her.  He owned a jewelry store.
The same situation occurred in 1930 with Ella, now 65,the owner of a home valued at $10,000, as head of household, and her brother, Henry, was living with her. In addition, her sister, Anna B. Tourner, single and 50, a high school teacher, was also there.

Additional obituaries and information appear on www.findagrave here here.http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Meek&GSfn=Seth+&GSmn=E&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=17&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=139175193&df=all&

James, Enoch and Seth Meek - Sons of James and Anna (Cooper) Meek

The Children of James and Anna (Cooper) Meek

Samuel Meek (great-grandfather) 1824 - 1902

David Cooper Meek (Samuel's twin) 1824 - 1901

Enoch Meek #1 1825 - 1901

                     Hiram   1826/7 - 1909  (Elizabeth's twin)

Elizabeth  1826/7 -1907 
*Seth     1827 - 1845

Sidnah  1830 - 1872
*James  1833 - 1865

Ednah  1834 - 1910

John  1836 - ?

Beulah  1837 - 1912

*Enoch #2   1840 - 1864

Solomon  1842 - 1917

James and Anna Meek knew well how it felt to lose a child.  Around 1825, they had a son named Enoch, and he died around 1837 at the age of 13.  They buried this son in the Boatman Cemetery, East Palestine Township, Columbiana County, Ohio.

Through the years, other sons would join Enoch there, including young Seth, who was only 19 at his death in 1845.

Enoch Meek #1

Seth Meek

 Years after the first Enoch's death, another son was born to James and Anna and, as was somewhat typical of the times, they named this son Enoch, as well.   Born about 1840, this Enoch Meek would enlist as a Union soldier, along with two of his brothers. 

 In Enoch's records that were obtained from the National Archives, we learn that Enoch enlisted in Company D, 100th Ohio Infantry at Toledo and was mustered in on September 1, 1862, for three years or the duration of the war.  Of great interest was the personal description provided of a 22 year old male, 5' 11 3/4", of fair complexion with blue eyes and dark hair, and "by occupation, a farmer."

Enoch mustered in as a Private, but was eventually promoted to Corporal on April 20, 1864, serving under First Lieutenant A. R. Tate in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia.  In 1864, his group was ordered to assault the enemy at 6 a.m. on August 5th near Utoy Creek, Georgia on the way to Atlanta.  They captured 140 Confederate prisoners.  During that night, they worked at felling trees along the creek and in the morning, the Union advanced again, using the timber for some protection.  However, the fallen trees also created barriers for troop movement as many logs were intertwined as they fell.  The men struggled there, while the Confederates kept up their fire.  Eventually, the Confederates turned back, but by that time, Enoch was a casualty of the battle.  He was killed in action on August 6, 1864.  

The History of Columbiana County, Ohio, in an extensive sketch of Captain Robert Taggart, stated: "Enoch Meek, a favorite pupil of Captain Taggart, was killed in the charge of the brigade at Utoy Creek in the vicinity of Utoy, Georgia."  Enoch was probably buried at the scene of the battle, as it was noted in the cemetery records of Boatman Cemetery that Enoch's body was not there, but a monument stands to him.

 

 Just a year later, the Meek family would again know loss.  Enoch's brother, James, enlisted on August 11, 1862 and also probably mustered in in September.  

He served in Company C of the 104th Ohio, enlisting also for three years or the war.  James was wounded in the engagement at Town Creek, North Carolina on February 20, 1865 and died of his wounds on March 17, 1865 in Baltimore, Maryland, probably in a military hospital there.

Town Creek, near the Cape Fear River, in North Carolina, was near Fort Anderson.  The Union marched toward Fort Anderson in February, 1865, with a detachment of the 104th Ohio skirmishing on the road leading to the fort.  The Confederates evacuated the fort during the night, but made  stand with fortifications and three pieces of artillery to command the approach to the bridge.  The Union managed to cross two brigades over on a flat boat about a mile from the bridge and they flanked the enemy.  Sixty one soldiers were wounded, and James Meek was one of them.  Wounded on February 20, 1865, he died of his wounds on March 16, 1865, in Baltimore, Maryland, probably at a hospital there.  

James is buried near his parents and grandparents, and Enoch's marker in Boatman Cemetery, East Palestine, Columbiana County.  James was 32 years old.

**I mistakenly sent for and received the pension record of a different James Meek of Columbiana County.  This soldier died in Andersonville and his file was quite extensive as father and later, his stepmother, tried to collect his pension.  The problem was that this James Meek had William Meek as a father, rather than James.  Sometime I will post this story as it is a good one.