Person:Conrad Meir (1)

We first find Conrad living with his parents in Hay, Huron Co., Ontario in 1861 Census. He is 5 years old. Conrad, his father and siblings were all baptized Catholic at The Immaculate Conception Church in Formosa, Bruce Co., Ontario, Canada on June 8 1867. (Copies of these records were seen at the home of Rita Schill in Formosa, Ontario in Sept of 1996.) At the time of his baptism he was 11 years old. Up until that time he was raised Lutheran. I have not been able to locate any Lutheran church records for Huron Co., Ontario that mention Conrad or his brother Henry. The next time we find Conrad Sr is in the 1871 census in Bruce Co., Ontario with his parents. He was 14 years old. The records indicate that Conrad Sr came to Michigan about 1877 with his uncle Justus Mier. We know he worked at lumbering. It seems that he went back and forth between Canada and MI for a few years. He states in his Declaration of Intention that he officially came to MI on Ap 11, 1879. In 1880 Conrad is found living with John Massel in Klacking Creek, Ogemaw Co. MI (This is probably the son of Elizabeth Meir and John Massel. Elizabeth was the sister of William Meir father of Conrad.) Conrad married Mary Ann Wangler in Oct of 1880. She was the daughter of Joseph and Kate Geiger from Grey Co., Ontario. There is not an official record of this marriage in Ogemaw Co. but it is in our family information. On April 7, 1884 Conrad attended the Township Meeting held at the Chase School. It was moved & supported that Conrad Meir be elected overseer of Highway. Distict No 7 and the motion carried. He is listed as Constable of Campbell Corners in 1884-85 and signed the Oath of Constable. Conrad is listed in the First Landowners of Ogemaw County on page 40. It shows that he purchased 40 acres in section 15 in township 23 North - Range 3 East Cumming Township in 1892. Land records in Ogemaw Co also show that Conrad sold land in 1878. It used to be the practice to live on the land, improve it and then purchase it. Also many early land tractions between lumber companies and workers were not recorded. In the 1900 census Conrad and his family are still in Klacking Twp., Ogemaw Co., MI. On plat maps of the year 1903, we find C. Meir owning property in sections 15 and 22 of Cumming Twp. and land in sections 26, 35, and 36 of Klacking Twp. In the 1910 census Conrad and his family are in Ogemaw and he tells us that he came to the United States in 1876. We have also found Conrad in the 1920 census with his family. He tells that he came to the US in 1887 and that his Naturalization papers were lost. I feel that the date given in the 1920 census should be 1877 and that I just couldn't read it correctly. Conrad worked as a lumberman and a farmer. In his obituary we learn that he was a "jobber" in the early days. At the Rose City Library I found a paper by Sherry Parker called Shanty Boys And Sawdust in it on page 15 she writes "An interesting type of lumberman, seldom mentioned, was the "jobber." A jobber would contract with a larger firm to lumber off a specified area for land in return for so much money per thousand board feet. A jobber would supply all the equipment necessary and would hire the men needed to do the job. Jobbers in Ogemaw County were mostly farmers who cleared off small portions of land for the larger lumber firms." According to family stories Conrad Sr. was afraid that during World War I they would take his sons off to war. It was told that's when he sold the farm and moved to town. Aunt Josephine told her children that she hid in the attic because she didn't want to move. Aunt Ina remembers that when it was time for her to go to high school she lived in town with her grandparents. She remembers grandpa as always having candy for her when she came home from school. We have many of pictures of Conrad and Mary Wanger Mier. It was hard times and they were strong people.

Ogemaw County Herald, West Branch, Ogemaw Co., MI, West Branch, Ogemaw Co., MI "Thursday, the 14th, was an enjoyable day for Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Meir of West Branch, when some of their children dropped in and spent a few hours with them to honor their father's 77th birthday. All partook of a delicious chicken dinner. Those in attendance were, Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Mier, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Mike Fritz, Mrs. Henry Griffin, and Mr. and Mrs. Billie Brick. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mier are hale and hearty and their many friends wish them many more years of happiness."

Ogemaw County Herald, West Branch, Ogemaw Co., MI, West Branch, Ogemaw Co., MI Nov 1934 "Conrad Meir Buried Saturday Morning Conrad Meir, Sr. was born in Bruce county. Ontario, Canada, and died at his home on November 14, 1934. He had been ill for about a year, his death being caused by cancer. Mr. Meir was one of the pioneers of Ogemaw county, having come from Canada as a young man and worked in the lumber woods around West Branch, Rose City and Damon. He also drove a tote team and contracted lumber jobs. He purchased a wild piece of land at Klacking Creek, known as the Red house, and hewed this out of a dense forest as there was only a trail from West Branch to Klacking Creek. He helped to blaze a road through the wilderness and at times they were in such poor condition that it was impossible to put teams through. When his brother Gust and brother-in-law Frank Holdried moved here from Canada the children had to be carried on the men's backs to their home at Klacking Creek. Con Meir had the first team of horses and the first threshing machine. At times he used the ox team to run the threshing machine. Later he sold the red house and moved north to the cement house that he built, now known as the Thomas Baird house. About sixteen years ago he sold the farm and moved to West Branch where he lived until the time of his death. He was married to Mary Wangler in 1880. He is survived by his wife, a brother, Henry Meir, three sons. Conrad Jr., Albert and Ameal and three daughters, Mrs. Mike Schneider of St. Clair, Mrs. Mike Fritz of West Branch and Mrs. Alvin Houck of Mildmay, Canada, and Mrs. Harry Griffin. Funeral services were held from the St. Joseph church at 10 a.m. Saturday, November 17, with burial at West Branch and Rev. Fr. U.A. Miller, officiating. Out of town relatives who attended the funeral were: George and Frank Brindley of Lansing. Mr. and Mrs. William Wangler of Detroit, Mrs. Thomas Loughlin, Mrs. Wm. Shay, Detroit: Mr. and Mrs. Mile Schneider, Mrs. Thomas Woods, St. Clair; Mrs. Gordon Miller and son from Kansas City, Missouri; Mr. and Mrs. Roy Bragg and family, Flint; Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Brownyer, Detroit, and Mr. and Mrs. John Brown also of Detroit."

Ogemaw County Herald, West Branch, Ogemaw Co., MI, West Branch, Ogemaw Co., MI "A CORRECTION In the obituary of Conrad Meir, Sr., in last weeks issue, we neglected to state that there were thirty-five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren."

"CARDS OF THANKS We wish to thank the neighbors and friends for their kindnesses shown us through the sickness and death of our husband and father, also thanking those for the beautiful flowers and mass cars. Mrs. Conrad Meir and family."