Wheaton, DuPage County, 1875-1920: Arthur and Mary Ann Freeman Thomas
On April 19, 1873, Mary Ann Freeman married Arthur Wilson Thomas in Kane County, Illinois. They settled in Wheaton in DuPage County. They raised a family of ten children. This slideshow chronicles their lives there through documents and family pictures from the collection of Mary’s nephew, William Meehan.
DeKalb County, Ernst and Annie Meehan VonOhlen
“Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Vonohlen and children departed Thursday for Leland, Ill., where Mr. Vonohlen will engage in farming and make his future home.” Notice from The World-Harold: Omaha, November 9, 1910, GenealogyBank.
The brief article did not mention that Ernst was returning home with his family. Ernst’s father, Christian Ludwig Wilhelm Von Ohlen, immigrated from Germany in 1854 and settled in DeKalb County, Illinois. A year later, he was joined by his father, Christian Ludwig Von Ohlen. By June 1863, he appeared on a Civil War Draft Registration List for the Illinois Second Congressional District, which included DeKalb County. DeKalb County and Leland, Victor, Cortland, and Sycamore were home to many Von Ohlen families.
When Hester Freeman Meehan died in 1923, Charles Meehan settled in Cortland, where he occupied and farmed the Von Ohlen tenant house. He lived there until November 1929, when he returned to Nebraska to live with his son, Ed, in Alliance.
Ernst and Annie Meehan Von Ohlen’s sons are pictured with a friend in DeKalb County on August 10, 1920.
Kermit is in the car, their friend Harry Olson is on the left, and Floyd is on the right.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago was and is the home of several Anderson and Freeman descendants.
Pictured upper left is Osborne Singleton, son of Rachel Freeman, and Livas Thomas, Son of Mary Freeman. Osborne and his brother Oliver lived in Chicago for many years. Their cousin, Livas, lived in Wheaton. Their brother, Frank Johns, lived in Maywood, Oak Park, and Chicago, and their sister, Mary Harvey, married Samuel Hatcher. Many of Samuel and Mary’s descendants still live in Chicago.
I found Thomas Smith, son of Addison and Mary Anderson Smith and Hester’s first cousin, pictured lower right in Bill Meehan’s 1930s address book. The research found several of Hester’s Smith cousins left Ontario for Detroit and Chicago.
Maywood, Cook County, Illinois
1877: Tje Freeman Family Led the Way
Before the Meehans left Canada, Hester’s sister, Rachel Freeman, lived in Oak Park, Illinois. In 1877. Rachel married Lewis Johns of Maywood, Illinois.
Circa 1924: Cousins
Frank Johns, son of Rachel Freeman, and cousin, Bill Meehan, not long after Bill left the Nebraska Sandhills. Frank and Bill worked as chauffeurs during this time.
1926: Grandpa Visits Maywood … from Sycamore
After the death of his beloved wife and lifelong friend, Hester, Charles settled in Sycamore, Illinois, near his oldest daughter and her family, Ernst and Annie Meehan VonOhlen.
Charles often visited his son, Bill, in Maywood.
The picture of Charles is from the VonOhlen collection.
1934: Brown Family Arrives in Maywood
August 19, 1934, Charles Meehan writes, “I was given to understand you were bringing all the Brown family there … Ed and I went over to Dens to bid them good by …”
Six of the seven Brown children attended Washington Elementary School and Proviso High School. This picture was taken in Maywood.
1923-1965: Bill Meehan Active Community Member
During Bill Meehan’s 42 years in Maywood, he was an active member of the religious, civic, and social community.
He joined Second Baptist church in the early years and was ordained to preach in 1952. He taught the Senior Boys Sunday School Class for many years. Other activities included the Booker T. Washington Progressive and Civic Club (pictured), Oak Park Public Speaking Club, Maywood Community Fund, The Townsend Club (Social Security forerunner), Boy Scouts of America, and others.
1923-2008: Maywood Was Home
Maywood is where the site’s creator grew up. By 1948, all but Bill Meehan left Maywood. On a day-to-day basis, a fantastic community replaced the family.
They filled the role of surrogate grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, all providing support, guidance, direction, encouragement, discipline, a firm moral foundation, and love.
Pontiac, Livingston County, Illinois
1876-Present: Some Boswell and Richardson Family Members Return from Canada
Henry Boswell, son of Joseph and Martha Richardson Boswell, left Canada with his uncle, Henry Richardson, for Pontiac, Illinois. The Boswell continues to reside there today.
1938: Canadian Brother Searches for Illinois Sibling and Uncle.
62 years later … Brother Isaac still resided in Canada but longed to know what had become of his younger brother, Henry. They connected, families visited, and in 1952, the Canadian and U.S. Boswell families began an annual family reunion tradition that continues to this day.
