From the Frankfort Weekly News - January 21, 1905


DEATH OF A PIONEER

JOHN C MENEELY, SR., SUCCUMBS TO THE RIGORS OF OLD AGE

Sinks peacefully to His Last Sleep After Four Score and Ten Years of Life - Funeral Monday

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. 

 


 


Jeremiah Meneely Family History of John Clinton Meneely the Younger John C Meneely son of Noble Cunningham Meneely Obit from Frankfort Morning Times Obit from Frankfort Weekly News Pictures Memoir of Dr Alexander Howard Meneely Ken & Noma Meneely Thomas Grant 3rd john hannah William Jane Meneely William Henery Meneely Children


Clan Home Newsletters Notable Meneely's EVENTS Ulster-Scots Questions Comments Updates Links Site Map

This site was last updated 11/19/10

Dave Cuzzort, Clan Webmaster


Website hosted by Meneely.net

 Thanks to Dean and Melissa Meneely

Server Maintenance is costly and time consuming

Donations are greatly appreciated.  

11/19/2010 01:51:55 PM

Copyright © 2005 Clan.Meneely.net. All rights reserved.
Revised: 11/19/10.