LEGACY of a Griffin

By Linda L Mecham-Rigsbee

Charles Allen Mecham grew up in a poor family during the great depression. His father was often absent and his mother struggled to feed and clothe her children. They moved frequently and Chuck had less than a 5th grade education, yet his accomplishments were many. He was a WWII veteran, a family man, a machinist, a mechanic, a self-taught guitarist, and an artisan.

Chuck often said he'd rather make something than buy it, and he often did. From small engines to horse-drawn buggies, he enjoyed creating as much as others enjoyed his creations.

He was a quiet man with a sense of humor and a tendency toward good-natured pestering that endeared him to others. When times got bad, he didn't wallow in self-pity. He set about doing something to make things better.

This book is the biography of a man who left a legacy most would admire. Written especially for family, it provides information that might benefit anyone. The generation of the great depression is mostly gone now, but they left a legacy of inspiration.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HomeSpun Literature Publishing
• Release date: Oct 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215136461

Linda L Mecham-Rigsbee

Linda L. Mecham-Rigsbee is an award-winning, multi-genre writer with over 60 books published since 1981.  Born in Kansas in 1949, she has lived in multiple states, but has lived in Arkansas since her marriage to Edward Rigsbee in 1970. Linda and Eddie have two children, one of whom was adopted at birth. Linda addresses life as it is, but tries to focus on the positive outcome. All her books are free of profanity and explicit sex.

Book preview

DEDICATION

I DIDN'T START THIS book until my father was 85 years old. At that point, he was a recent widower recovering from a complicated knee replacement surgery. To distract him from agony, I began asking questions about his past. Of course, as his daughter, I had not only heard many of those memories, but shared them with him as well. As a writer, it didn't take me long to recognize a good story, so I grabbed a notebook and began taking notes while he reminisced.

In the next four years I had the opportunity to be with him often. While I continued to gather information for the book, I didn't actually begin writing the book until he was 89. At that point, dementia had robbed some of his memory. His last sibling had been gone for about six years, so getting first hand information wasn't always possible.

I never met anyone who didn't like Dad. He made a positive impression wherever he went. His ever-present sense of humor, sunny smile and twinkling eyes made him memorable. He was always willing to share a good story or an experience. He didn't embellish. Dad often saw things from a unique perspective, but his honesty and integrity were never in question. Because he shared so generously, there were many people who were able to provide useful information for this book.

I have always found older people interesting and my father was no exception. As I worked with the information I had gathered, it occurred to me that his numerous accomplishments had rarely been documented. Dad didn't boast and his writing skills were rudimentary.

Until I wrote this book, his contributions to the world were mostly encapsulated in the minds of those who knew him best. His legacy was mostly inspiration. While I was well aware of how he impacted my life, it wasn't until after his death that I learned he had been a role model for many young people. This book is a tribute to Charles Allen Mecham, but it is also a reminder that, though events of our lives may shape who we become, how we react to those events will compose the legacy we will leave for others.

In addition to being a warm, loving person, Dad was a WWII veteran who saw more action than he wanted to talk about. He was remarkably creative, with an unusual aptitude for mechanics. He was easily hurt and equally willing to forgive. He was a role model to some, an icon to others and a father to more than his children. He was a faithful husband and a proud father. He was also human, and therefore fallible. Not all of his decisions were wise, and they weren't always driven by his best interest for others. Overall, though, he was a kind and just person who tried to do the right thing. He accomplished that goal more frequently than the average person, I think.

Linda L. Mecham-Rigsbee, daughter & author

ACNOWLEDGEMENTS

Igive my thanks to family members who assisted me in compiling the information necessary to write this book. I have designated their relationship to Dad in parentheses.

Myrtle (Sug) Thompson (niece)

Helen (sis) Sienerth (sister-in-law)

Melissa Markel (niece)

Sandra Garrett (daughter)

Anita Goolsby (daughter)

Angela Mecham, (grand niece)

Evelyn Janitell, (niece)

Erby May, (grand niece)

Esther Halpain, (cousin)

Information also from:

The 233d Engineer Combat Battalion by Victor E. Weaver

ANCESTRY INTRODUCTION

One of the most influential things in a child's life is family. For Charles Allen Mecham (Chuck), that went double. His mother and father shared the same grandfather. Chuck's maternal grandmother, Hannah Ball Mecham, and his paternal grandfather, Samuel Mecham Jr., were siblings. That meant, among other things, the preservation of family culture. Shared ancestry may have been one of the reasons that Chuck developed such strong family ties.

MARRIAGE BETWEEN FIRST cousins was not uncommon in the 1800's. The ill effects of marriage between cousins were not studied until after the Civil War, and even then, were not known to the average person. Families, especially poor ones, generally grew up and married in the same area, so the opportunity for meeting unrelated people was limited.

SAMUEL MECHAM, SR. and Elizabeth Ball (Chuck's great grand parents - both maternal and paternal, Fig.1) had 15 children, most or all of whom were born in Mercer County, PA. Their names were: William, Mary, Moses, Edward, Harriett, Sally, James, Cornelius Jones, Samuel Jr, Gary, Phylinda, Hannah Ball, Perry Greer, Elizabeth B and Joab. Legend indicates Gary later legally changed his name to Blackheart. Apparently, Samuel Sr. called him a black hearted so-and-so once too often.

Hannah Ball Mecham (Chuck's maternal grandmother, Fig. 2) was born April 19, 1842. She married Johnson Matthews Bentley and they had 10 children: Art, Earl, Matt (Uncle Matt), Elizabeth Ann (Aunt Annie), Ellie (Aunt Ellie), Gary Addison (Uncle Add) and two sets of twins, Lillie and Willie; and Clara Belle and Harry Dell (Uncle Dell).

According to a letter from the National Archives and Records Service Indian Affairs, Hannah Ball is the source of the often-pondered question about Indian blood in the Mecham tree. The letter states that in January of 1838, the Buffalo Creek Treaty allocated some land in Kansas to the New York Cherokee. Few ever occupied it, so in 1898 the land was sold and the money was given to the Indians. The Miller Roll was a list of Indians who were to receive portions of the proceeds. William E Ball (Hannah Ball's grandfather) was listed as a 44 year old Cherokee and his wife Lucenna as a 51 year old Delaware. Elizabeth Ball, Hannah's mother, was on that list as well as her siblings.

SAMUEL MECHAM JR. (Chuck's grandfather, Fig. 3) was born September 7, 1836. He served as a private during the Civil War with the 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry Volunteers. After the war he moved to Kansas, where he and his brother, James, built the first store building in Topeka. For most of his adult life Samuel was a Methodist Minister.

Samuel Mecham, Jr. had six wives, though he only had children by Nancy Ann Bothwell Cheeseman. Samuel Jr. and Nancy had 10 children, but five of them died before the age of five.

Only four of their children reached adulthood: James Noah (Uncle Jim), Daisy May (Aunt Daisy), Asa Streeter (Uncle Ace) and Wesley Grant.

Nancy died of consumption in 1888, leaving the oldest daughter, thirteen-year-old Margaret, to take care of her four siblings: James (11), Daisy (7), Asa (5) and Wesley (3).

In Fig. 3, Nancy Ann Bothwell Cheeseman-Mecham is on the left, sitting beside her husband, Samuel Mecham, Jr.  Margaret is standing behind them; baby Daisy is in Samuel's lap and James Noah is in the front.

Father Samuel was a Methodist preacher who made a regular circuit. His congregation was as poor as he was, though, so often there was little money for food or clothing. Samuel, Jr. may not have been able to care for his children's physical needs, but he tried to make sure they became spiritually responsible. They were expected to attend church, whether they wanted to or not. It was said that James cut holes in pillowcases for their arms and head so they would be clean and decently covered. They learned the bible well, hoping as little attention would be brought on them as possible. When their attention drifted during services, Samuel had them stand and recite scriptures.

In 1891 Margaret also died of consumption. At 14, James was next in line to take care of the children, but he didn't have that job long. In 1892, Samuel married Louisa Adeline Lewis Porter, who had served during the Civil War as a Union Nurse. When Samuel brought her home to introduce her to his children, nine-year-old Asa hid because the only thing he had to wear was a girl's dress - with no undergarments. As if that wasn't humiliating enough; the dress was dirty. Things got better for the children with their new mother.

In 1902, Samuel and Louisa moved to Guthrie Oklahoma and in 1903 homesteaded 160 acres in Beaver County, in the Oklahoma Panhandle. The three sons, James (36), Asa (20) and Wesley (18) also homesteaded in that area.

CLARA BELLE BENTLEY (Chuck's Mother) was born on October 17, 1980 in