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.