Biographical Sketches
John C. Meese
John C. Meese, residing in section twelve, township nineteen, range fourteen, who came to Nebraska in 1886, is well known all over Valley county as a progressive and successful agriculturist.
Mr. Meese was born near Fort Wayne, Indiana, October 18, 1867, and was second of six children in the family of Thaddieus and Laura (Bailey) Meese, who had six sons. Mr. Meese grew up on the farm, receiving the usual school advantages, and in the fall of 1886, the Meese family of father, mother and six sons came to Wheeling county, Nebraska. The father and sons homesteaded land in Wheeling county, where the parents and sons, William, Thaddieus, Harley, and Roy, still reside; Charles Meese lives in Topeka, Kansas.
John C. Meese, the principal subject of this sketch, came to Valley county from Wheeler county in the spring of 1891, locating in Ord, and engaged in the horse breeding business. In 1893 he purchased a farm in the western part of the county and moved from Ord to the farm in the fall of 1894; and lived on this farm in section seven, Geranium township, until spring of 1908, when he moved to a farm in section twelve, township nineteen, range fourteen, where he now has a fine stock farm, and is engaged in the breeding of fine hogs, principally the Poland China breed.
Mr. Meese is widely known as a successful breeder, taking many prizes at Nebraska state fairs. In 1909 he won thirteen big prizes at the state fair and two out of four sweepstakes, and again in 1910 secured fifteen prizes and again two out of four sweepstakes. At the Topeka fair he secured fifteen prizes and two sweepstakes - all that were offered. Mr. Meese has received in past years big prizes for his swine, a half interest in single hogs selling as high as $500. He also has high grade horses and good cattle. He lately purchased a fine stock farm six miles south of Topeka, and contemplates moving to that state.
Mr. Meese is a successful man, and has done his part toward bringing Valley county into prominence as a prosperous and successful county.
Mr. Meese was married to Miss Minnie Waldmann in Ord, February 13, 1893. Miss Waldmann was born in Minnesota, and the family came to Valley county in the early years. Mr. and Mrs. Meese have six children: Bertha, John, Frank, Adrian, Hilda and Rosa Lee, all of whom reside under the parental roof.
Mr. and Mrs. Meese and family are well known, have a modern, comfortable home, and are an enjoyable family.
Mr. Meese has in past years served on the Valley county board of supervisors. He is a member of the Catholic church in Ord, of the Modern Woodmen of America, and is republican in politics.
Source: Transcription from the book, Compendium of History Reminiscence and Biography of Nebraska, published in 1912; located on the website, Internet Archive (http://archive.org), accessed 28 December 2025.
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