John meeks davis and Elizabeth J. Abshire: A Midway Fort Family
The Heber Valley Heritage Foundation Midway Fort Family of the week features John Meeks Davis and family researched by Jason Moulton. It is noted that John Meeks Davis also lived in the Heber Fort before moving to the Snake Creek and then on to Fort Midway.
The John Meeks Davis Cabin was located on East side of the Midway Fort very near the North corner.
John Meeks Davis KWJT-P7S was born on 9 September 1825, in Luce Township, Spencer, Indiana, United States, his father, James Davis, was 32 and his mother, Margaret Elsie Meeks, was 21. He married Elizabeth J Abshire on 20 August 1846, in Spencer, Indiana, United States. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 6 daughters. He lived in Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States in 1850 and Provo, Utah, Utah, United States in 1860.
He died on 16 February 1896, in Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States, at the age of 70, and was buried in Vernal Memorial Park, Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States. His vocation was shown as blacksmith.
Elizabeth J Abshire KWJ1-YFG was born on 29 December 1825, in Luce Township, Spencer, Indiana, United States, her father, Abraham James Abshire, was 26 and her mother, Elsie ALCY Harrison, was 22. She married John Meeks Davis on 20 August 1846, in Spencer, Indiana, United States. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 6 daughters. She lived in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States in 1860 and Naples, Uintah, Utah, United States in 1900. She died on 31 July 1899, in Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States, at the age of 73, and was buried in Vernal Memorial Park, Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States.
Children from this marriage are listed below. Children born in Heber Valley are indicated in red
Martha Jane Davis KW81-X62
Female
1847–1925
Birth: 26 June 1847, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States
Death: 30 September 1925 Grouse Creek, Box Elder, Utah, United States
Margaret Elsie Davis KNWJ-88X
Female
1849–1849
Birth: 1849, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States
Death: about 1849, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States
Female
1851–1931
Birth: 2 October 1851, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States
Death: 19 July 1931, Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States
Female
1852–1943
Birth: 22 October 1852, Beaver, Utah, United States
Death: 6 November 1943, Duchesne, Duchesne County, Utah, United States of America
Male
1853–1919
Birth: 22 February 1853, Parowan, Iron, Utah, United States
Death: 24 July 1919
Male
1856–1917
Birth: 1856, Parowan, Iron, Utah Territory, United States
Death: 4 October 1917, Fort Washakie, Fremont, Wyoming, United States
Female
1860–1910
Birth: 7 January 1860, Midway, Summit, Utah Territory, United States
Death: 2 July 1910, Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States
Male
1861–Deceased
Birth: 7 Jan 1861, Midway Or Heber, Wasat, Utah, United States
Death: Deceased
Male
1864–1938
Birth: 1864, Midway, Wasatch, Utah Territory, United States
Death: 23 March 1938, Provo, Utah, United States
Female
1864–1936
Birth: 8 September 1864, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
Death: 3 February 1936, Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States
Male
1868–1868
Birth: 1868, Midway, Wasatch, Utah Territory, United States
Death: 1868, Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States
Male
1872–1917
Birth: 17 August 1872, Utah Territory, United States
Death: 23 March 1917, Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States
America Jane Overlin KWJW-G1L was born on 11 February 1824, in Warren, Kentucky, United States; her father, William Luce Overlin, was 29 and her mother, Maria Wilson, was 26. She married William Luce Davis Sr. on 31 December 1843, in Spencer, Indiana, United States. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 1 daughter. She lived in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States in 1860 and Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States in 1870. Her Husband William Luce Davis Sr. Passed away in Wyoming while she and her family immigrated to Utah.
After his death, she married her husbands brother, John Meeks Davis in Beaver Utah 24 August 1857. She died on 19 September 1874, in Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 50, and was buried in Wallsburg Cemetery, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Children from the marriage of William Luce Davis Sr. are as follows.
Female
1844–1920
Birth: 11 February 1844, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States
Death: 27 January 1920, Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States
KWNR-NKK
Male
1847–1936
Birth: 15 September 1847, Warren, Kentucky, United States
Death: 9 February 1936, Mountain View, Uinta, Wyoming, United States
KWJZ-TKT
Male
1849–1894
Birth: 11 March 1849, Garden Grove, Decatur, Iowa, United States
Death: 14 September 1894, Lehi, Utah, Utah Territory, United States
KWJ6-S3M
Male
1850–1922
Birth: 15 August 1850, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States
Death: 22 August 1922, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah, United States
KWZT-N88
Male
1852–1928
Birth: 23 December 1852, Springville, Utah, Utah Territory, United States
Death: 27 September 1928, Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States
KW87-DW6
She also had four children from her marriage to James Meeks Davis, three of whom were born in Wasatch County.
Female 1858–1936
Birth: 21 June 1858, Midway, Wasatch, Utah Territory, United States
Death: 4 February 1936, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States of America
KWCL-BTQ
Male 1860–1950
Birth: 11 March 1860, Provo, Utah, Utah Territory, United States
Death: 19 July 1950, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
KWNY-93S
Female 1862–1910
Birth: 21 June 1862, Heber City, Wasatch, Utah Territory, United States
Death: 22 December 1910, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah, United States
LBBH-RTQ
Female 1862–1918
Birth: 21 June 1862, Heber City, Wasatch, Utah Territory, United States
Death: 18 September 1918, Roosevelt, Duchesne, Utah, United States
KWZD-RTC
These families have impacted Heber, Midway, Wallsburg, and the Uintah Basin. Many more details can be found in FamilySearch relating to these individuals.
The following was researched earlier about John Meeks Davis, who was also listed as a Heber Fort Family. Click the link below for additional details. https://www.familysearch.org/memories/memory/213859018?cid=mem_copy
Heber Valley Heritage Foundation.