Henry Meldrum and Charity Lane

Henry Meldrum was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Probably near Columbia and West Hempfield. He was an only child of Samuel Meldrum and Ann Mariah Zell. His father and mother left Pennsylvania in 1836 and traveled to Ohio. There in Ohio in about 1849 Henry's father died. Quickly Ann Mariah left and traveled to Milton, Wayne, Indiana to be with her parents. We do not know where they had lived in Ohio. We have not found any death records for Samuel Meldrum.

The first picture of Henry we believe to be taken when he was first married. The second picture I received it from Charles Thomas Meldrum's family. It is a tin type. Notice the same beard. Henry owned a casket factory and made caskets for the Civil War. He knew how to blow glass and was an artist in carving wood. On the census he put his occupation as cabinet maker and farmer. We would like to know more about him. I have a copy of his will and what he left each child. After giving each child a few momentos, the majority of his estate was sold to pay any debts and to give each child a few dollars. He died 17 Sep 1896 in Rigdon, Grant County, Indiana.

He is buried in the Forrestville cemetery in Madison Co., Indiana. Rigdon is on the boarder of Madison and Grant. Even though he and Charity are not in the same cemetery, they are not many miles apart.

Charity Lane was born 15 Dec 1829 in Ohio. This is the only picture I have ever seen of Charity. George Raresheid Meldrum's family had a small copy that we took a photo of. It is reported that she had red hair. She came from the Lane family. It was confirmed time and time again that Henry married above himself by marrying Charity.

We know nothing of Charity's parents. She was born in Ohio. She was married in 1849 (before the 1850 census). It is one of my goals to find her parents. Other Lanes lived in Rigdon at the same time as Charity, but I have not been able to connect her with them.

She died 27 Aug 1871 in Rigdon, Indiana. and is bured in Independence cemetery. The stones at this cemeter were scattered around and later put back together with angle iron. The DAR published death dates and put Charity dying in 1870. We know this is incorrect bacause of the birth date of her last child. I am sure that Henry made her casket. We do not know cause of death. I have not found any obituary for either Charity or Henry. There were no death records at that time in the state of Indiana. I have contacted the sexton for the cemetery records and for the religious records. No records exist.The Methodist Church that they belonged to burned in 1863. It was rebuilt and collasped in 1910. A new church was built and burned in 1914.  The picture below shows the as it stands today.

Samuel Meldrum 5th child of Henry and Charity

Henry and Charity lost their 5th child. His name was Samuel (named after Henry's father).
He was born 21 Jul 1858 in Bentonville, Posey Twp, Fayette County, Indiana.
He died Apr 1859. This information comes from the family bible. I did not find a headstone
for him.

Ann Mariah Meldrum

Ann Mariah Meldrum was the 1st child of Henry Meldrum and Charity Lane. She was born 3 Nov 1840 in Bentonville, Fayette County, Indiana.  She was named after her fathers mother, Ann Mariah Zell. From her fathers estate she received 6 solid silver teasoons with the initials A.W.R. and a black tibit. She did not receive any money because she and her husband owed Henry $180.00 and this was taken out of her inheritance.

She married James Lane Francis 17 Jul 1870 in Grant County, Indiana. On the 1900 census she says that she has had 6 children and only two are alive. We are showing 8 children.

James Lane Francis was born 8 Jan 1850 in Indiana. He owned a painting and paper hanging shop.

Only two children lived.

James Lane Francis in front of his store. Sons, Aubrey (left) and Willie (right).

Mary Grace Meldrum

Mary Grace Meldrum was the 2nd child of Henry Meldrum and Charity Lane. Mary Grace was born 27 Jan 1853 in Bentonville, Fayette County, Indiana. After her mother died and left 10 children to raise, Mary Grace took over the family. I have heard that the boys were not happy with her strict control. Her baby brother was only a few months old. What an enormous job she must have had. She died on 13 Sep 1925. She is buried in East Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, Indiana.

On 19 Feb 1884 she married Doctor Charles Estes Riggs in Grant County, Indiana. They had four children. The last two children died at birth. We have no names and no sex for these children.

Dr. Riggs had been married previously to Nancy E. Campbell, and Sarah A. Compton and had many children. He died before 1896 and I cannot find where he is buried.

Wedding picture of Mary Grace Meldrum

from left to right

Ann Mariah, Catherine Lutheria and Mary Grace

Catherine Lutheria Meldrum

Catherine Lutheria Meldrum was the 3rd child of Henry Meldrum and Charity Lane. Catherine was born 17 Nov 1855 in Bentonville, Fayette Co., Indiana. She married George Frank Safford on 15 Jul 1874. She was the mother to one girl and 2 boys. She died 29 Mar 1836 in Fairmount, Indiana

George Safford was born about 1854 in West Virginia. and died Apr 1933. Both Catherine and George were buried in the Jones Cemetery, Yorktown, Delaware County, Indiana.

William Henry Meldrum

William Henry Meldrum was the 4th child of Henry Meldrum and Charity Lane. He was born 16 Jun 1856 in Bentonville, Posey Twp., Fayette County, Indiana. While a small child, he came with his parents to Grant County where he lived and grew to manhood. After his fathers death, he took over the casket factory for a time. He was married to Martha Belle Rigdon, 9 September 1883. To this union were born 7 children, four sons and three daughters. In 1904 he moved to Hendricks County near Danville, Indiana where for many years he was a successful farmer.

William died 28 Oct 1935 and was buried in the Forestville Cemetery Madison Co., Indiana.

Martha Bell Rigdon was born May 1863 and died 1924 and was buried in the Danville South Cemetery in Danville, Hendricks County, Indiana. She was the dughter of Dr. Pryor Ridon for whom the town of Rigdon was named.

George Rareshied Meldrum

George Raresheid Meldrum was the 6th child of Henry Meldrum and Charity Lane. He was born 12 Jan 1860 in Fayette County, Indiana. The name George Raresheid came from the man his grandmother married after the death of Samuel Meldrum. He was from Germany, and I am told he was wealthy and loved by all the family.
George was an excellent swimmer, and when one of the boys from Rigdon tried to swim the Wasbash and nearly drowned, George saved him and was given a gold medal by the town.
He came to Utah in 1890. On the census he is listed as a painter and paperhanger and worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad in Salt Lake City, docorating the enterior of the passenger cars.
George and Frank were both member of W.O.W. (Woodworkers of the World). They bought adjoining property and Frank built a blacksmith shop and house west of his shop. George built a shop for his painting, with three rooms at the rear in which to live, as was the custom then.
 He was first married to Ellen Neal 12 Dec 1889 in Witchita Kansas.  Ella refused to have children. She died after seventeen years of marriage and many abortions. George took her body from Utah back to Kansas for burial.

He then married Charlotte Lilrus Reynolds Spencer who had 5 children with Leonard P. Spencer. Leonard Spencer had died at the age of 29 of pneumonia.

They were married the 23 Jan 1905 in Salt Lake City. 

One story told by a daughter was that she and a little sister and an older brother went with their father, George, to get produce from a farmer. They were in a wagon; George told them to wait. For some reason, the horses spooked and ran blindly toward the river. Just then a Model T Ford came by; there were very few cars then. George was on the running board and leaped for the horses' heads to stop them. George had always hated cars and said they would never replace the horse.

He had 6 children with Charlotte. 

On 11 Aug 1919 George went fishing. He stepped into a large hole in the Bear River, and as he was wearing hip boots to wade out, they filled with water and held him down. He drowned, with one of his sons trying to hold his head up.

He is buried in the Elwood Cemetery, Elwood, Utah as there was no cemetery in Tremonton.

Charlotte Lilrus Reynolds was born 12 Nov 1872 near Springfield, Clahoun County, Illinois and died 16 Nov 1926 in Odgen, Weber, Utaqh. She is buried in Brigham City, Utah.

Ida May Meldrum

Ida May Meldrum is the 7th child of Henry Meldrum. Her mother was Charity Lane. Ida May was born 1 Jan 1862 in Rigdon, Grant, Indiana. Very little is known about Ida May. She first married Frank Edmont Lillybeck on the 5 Jan 1883. He was a wood worker and machinist. She divorced him. They had no children. When her sister Mary Grace was married in 1884 the sisters had their picture taken. Ida May was not in the picture. On 22 Sep 1886 she marries Aaron J. Hiatt and dies on the 15 Jul 1887. I have not been able to find her final resting place or her headstone.  Her death date was on the family bible that Violet Meldrum copied. She was just 25 years old. The only picture I found was very small and looked burned.

Charles Thomas Meldrum

Charles Thomas Meldrum was the 8th child of Henry Meldrum. His mother was Charity Lane. He was born 5 Oct 1864 in Bentonville, Posey Twp., Fayette County, Indiana.

He married Martha Jane Puckett the 24 Feb 1889 in Grant County, Indiana.

 In 1900 he and his family are in Mullhall, Logan Co., Oklahoma. The family is living with a Daniel Heuston, uncle of Martha. Daniel had a very nice home and was a great support to this family. In his will Daniel left money for them. Then in 1920, Charles is back in Scott County, Missouri. They were blessed with 7 children.
Charles died 17 May 1932; Martha died 18 Nov 1937 and both are buried in Maple Grove Cemetery, Wichita, Kansas.

Martha Jane Puckett was born September 1867 in Missouri. She had an interesting childhood. Her father Joseph D. Puckett served in the Civil War. He suffered camp fever and cronic diarrhea and was a prisoner of war. After returning home from war, he married Frances Eliza Huston and had two daughters. He left his family and his wife applied for a widows pension in 1890. I have included a picture of Martha's mother and sister, Mary Frances.

John Perish Meldrum

John Perish Meldrum was the 9th child of Henry Meldrum. His mother was Charity Lane. He was born 10 March 1867 in Liberty twp., Grant County, Indiana. After marrying Eva Fite on 23 Feb 1887 in Madison County, Indiana, they moved to Wichita, Kansas. They had 3 children but were divorced. Eva lived with one of her sons after the divorce.

John was described by a daughter-in-law as being very kind but overbearing. It seems that none of his sons had a chance to name their children. All names were decided upon by John.

Before 1900 he married Frances Christina McWilliams. Frances had had three children in a previous marriage and all died to an epidemic of dytheria. She married John Meldrum and had two children.

Frances was born about 1867 in Kentucky. Her mother died when she was eight and her father disappeared after building a high bridge in St. Louis. When she ten years old, she was left an orphan. Her father was born in West Virginia and her mother in Paris, France.

Frances died 25 Apr 1943  and John died 4 Jun 1951 and both are buried in Memorial Park, Sikeston, Missouri.

Richard Franklin Meldrum

Richard Franklin Meldrum was the 10th child of Henry Meldrum. He was born 27 May 1870 at Rigdon, Grant, Indiana. When just a baby, his mother died leaving his father to care for ten children. His father was a mortician and carved caskets. Richard liked to tell the story that his father baby sat him and used the casket for a playpen. Frank worked with his father while at home. He also became an excellent glass blower. When he was eighteen years of age, he came to Utah to visit his brother, George R. Meldrum and stayed.

Here are some descriptions of "Frank". He had a commanding figure, tall, erect and a most affable and pleasing manner. He loved children. No hour was too busy to listen to a child. They told him their stories and listened to his. He was a scientific and capable workman in every branch of the blacksmith and carriage makers trade. In horseshoeing, Mr. Meldrum has no superior. After the advent of cars, he built a forge on the back of his truck and took the Blacksmith Shop to the farmers. He was a reliable veterinarian too.

He married Harriett Lancaster 20 Nov 1892 in Salt Lake City.

Harriett Lancaster was born 17 Sep 1874 at West Jordan in Utah Territory, where she lived until her marriage. They were blessed by 4 children. When somone asked about her life she said, "Why I don't know what it would be. All I've ever done is milk cows and feed pigs, and work."

She was a familiar figure dashing through the fields riding sideways, not saddle, just a sursingle--going at a high gallop. No fences ever deterred her. She just went over. She would put one child in back, another in front, and take off at high speed to help needy or sick neighbors.

Harritt had beautiful red hair til the day she died.

Richard Franklin died 15 May 1948 and Harriett died 14 Jan 1959 and both are buried in Tremeonton, Box Elder, Utah

Harry Burnard Meldrum

Harry Burnard Meldum was the twelfth child of Henry Meldrum. His mother Mary Elendar Knox was the second wife of Henry. Harry was born 20 Dec 1875 in Rigdon, Grant County, Indiana. He was a hard worker and always provided for his family. He traveled with his brother Samuel to Utah and stayed for a short time with his half brother George Rairsheid. While there he married Alice Jemina Cole the 25 Jun 1904 in Utah. He died 13 Apr 1931 in Palto Alto, California. The pictures of Harry and not good ones but the only ones I have found. 

Alice Jemina Cole was a very pretty petite woman. Her daughter, Ruby says "mother was very tiny, wore a size 2 shoe and could not find gloves to fit. Mother's hair was black and very long.  She was a very loving person".  Both Harry and Alice were cremated. He was scattered under his daughters tree and Alice is in a crematorium in Palto Alto, California.

Samuel Meldrum

Samuel Meldrum was the 11th child of Henry Meldrum. His mother was Mary Elendar Knox. Samuel was named after Henry's father. He was born 17 Dec 1873 in Rigdon, Grant County, Indiana. After his father died in 1897, he and his brother traveled to Utah to visit his brother George Raresheid Meldrum. Both Harry and Samuel then went to California. He married Ida A. Brally about 1903. I do not know the location of the marriage. He died 24 Aug 1929 in Vacaville, California.

Ida A. Bralley was born about 1880 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the mother of three children. She died in Vacaville, Solano County, California.

Samuel Meldrum and Ann Mariah Zell

Caution!! Be careful! Do not think that Samuel Meldrum is the son of Henry Meldrum born about 1750 and lived in West Hempfield all of his life. The land and property records list all of Henry's sons and daughters, sons- in- laws and even grandchildren. Samuel is not listed. There is some connection between Samuel and Henry but to date the connection is unknown.

Samuel Meldrum and Ann Mariah Zell

This is a picture of West Hempfied.

Here in West Hempfield, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvvania is where we first find Samuel Meldrum on the 1830 census. From a family bible, his birth date is listed as 5 Jun 1802. We do not know place of birth or parents. Samuel is found in several history books of Pennsylvania as starting the Methodist Episcopal Church in a small town close to West Hempfield called Mount Joy.

Samuel married Ann Mariah Zell by Rev. Neeleat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on the 22 Feb 1927.

Ann Mariah Zell was born 20 Jan 1809 in Chester Co. Pennsylvania. Her father was Jacob Zell and mother Sarah. She died 22 Feb 1883 in Rigdon, Grant County, Indiana at her sons home. She was buried Feb 1883 in East Germantown, Pershing, Wayne County, Indiana. The following is her obituary as it appeared in the newspaper.

Maria Zell was born in Chester county, Penn., Jan 20 1809. In the 16th years of her age she joined the M.E. Church at a camp meeting at Columbia, Penn, and remained a member to her death, Feb 22 1883, aged 74 years, 1 month and 2 days. She was married to Samuel Meldrum on the 22th of Feb. 1827. In 1836, they moved to Ohio, where Mr. Meldrum died in 1839, leaving one son, Henry, who survives her. In 1840 she moved to Milton with her parents and in 1942 she was married to George Rairsheid, who died Nov. 19, 1873.  She again married Andrew Bragg who has gone before her to the other world. She had been making her home with her son Henry, in Grant County, for some time past, who brought her remains here Friday Evening, Feb 23th, to the residence of her sister, Mrs. Wm. Booth.  Funeral services were conducted the following Sunday at the M.E. Church at 10 1/2 o'clock A.M., Rev. Marlatt officiating. Interment at East Germantown. Life's chequered scenes are o'er.

The headstone to the left is for George Rareshied or Rairsheid. He and Ann Mariah never had any children together. He seemed to be a good stepfather for Henry. At one point, he gives land to Henry. George sponsored other members of his family from Germany. When we were at the cemetery, his headstone was one of the largest, the top spike being broken off.

Ann Mariah was also buried at this site. The bottom picuture shows that Ann M. wife of George Rareshied is buried here.

I have heard from members of the family that Ann Mariah was a cute German grandmother who was very loved.