Nancy Ellen Meeker

From her obituary in the Wednesday, Dec. 5, 1906, issue of the Wenatchee Daily World

Early Pioneer Passes Away: Mrs. Nancy Meeker dies at Pogue at the age of 81 years

Mrs. Nancy Meeker, one of the earliest pioneers of the state of Washington, quietly passed away at the home of her son, Aaron Meeker, of Pogue, last Saturday morning at the age of 81. Mrs. Meeker was step-mother of Ezra Meeker of Puyallup, and mother of Aaron Meeker and Mrs. Daniel of Pogue. The remains were brought to Wenatchee on yesterday's boat and are being prepared for shipment by Undertaker Sprague. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel accompanied the remains here and are guests of Mr. and Mrs. O. G. Fish.

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From her Find A Grave page:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=63303067

Nancy Burr Meeker

Mrs. Nancy Meeker was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, August 1, 1825, her maiden name being North. T. North, her father, was born in 1794, and was one of the pioneers of Pennsylvania. She lived in Mercer County until after marriage to Mr. David Solomon Burr, with whom she moved to Ohio and subsequently to Wisconsin. In April 1854, they started across the plains for the far West, but Mr. Burr was doomed never to reach his destination. He died of cholera and was buried near Fort Laramie, Wyoming.

The widow continued on with the train, and after a journey of six months finally reached Pierce County, Washington. The following year she became the wife of Jacob Redding Meeker who lost his first wife on the Oregon Trail at nearly the same place and time that Nancy lost her husband. The Indian war coming on, the settlers in Pierce county were compelled to seek refuge at Fort Steilacoom in the soldier's garrison, and from that place Mr. and Mrs. Meeker went to Steilacoom plains, settling on a claim of 320 acres in what today is known as South Tacoma. There they lived until they pre-empted 160 acres in Puyallup valley, where Mrs. Meeker continued to live after the death of her 2nd husband, Jacob in 1869. She had 150 acres in hops and hay.

Children

• Lewis Burr b. ca.1844
• Emeline "Emily" Burr b. ca. 1843 married Johnathon Bates in the family home
• Mariah Angelina Burr b. ca. 1847-1923 married Jerry Stilly
• Lynus Burr b. ca. 1848
• Samuel Burr b. ca. 1852
• Sarah Burr b. 1854 Born on the Oregon Trail.
• M. L. Meeker b. 1857 died in childhood
• Horace G. Meeker b. 1860 died in childhood
• Malinda Meeker b. 1863
• Aaron Meeker b. 1865

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1896/09/06 THE OLD ORCHARD, BY EZRA MEEKER

About 150 persons assembled in the old orchard planted by my father, Jacob R. Meeker, more than a generation ago, to celebrate the 71st birthday of the widow, Mrs. Nancy Meeker.

The orchard is on the old home place, half a mile from Sumner, where the settlement was made by my father and the survivors of the family still living on the place, in the year 1863. The Puyallup Valley was then uncleared, unimproved and one might say uninhabited. The donation law gave to each settler 320 acres of land, and so long as these tracts were undivided, of course only sparse settlements were possible.

Since that settlement and since that orchard was planted, the aggregate of a generation of the people of this world has died and a new generation has been born. A new civilization, one might say, has come upon the stage; a new era has been ushered in of amazing changes unheralded, silently revolutionizing the world. The abundance of the earth is of this day and generation. Of all these people congregated under the shadow of those venerable trees, not one was there that was not decently clad and not one showed by their vigor that they were supplied with abundance of food. It was a joy crowd that assembled to do honor to the lady who had lived so long in the one spot, and was still owner of the homestead.

Naturally the first thing to attend to was the feast spread upon long tables erected under the shade of the venerable trees to which everyone, large or small, old or young, gave attention and did justice to what was before them.

If one gets "filled" with "victuals," they are certain to get "full' of talk. It has always been so, and probably always will be so. At any rate, so it was upon this occasion for awhile, that everybody wanted to talk at the same time, lending that air of freedom so bewitching to those used only to "civilized?" restraints. However, there came a time when all came near together to listen to more formal talk and here it is in part:

On this spot in the year 1865, Jacob R. Meeker planted the first hops in the Puyallup Valley and really the first in the state, except a few gardens in Steilacoom. Six rows, "coming out this way—toward the tables—near where that big stump used to be," was settled as the site of the planting. The remains of the old log house a few rods distant showed where the first crop was cured "in the loft over the kitchen." The mate to this house was still standing, "where Fred Thompson—now of Yakima fruit fame—was born," as his father, L. F. Thompson had first settled there, and he and E. C. Meade had built the houses.

The talk turned on to the early settlement times of 53, when the first settlers came into the Puyallup Valley and to the Indian war times a couple of years later; how it became evident that trouble was brewing with the Indians; how the outbreak finally came by the massacre on the White River; how a friendly Indian gave the alarm; how the drive, pell mell out to ‘Steilacoom was made; how the people were camped with scant clothing and scant accommodations near the "garrison" at Steilacoom; how a party of 19 of the settlers came into the valley with guns in their hands to rescue their abandoned property; how meanwhile the military had abandoned the valley and retreated to "Montgomery's," on the prairie; how the little party of 19 were supposed to be lost and the troops ordered back; how finally the party and much property was saved and the whole valley abandoned for a season to the Indians. These and many more old-time reminiscences were told and retold one to another reviving the memories of the past and making all feel young again.

I cannot forbear recording the names of those present in this notable gathering and on this notable occasion, as far as able to obtain them. Of course there were many that were not of the pioneer days; in fact the majority were not, yet there were quite a number of "gray hairs" that will be readily recognized as of ye olden times." The following named persons were present:

• Mrs. Johnny Stewart, Bessie Stewart,
• Mrs. Wm. Thompson, Mrs. L. F. Thompson,
• W. C. Kincaid,
• Van Ogle,
• Rev. Mr. Hays,
• Misses Dollie and Susie Mead,
• Miss Jessie Seaman,
• Mrs. J. P. Stewart and Mrs. Carry Stewart,
• Mrs. W. J. Wood,
• Mrs. A. J. Queery,
• Miss Lizzie and Jennie Dickinson.
• Miss Nina Fish,
• James Stilley,
• Wm. Woolery,
• Jos. Dickenson,
• Mrs. Wm. Baker,
• Mrs. Z. Stone,
• Mr. Wallace,
• Miss Charlotte Wallace,
• Miss Alta Queery,
• Mrs. Taylor,
• Miss Cole,
• T.J. Lenover, Jennie and Edith Lenover,
• Miss Annie Fife,
• Mrs. O. M. Annis,
• Rev. Mr. J. Pritchard,
• Photographer Mitchell of Puyallup,
• S. T. Burr and wife, Rubie Baker and wife,
• W. J. Fife and wife,
• John Kincade and wife,
• L. J. Burr and wife,
• W. E. Daniels and wife,
• W. Wood and wife,
• E. D. Sweesy and wife,
• A. L:. Meeker and wife,
• W. Wood and wife,
• Jerry Stilley and wife, John Stilley and wife,
• O. Fish and wife, S. C. Fish and wife,
• J. W. McCartney and wife,
• Ralph Lenover and wife,
• C. Casewell and wife,
• Thomas Christopher and daughter, Lena and Nora and
• Mrs. Ann Fawcett,
• E. Meeker and wife.

These gatherings of "old timers" are both profitable and pleasant, and it is to be hoped there will be more of such reunions. In fact, it was unanimously voted that there should be.