Archie Larue Meairs. Was born September 28, 1879 on the Meairs family homestead near Westphalia, Kansas,. His father was Martin Luther Meairs; His Mother was Florence Indiana (Whedon) Meairs from Rockford, Indiana. He had 7 brothers and sisters: Olive Grace Meairs, Earl Wayne Meairs, Frederick Lewis Meairs, Quince D. Meairs, Charles Albert Meairs, Martin Luther Meairs II, Virginia Mae Meairs

Archie Larue Meairs married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Catherine Frick who was from Clinton County, Missouri on October 14, 1903 in Burlington, Kansas. They had 7 Children. Clive Wayne Meairs was born in Waverly, Kansas.

After Clive was born the family moved to a farm 5 miles West of Yates Center, Kansas. There, Clair Frick Meairs, Olive Viola Meairs, Mildred Elizabeth Meairs, Virgina May Meairs, Archie Larue Meairs and Wilma Catherine Meairs were born.

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Catherine Frick parents were Catherine "Fannie" (Woodard) and John Frick.

They had a lot of out buildings. There was a big brick chicken house that His father Archie had built He built a place for the cattle and a big barn for the horses. The family dug several water wells on both sides of the road.

Lizzie Meairs died, at home on the farm, February 6, 1920, when she was 36 years old. It happened right after Wilma; the youngest sister was born. Lizzie caught a bad case of the flu. She almost recovered, when she had a relapse and passed away. When their mother died, Clive was 16 years old. Clair was 14 years old. Olive was 12 years old. Virginia was 7 years old. Mildred was 9 years old. Archie was 4 years old. Wilma was 2 months old.

The roof on the house they were living was leaking badly. So after Archie's mother Lizzie died, the family moved across the road to live with his parents, the children's grandparents.

After Lizzie passed on, grandfather John Frick died; grandmother Fannie Frick soon followed. Olive was staying with grandmother Fannie Frick while she was sick and was with her when she died. Virginia remembers Olive coming to the big house, where the family was living; Olive was crying as she told of her grandmother's death.

Olive was only 12 years old, but she took over the house, with some help from grandmother Frick, after mother died. She took care of Dad, Clive, Mildred and Wilma. She was also second mother to Clair, Virginia and Archie when they were home.

Archie L. Meairs, was sick most of the time, after Lizzie died. His sickness became worse in early June 1924. The family loaded him into a horse drawn wagon and took him to the hospital in Tronoto Kansas. He was sent on to the Wichita Hospital were he died June 13, 1924. Virginia and Olive were with him. He passed away 4 years after his beloved Lizzie.

Archie L. Meairs was survived by his father, Martin Luther Meairs, and mother Florence (Whedon) Meairs. They live five miles south of Westphalia Kansas.

Archie L. Meairs was also survived by 5 Brothers and 2 sisters:
Olive Grace (Meairs) Boots, who was living in Isabel Kansas.
Earl Wayne Meairs, who was living in Isabel Kansas.
Frederick Lewis Meairs, who was living in Roswell New Mexico.
Quince Delos Meairs, who was living 10 miles south of Waverly Kansas.
Charles Albert Meairs, who was living in Isabel Kansas.
Martin Luther II Meairs, who was living in Garnett Kansas.
Virginia May (Meairs) Robinson, who was living in Westphalia Kansas.

The Orphans were split up:
Wilma Catherine went to live with her Frederick L. and Sylva Meairs in Isabel, Kansas.
Mildred went to live with Uncle Charlie and Aunt Gurtie in Isabel Kansas.
Archie and Virginia went to live with grandma Florence (Whedon) Meairs and grandpa, Martin Luther Meairs. They were living in Westphalia Kansas. Virginia stayed there about a year. From there she moved back to Aunt Olive in Isabel Kansas. Her sister Olive was already staying there.

After the Orphans were split up and Clive moved to Yates Center, Earl took over of the farm. A cyclone came through and wiped out all the buildings.

Archie L. Meairs left 7 orphaned children:
Earl was assigned as their guardian.

Clive Wayne Meairs was age 20.
Claire "Clair" Meairs was age 18
Olive Viola Meairs was age 15.
Mildared Elizabeth Meairs was age 12.
Virginia May Meairs was age 11.
Archie Larue Meairs Jr. was age 8.

Wilma Catherine Meairs: was 6 weeks old when she was split from the family after her mother's death. She never returned to the Yates Center farm .

This Page Posted January 5, 1999