Margaret Ann (Poling) Meek (1883)

Born May 1883 in Taylor, West Virginia

Ancestors

Wife of Anthony Meek — married 4 Apr 1920 in Grafton, West Virginia

Descendants

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Biography

In the 1910 Census, Margaret was 27 years old and living with her older and younger brothers. Eva is present at 4 years old and May (Alberta) is present (incorrectly transcribed as "Naz") at 3 years old, but neither children were yet fostered. Margaret's husband, Frank, is not recorded in the house. Frank and Margaret's third child, George William, born in 1910 is not yet present. Perhaps Frank was away for his job, as he was a coal miner; mining jobs were plentiful, but required that you live near the coal.

In 1915, while Margaret was pregnant with her fourth child, Margaret's husband was killed in a mining accident. the child was named after his father, Franklin Eugene "Gene" Bush, Jr.

On September 1, 1917, Margaret, surrendered three of her four children, Eva, May and William to the WV Humane Society to be fostered, as she could not provide for them. She eventually remarried and fought to get her children back in her home. All of them returned except for Mae, who was not permitted to leave her foster family.

According to the marriage license of Margaret's daughter, Alberta (Mae), Margaret was still living in West Virginia as a housekeeper in 1929. In the 1930 Census, Margaret is living with her brother, George in the rented home of her new husband, Anthony Meek, on the farm where he worked. Also listed is a "Junior" Meeks, which is most likely Franklin Eugene Bush, Jr.

Sources

Birth: West Virginia, Births, 1853-1930," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NMWM-NMG : accessed 24 Feb 2013), Margaret Poling, 1883

"United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MPF5-3RP : accessed 24 Feb 2013), Margaret A Poling in household of William J Poling, Court House, Taylor, West Virginia; citing sheet 10B, family 207, NARA microfilm publication T624, FHL microfilm 1375706)

"United States Census, 1930," Database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMCJ-3TG : accessed 17 June 2015), Margaret Meeks in household of Anthony Meeks, Pleasant, Barbour, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0011, sheet 20A, family 447, line 42, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2528; FHL microfilm 2,342,262.