Maria Fellows
Maria Elizabeth Fellows was born to Eugene D. Fellows and Sarah A. Van Gasbeck on October 11, 1878. According to Mary (Hudson) Bonner, who was Maria’s grandniece, everyone pronounced Maria’s name with a long “i” sound (Mah-r-eye-ah) including my grandfather, who often referred to her as aunt “Mah-r-eye.” Shirley (Dennis) Orcutt also said that her father Cliff Dennis pronounced her name the same way.
Maria married Charles Albert Meier1 on November 5, 1903 in Robinson, Michigan. According to the census records, Charles was born in Ohio, but both his parents were born in Switzerland.
Charles was referred to as “Carl.”2 Charles called Maria his “hello girl” because she used to work as a telephone operator at her father’s business, The Fellows Station Exchange. Charles and Maria apparently met when Charles was visiting his uncle, Rudolph Meier, in Holland, Michigan. Charles and Maria corresponded for several years before getting married in Michigan.
After their marriage, Charles brought Maria to the Meier family home in Maysville, Ohio, which was then called Koch. Charles worked as a huckster for several years and took produce to Massillon.
Charles and Maria moved to Portage County in 1908, where they farmed. In 1916 they moved to a farm near Garrettsville, Ohio. They then moved to Spruce Creek, Pennsylvania, by covered wagon. They lived in Spruce Creek for three years on the second plateau of the Alleghany Mountains. As a result of poor schools, they returned to Ohio and rented a farm near Medina.
In 1927 Charles became ill and gave up farming and moved to Applecreek. He worked for the village until his health improved and then worked for Wayne County as a foreman for a road crew until he retired.
The following picture is of Esther (Fellows) Leggett (on the left) and her sister Maria (Fellows) Meier (on the right) at Esther’s home in Coopersville, Michigan.
Maria and Charles had nine children: Lillian, John, Cecil, Mildred, Glen, Eva, Albert, Woodrow, and Mable.
Children of Maria E. Fellows and Charles Meier
Lillian and Mable died while still infants. John and Cecil also died while quite young.
Albert F. Meier enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. He fought in Europe with the 83rd Infantry Division, 331st Infantry Regiment. He was killed in action on January 17, 1945. At the time he had attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Albert was buried in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery (plot E, row 1, grave 29) in Belgium.
According to the 1930 census, Mildred was divorced. In addition, Ruth Martin is listed as living with the Meier family and is identified as Charles’ granddaughter.
Maria died on March 30, 1957.
Charles died on November 30, 1962 in Wooster, Ohio.
1 Some sources list the name as Meyer, Maier, and Muir, but the 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses all list Maria’s married name as Meier.
2 The following information about Charles and Maria was taken from Gary Leggett’s notes. Gary could not remember where he learned the information, but assumed that he learned it from his cousin Mildred Meier, who was Maria’s daughter.
3 Social Security Death Record for Glenn E. Meier of Apple Creek, Wayne, Ohio. This record indicates that he was widowed.
4 Social Security Death Record for Woodrow Meier of Apple Creek, Ohio. There is also a record for a Woodrow Meier of Ohio who enlisted in the United States’ Army on April 15, 1941 for duty in the Philippines.