This is the obit for my gg-grandfather John Edward Meader. For genealogists some obits are very dry giving only basic information. But once in a while the genealogist will find one like this that gives a wealth of information.  ¶ 8:51 AM 0 comments

 
The picture is of Lessons 4 and 5 from McGuffey's Eclectic First Reader. I would imagine this is the book that my gg-grandmother Emma Ann Young would have used to learn to read with. She was born a couple of miles south of Tipton, Indiana in 1851. In 1858-59 she moved with her family into the town of Tipton where they stayed for about two years before going to Iowa. When her parents (John S. and Mary B.C. Young) sold their farm they deeded one acre to the county to be used as a site for a school.  ¶ 2:58 PM 0 comments

 
In 1853 Samuel Meader (a ggg-grandfather and the son of Joel of the previous entry) and his family were living in section 31 of Washington Township, Henry County in the state of Ohio. He owned 80 acres. Of this, 13 acres were plowed and 67 was classified as wooded. He also owned an orchard. In 1854 the family left for Iowa by way of Milton, Wayne County, Indiana. By 1856 he and his family were farming a 200 acre farm in Beaver Township, Polk County in Iowa. The picture shows part of Henry County. Washington Township is in the top right corner. Section 31 is located in the bottom row of sections for Washington Township.  ¶ 2:03 PM 0 comments

 
This is a map of Concord Township in Elkhart, County, Indiana. Joel Meader (a fourth great-grandfather) bought a 40 acre farm (sw corner of the sw quarter of section 21) here in June 1847. I am assuming he lived on this farm until he died sometime before the 1850 census. Two of his sons also bought farms in this section. Valentine bought an 80 acre farm in 1843 and David purchased a 40 acre farm in 1845. The arrow between the letters O and N in the word Concord shows the approximate location of Joel's farm.  ¶ 10:08 AM 0 comments