Jacob B. Meyer (1836-1887)

Jacob B. Meyer was born on 22 Feb 1836 in Hettingen, Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (his obituary says “near Trier, in the Renish province”) as the second child of Bernard Meyer and Gertrud Hart. He had four siblings, namely: Elisabetha, Margaretha, Theodore, and Leonard. He was baptized in the Catholic Church as “Jacobus Mayer” on 22 Feb 1836 in Katholisch, Metterich, Rheinland, Prussia (now Metterich, Bitburg-Prum, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany).

Germany

Jacob Meyer is a fairly common name and it is believed that he immigrated to America alone, so his immigration has not been found. For example, there were Jacob Meyers of the right age, traveling alone, who arrived on the William Frothingham on 03 Jan 1860 and the Zurich on 1 Sep 1860. His obituary said he went to Missouri when he first arrived. But it also said that he arrived in 1826, ten years before his birth. So, his arrival date and early days in America are a mystery to us still. But, we do know that he was in Illinois by early 1862.

He was mustered into the Union Army at Cairo, Alexander, Illinois, on 08 Feb 1862. He was new to the country, but that didn’t stop him from fighting in the American Civil War. His pension file and obituary said that he fought for the Missouri 8th Infantry for three months first, but then got sick and was discharged. He signed up again when he felt better. The Illinois service was his second enlistment. Jacob participated in three major battles before getting sick again and leaving service. This time, he was a member of Company K of the 25th Regiment of the Indiana Infantry. He entered service as one of the reinforcements who helped the Union win the battle at Fort Donelson, near the Kentucky-Tennessee border, 12-16 Feb 1862.

The company then fought at the Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee, 06-07 Apr 1862.

Then, he was involved in the siege or First Battle of Corinth at Corinth, Mississippi.

The march to Corinth may have caused Jacob to become permanently disabled. It took a month to make the march. The weather was bad and there was not very much good water to drink. This made dysentery and typhoid very common among the soldiers. In July, 1862, Jacob suffered from sunstroke and contracted chronic diarrhea. He was hospitalized in Memphis, Tennessee for a couple months and then transferred to a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, where he spent another four months. On 07 Feb 1863, he was discharged from the army. His certificate of disability for discharge stated that he could not perform the duties of a soldier because of chronic diarrhea producing general emaciation, which incapacitated him for duty in the U.S. Army.

After his discharge, Jacob went to Le Salle County, Illinois, where his parents lived. It was there that he, at age 30, married Barbara Mary Stadler, daughter of Georg Adam Stadler and Katharina Barbara Muench, on 29 Jan 1867 in St John Lutheran Church, Mendota, La Salle, Illinois.

Jacob B. Meyer and Barbara Mary Stadler had the following children who they had baptized in the Catholic church:

1. Jacob Meyer was born in Aug 1869 in Mendota, La Salle, Illinois.
2. Frank M Meyer was born on 05 Jan 1871 in Illinois.  He married Katharine E Vonehwegen on 04 Mar 1896 in Wall Lake, Sac, Iowa. He died on 30 Jun 1952 in Sac, Iowa.
3. Mathias Meyer was born on 04 Mar 1873 in Lee, Illinois. He married Cathrine Lady on 06 Nov 1894 in Ida Grove, Ida, Iowa. He died on 27 Oct 1928 in Odebolt, Sac, Iowa.
4. Robert Meyer was born on 18 Sep 1874 in Illinois. He married Eva Anna Barkley on 15 Jul 1896 in Ida Grove, Ida, Iowa. He died on 08 Apr 1952 in Los Angeles, California.
5. Christena Meyer was born on 09 Aug 1876 in Illinois. She married Adam Edward Schade on 13 Feb 1895 in Sac, Iowa. She died in 1951 in Iowa.
6. Katharina Meyer was born on 24 Oct 1878 in Lee, Illinois.  She married John George Schnell on 08 Jul 1897 in Richland, Sac, Iowa. She married Amos D Ingram on 15 Jul 1937 in Fort Dodge, Webster, Iowa. She died on 22 Dec 1951 in Loring Hospital, Sac City, Sac, Iowa.
7. Barbara Mary Meyer was born on 09 Jun 1881 in Mendota, La Salle, Illinois. She married Harry Allen Lawrence Fawcett on 03 Aug 1899 in Sac City, Sac, Iowa. She died on 24 Mar 1972 in Austin, Mower, Minnesota.
8. Jerome Adam Meyer was born on 29 Mar 1884 in Odebolt, Sac, Iowa. He married Ocy Mae Cornell on 15 Feb 1907 in Correctionville, Woodbury, Iowa. He died on 12 Jun 1964 in Storm Lake, Buena Vista, Iowa.
9. Hieronimus Meyer was born on 22 Oct 1886 in Odebolt, Sac, Iowa. He married Florence Gardiner on 24 Aug 1906 in Woodbury, Iowa. He died before 1964.
10. Infant Daughter. The birth date of this daughter isn’t yet known so we don’t know where she fit into the birth order of the children.

Jacob and Barbara Meyer started their married life in Mendota, La Salle, Illinois. His father had purchased a couple lots in the town of Mendota in 1863.

At the time of the 1870 Federal Census, Jacob and Barbara lived near his family at Mendota, La Salle, lllinois. Jacob’s dad and brother were day laborers. But, Jacob was listed as a farmer. He didn’t own his own land, but his occupation was listed as farmer.

In December 1879, Jacob filed for a disability pension. The conditions he was left with, after fighting in the war, no longer allowed him to work as a farmer. This started years of going back and forth with the government fighting for a pension. The pension office acknowledged that had been given a disability discharge, but needed proof and evidence and more proof and more evidence of the nature of his sickness.

By the time of the 1880 Federal Census, Jacob and Barbara had moved to Lee Center, Lee, Illinois, and his parents had moved to Joliet, Will, Illinois. Jacob was listed as a farmer, but he was also recorded as disabled so as unable to attend to ordinary business or duties.

Despite his disability, shortly after the 1880 census was taken, the Meyer family, along with many of their neighbors, moved from Illinois to Iowa. They settled in Richland Township, Sac County, Iowa. The 1885 Iowa State Census tells us that they lived in the SW 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of section 28, Township 87, Range 38, Richland Township, Sac, Iowa. His will showed that he owned 160-acres, the entirety of the NW 1/2. They were just northwest of the town of Odebolt.

Jacob B. Meyer died on 07 May 1887 in Richland, Sac, Iowa. He was only 51-years old. He was buried in St. Martin’s Cemetery.

Jacob left a will bequeathing everything to his beloved wife, Barbara to use during her lifetime, “

…I give, devise and bequeath to my beloved wife Barbary Meyer all my household furniture and all personal property whatsoever I may have, including horses, cattle and hogs and all other personal effects after paying all my just debts. I also give to her the use, improvement and income of my land one hundred and sixty acres in Sac County, Iowa, being the northwest quarter of Section 28, Township No. 87, north of Range 38, to have and to hold the same to her during her natural life then to be equally divided among my children…

Where is he in the tree?

How can I find out more?

To learn more about Jacob and his family, see my book The Meyer Family.

The Meyer Family

Selected Sources:

Ancestry.com, 1870 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2003), www.ancestry.com, Year: 1870; Census Place: Mendota, La Salle, Illinois; Roll: M593_244; Page: 369A; Family History Library Film: 545743.

Ancestry.com, 1880 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010), www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1880; Census Place: Lee Center, Lee, Illinois; Roll: 225; Family History Film: 1254225; Page: 341A; Enumeration District: 118; Image: 0403. Record for Jacob Meyer. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1880usfedcen&h=21366390&indiv=try.

Ancestry.com, Germany, Select Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014), Ancestry.com, Record for Jacobus Mayer, FHL Film Number: 546078. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=FS1GermanyBirthsandBaptisms&h=25819077&indiv=try.

Bernard Mayer, grantee, Deeds, 1831-1943; indexes, 1834-1901, Items 2-5 General index grantee, v. 12-15 1861-1872, image 360 of 830 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSV4-4GSC?i=359&cat=531001 : accessed 17 Feb 2018), Family Search – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Frank Jacob Meyer, Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/60330708#view-photo=104539119 : accessed 17 Feb 2018). Photos posted by Stephanie Fleenor who encourages us to use her photos as needed.

Richland Township, Sac County, Iowa, Acre Value (https://www.acrevalue.com/plat-map/IA/ : accessed 18 Feb 2018).