Person:William Mier (1)

We have not be able to find out exactly when William Meir first arrived in North America. The story goes that they left Germany shortly after their marriage. The trip was three months long and it was their honeymoon. There was a terrible storm and the captain asked everyone if they had done any work, such as sewing, on Sunday. It was determined that someone had been sewing so they tossed the garment into the sea and the storm subsided. This is why Regina (little grandma) never allowed any sewing to be done on Sundays. There is a picture in the Josphine Meir Fritz album labeled "1895 50th Wedding Anniversary of William and Regina Meir". They are dressed in warm clothing so it may have been the fall of 1895. That would put their marriage in the fall of year 1845. From this information we are assuming that they arrived in North America sometime between 1846 and 1848. William's father, Gotfried, purchased property in Sept 1848 and William's oldest son, August, was born on 9 Nov 1848 in Waterloo Co. Ontario Canada. In Canada, at the time, often property was cleared and made ready for farming and once those improvements had been made you could purchase the property. As for where in Germany William came from we have not been able to find out. Regina was referred to as little grandma and had a gift for healing. When there was illness or accident Regina was called to come and pray over the sick or injured. According to family stories (Dorothy (Griffin) Wachowski remembers her mother, Mary Ann (Mier) Griffin Shepard telling her) Regina worked as a waitress and used to wear an apron and the customers paid in silver and the apron used to get really heavy. Where and when this took place she doesn't know. We found William in the 1851 census in Woolwich, Waterloo Co., Ontario, Canada. In this census he and the children are listed as Lutheran and Regina is listed as Catholic. He says he will be 25 years old on his next birthday. The census was actually taken in Jan of 1852 . On the Agricultural census William lived on Concession D, Lot 58, he had 18 acres all "Under wood or wild". The next record located was a land purchases in Huron Co. in 1855. We located William in the 1861 census in Hay Twp., Huron Co., Canada. He says he is 34 years old (b 1827). In 1866 he purchased land in Concession 14 from the crown in Culross, Bruce Co., Ontario, Canada. The obituary of Henry (third child of William & Regina) states that he was born in Formosa, Ontario in 1852. If this is correct William was living in Bruce Co., Ontario before the land purchase in 1866. This is very possible. At that time they usually settled on the land started clearing and farming and then they were able to purchase their property. The next record we found was in the 1867 Directory of the County of Bruce Canada West. This directory lists a William, Michael, Justus and Henry John Mier/Meir. Also in 1867 all of the William Meir family was baptized at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Formosa. We found all of the above mentioned Meirs/Miers in the 1871 Census in Carrick and Culross, Bruce Co., Ontario. William listed his age as 43 (b 1828) It appears that Justus and his family along with Conrad (son of William) and his brother-in-law Frank Holdied (husband of William's daughter Elizabeth) arrived in Michigan in 1877/78. Land was purchased by Justus, William and Conrad in 1878 in Ogemaw Co. MI. However, William is still listed as a property owner in the 1880 Bruce Co. Directory. (We have not been able to completely research land records yet) Henry John was still in Bruce Co. Ontario in the 1881 census but appears in a listing of the 1884 Residents in Mecosta Co. MI. We have concluded that the Mier/Meri family arrived here between 1877 and 1884. William's brother Michael and sister Elizabeth Massel both died before these dates and their families remained in Canada. This following is an obituary for William that Tari McClain had. "William Meir, aged 87 years, died at his home in this city last Saturday morning. A general breaking of health incident to old age was the cause of his demise. Until within the past year "Uncle Billy," as he was familiarly called, was a daily figure upon our streets. He was known and respected by all. Over thirty years ago Wm Mier and family came to Ogemaw county. They were among the pioneer settlers here and have witnessed the many changes that time has brought about in the county and city. A fine sturdy type of the German race. Mr. Meir's life was marked with honesty and industry. Advancing years made it necessary for him to retire from active labors and with his wife he settled in a comfortable home on Second street where his last years were spent. Sometime over ten years ago they celebrated their golden wedding, an event that falls to the lot of but few couples, and since then many family reunions have made joyous the declining years of the venerable couple. The deceased is survived by a widow, two sons and one daughter. The latter are Con Meir of Klacking township Henry of West Branch township and Mrs. Stephen Weiger of this city. Funeral services were held at the Catholic church on Monday morning and the remains were laid to rest in the ____ burying ground of that denomination."

The following obituary was taken from the Meir Family Book by Theresa C. Griffin VanSickle. "AGED PIONEER RESIDENT CALLED William Meir passed peacefully away at his home on south Second street, early last Saturday morning, of the infirmities incident to old age. Mr. Meir was born in Germany 87 years ago last March, where he was married at the age of twenty-three years, and he and his bride emigrated to Canada to try their fortunes in the new world. About thirty-five years ago they, with their six children came to Ogemaw county and lived on a farm for about ten years, when they moved to their present home. The deceased is survived by his aged life companion and three children--Mrs. Stephen Wiegers, of this city, and two sons, Henry and Conrad, both of who are farmers in this vicinity. The funeral, which was very largely attended, was held Monday morning from St. Joseph church and burial at the Catholic cemetery."

Both William and Regina are buried at St Joseph Cemetery in West Branch MI. Lucille Miller was able to supply us with a copy of the church record of the deaths of William and Regina. Some of it is in Latin but it reads (to the best of my knowledge) William's reads as follows: "Die 6-mensis Angusts A.D. 1911 obit Gulirlmus Mier fili_________________, aetatis 87 ex loco West Branch."

On William's Tombstone it state his year of birth date as 21 Mar 1824. We feel that this may be an error. Looking at all Census records his date of birth must of been around 1826 or 1827.

On Campbell Rd at the present site of Holy Family Catholic Cemetery (formally known as St. Joseph and also called Klacking Creek Cemetery) there is a historical plaque that reads as follows: "This is the site of the first Roman Catholic Mass said in this area in the private home of Mr. & Mrs. WM. MIER by Fr. Francis X. Shulak A Jesuit missionary in the year 1879 AD. This plaque is donated in Memory of Albert & Mae Brindley by their children."

According to information given to Neva Bragg Snider by Caroline Fritz Mier, William came from Hamburg Germany and his wife Regina was related to the secretary of state Henry Morgenthau.

1. ↑ Tombstone.
2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census. (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2004;)
   Database online. Year: 1900; Census Place: West Branch, Ogemaw, Michigan; Roll: T623_736; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 135.

   Record for William Mears

3. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census. (Name: The Generations Network, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006;)
   Database online. Year: 1910; Census Place: West Branch Ward 3, Ogemaw, Michigan; Roll: T624_669; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 155; Image: 643.

   Record for William Mies