Howard-Fayette County IN Archives Biographies.....Meranda, William 1839 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 21, 2006, 8:09 pm

Author: Jackson Morrow

WILLIAM MERANDA.

    Among the citizens of Taylor township, Howard county, Indiana, who have
built up a comfortable home and surrounded themselves with valuable landed
estates and personal property, few have attained a higher degree of success than
the subject of this sketch. With few opportunities except what his own efforts
were capable of mastering and with many discouragements to overcome, he has made
an exceptional success in life and in his old age has the gratification of
knowing that the community in which he has resided has been benefited by his
presence and his counsel.

    William Meranda was born in Fayette county, Indiana, December 4, 1839, the
son of Samuel and Susan (Shinkle) Meranda. Grandfather Meranda was a native of
Kentucky. Grandfather Shinkle was from Pennsylvania, the family having settled
there in 1717.

    The father of the subject was born in 1788. He secured a farm in his youth
which he managed successfully all his life. He was in the War of 1812, also
fought against the Indians at the battle of Tippecanoe, serving through each and
receiving honorable discharges. Samuel L. Meranda, a brother of our subject, was
a soldier in the Civil war, having enlisted in the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth
Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and he died while in the service of disease
contracted while in line of duty, at Louisville, Kentucky. Francis Harland, a
son of our subject's sister, was also an Indiana soldier in the Union ranks, who
also died of disease while in the army.

     Samuel Meranda, father of the subject, was born in Kentucky and reared
there, but his early educational advantages were limited. He always followed
farming and married in Brown county, Ohio. Coming to Fayette county, Indiana, he
entered one hundred and twenty acres of land which he cleared and improved,
making a good home there and rearing his family on this land, dying there July
2, 1868, at the advanced age of eighty years. He and his wife were active
members of the Newlight church, in which the former was an elder for years.
Eleven children were born to them, seven of whom reached maturity, five of them
raising families; our subject being the tenth in order of birth. The mother was
nearly seventy-eight years old at the time of her death.

    William Meranda, our subject, was reared in Fayette county, this state,
receiving there a district school education, remaining on his father's farm and
a member of the family circle until he was twenty-one years old, when he
responded to the patriotic spirit that prompted him to enlist his services in
defense of the flag when the Republic was threatened with dissolution,
consequently in September, 1861, he became a member of Company L, Forty-first
Indiana Regiment, Second Cavalry, going into camp at Indianapolis, where the
company was drilled. The company was later sent into Kentucky under General
McCook. The subject was in eighteen engagements among which were Stone River and
Perrysburg, first battle at Nashville, Bowling Green and fought during the Bragg
and Buell raids in Kentucky. He was disabled and transferred to the invalid
corps, in which he remained one year. He served to the end of his three years'
enlistment and then was honorably discharged. After the war he returned to his
old home in Fayette county, Indiana, taking charge of the farm and caring for
his parents for the next three years. Then he bought a farm in Howard county,
moving thereto about 1868, later selling out here and returned to Fayette
county. His father having died he bought the old home farm of one hundred and
twenty acres on which he farmed for three years, then sold it and returned to
Howard county, buying a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Taylor township,
on which he has since resided. It was only partially cleared at the time he took
charge of it. Mr. Meranda has cleared thirty acres himself, one hundred and
fifteen acres now being under the plow, ten acres are in timber, the balance in
blue grass pasture. The farm is well drained with tile, of which there are over
eighteen hundred rods on this place, which the subject put in himself. Since
this was done crops can be raised on all the place. The fences are mostly of
wood. The soil is in excellent productive condition, owing- to his skillful
management. He feeds his com to cattle and hogs. His out buildings are in first
class order and his dwelling- house is modern and of fine appearance. The farm
is considered one of the best and most desirable in Taylor township, in fact, it
would be hard to find a better improved or more productive place in Howard county.

    Mr. Meranda was married December 26, 1864, to Margaret Love, daughter of
William and Eliza (West) Love, natives of Ohio. Thomas Love, a brother of Mrs.
Meranda, was a soldier in the Civil war in an Ohio regiment, serving three
years, receiving an honorable discharge from Company K, Fifty-ninth Ohio
Volunteer Infantry: Sylvester Love, a cousin of Mrs. Meranda, was in the same
company and regiment, also served three years, receiving an honorable discharge.
Mrs. Meranda's people were farmers and spent their days in Ohio, the father
living to be nearly eighty years old: the mother is living in Ohio, being
eighty-nine years old in 1908. She has the active use of all her faculties. Her
father was twice married, his wives having been sisters. Mrs. Meranda was of the
second marriage. There were four children by his first wife and seven by his
second, only one of these died in infancy. Mrs. Meranda was the third in order
of birth. All of the children by the first wife lived to maturity as did also
all of the six last children.

    The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Meranda: Dora A., born
September 24, 1865, was first the wife of Joseph Mugg, by whom she had two
children; her second husband was Edward Finn, having also two children by this
union; Eliza F., the second child, born January 31, 1867, is the widow of
Vincent Hobson and the mother of three children; Offa W., born December 8, 1869,
is married and living in Kokomo; Charles B., born October 27, 1872, lives in
Kokomo, married and has one child; William L., born March 16, 1876, is deceased;
John Arthur, born November 10, 1880, lives on his father's farm, is married and
has one child.

    Fraternally Mr. Meranda is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
having filled all the chairs in the local lodge. His wife belongs to the
Rebekahs. They, together with all their children, belong to the Christian
church, being active members. Politically Mr. Meranda is a loyal Republican, and
he is always in hearty sympathy with any movement looking to the advancement of
his community.


Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF HOWARD COUNTY INDIANA
BY
JACKSON MORROW, B. A.
ILLUSTRATED
VOL. II
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

(circa 1909)

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