Saturday morning at 2:30 John C. Meneely, Sr., died at his home on East Paris Street.
His demise was not due to any particular ailment but due to a general breaking down
of the fountain of life, due to old age, he being more than ninety years old. For several
days he had been quite ill, but was taken much worse Friday, and in the afternoon began
sinking, a condition that progressed until the summons came to the world beyond. His last
moments were peaceful, his life simply slipping away until he had inherited eternity.
By the death of John C. Meneely, Clinton county loses one of its oldest residents, a man
whose active years were closely associated with the county's best interests. He was born
in Cumberland County, or Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania, November 28, 1814, and was the
fourth child of John C. and Isabella Meneely. Shortly after his birth his parents moved to
Albany, New York, where his father piloted a steamboat on the Hudson plying to the coast.
A brother was the founder of a bell foundry in Troy, New York, which is yet in operation.
When four years old he came with his parents from Albany to Cincinnati by way of Pittsburg,
the journey from Pittsburg to Cincinnati being made by keel-boat. The family then went to
Greenfield, Highland County, Ohio where the father engaged in farming and school teaching,
the subject of this sketch assisting in the farm work. In 1830 the family moved to Butler
County, Ohio, a journey of considerable discouragements by reason of having to be made
overland. In Hamilton, Ohio, he was engaged in hauling pork for a packing house.
In February, 1836, he was married to Nancy Stewart, and to them were born five children:
Joseph, James A., Hannah, John C., and Nancy.
In 1836 and 1840 he voted for Martin VanBuren. Starting on election day by ox team for
Clinton County, Indiana, he settled three miles north-east of Frankfort on what is now
known as the James Messler farm. His father came in 1844 and settled on the Jacob Sheets
farm near Beard. A brother-in-law, Joseph Holliday, came in 1840 and surveyed a road from
Mt. Pleasant church to the Michigan road and settled on the William Silverthorn place on
that road.
Mrs. Meneely died in 1846 and he was married to Nancy M. Franklin. To this union seven
children were born: Ellen M., Sarah Belle, Franklin P., Alice, Margaret, Eliza, and
Alva Retta. He managed the affairs of the county farm on the Wesley Parvis farm for a
time. He sold the farm on which he first settled and went to Texas in a "prairie schooner'
(a covered wagon) in the spring of 1856 but returned the fall of that same year. In 1860
he bought 160 where Joseph Meneely now resides at Avery. Here his wife died in 1864. In
1865 he was married to Susan Davis. To this union was born one child, Charles A. In 1872
his wife died. That same year he began to grade and gravel the public square at Frankfort,
for which he received $9,000. In 1873 he was married to Mary Lee, and to them were born
two children, Ora L., and William C. In 1880 he moved to the farm just east of the brick
factory and continued contracting and building gravel roads in various parts of the county.
His wife died while he resided there, and in 1889 he was married to Susan J. Baker, of
Golfax, who survives him.
He is survived by the following children: Joseph Meneely, of Avery; Hannah N., wife of
Abraham Cashner, of Darlington; Sarah, wife of Cyrus Booher, of Darlington; Frank P.
Meneely, of Moscow , Idaho; Alice, wife of Alex Buchanan, of Darlington; Miss Lydia
Meneely, of Darlington; Charles, and William Meneely, of Frankfort; and Ora, wife of
Arch Gladman, of Yeddo, Ind.
He was one of the few that were so old that they were exempted from service in the army
during the civil war. In point of years of membership he was the oldest member of the
Masonic lodge in Indiana, having joined the Frankfort lodge of Masons January 6, 1848.
But few men were better known throughout Clinton County than the deceased, and with all
his acquaintances he was popular. He was possessed of a magnificent physique, and was
untiring in assisting others in time of need. He lived a useful life and left good works
as a never-crumbling monument.
The funeral was held Monday morning from the Christian church. The service was well
attended, there being a noticeable number of elderly friends of the deceased present.
The sermon was by Rev. Connor, of Irvington, the supply pastor of the Christian church
of this city. It consisted largely of lessons drawn from the long and sturdy life of the
deceased.
The internment was at Bunnell, the exercises at the grave being under the auspices of
the Masonic lodge at Michigantown, of which he was an honorary member.
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02/18/2007 09:38:49 PM
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Revised: 02/18/07.
