From a biosketch of son Theodore S Meals: "Michael Meals, father of Theodore S., was born in Adams county, and was a carriage maker. He was married to Miss Catherine Shorb, a native of Adams county. They had six children, four of whom are living: Wesley, William, Gabriel and Theodore S. Their deceased children are Susan and Elizabeth. The father was a member of several societies, and in politics was a Republican. He belonged to the Lutheran church. He died in September, 1859, aged thirtv-six years; his wife died December 23, 1872." [1]
1849 On January 2, Mr Michael Meals and Miss Catherine Shorb, both of this place (Adams County, Pennsylvania) were married in the evening. [2] They were married at St James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg. [3]
1851 Sarah A Rachel Meals was born. [4]
1854-1859 The births of Mary Elizabeth, Gabriel, and Theodore were registered at the St James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg. [5]
1859 Michael Meals, married, coach maker, age 33, died of lockjaw in Gettysburg Twp, Adams County, Pennsylvania. [6]
1860 Catharine Meals (age 25) lived in Gettysburg (post office), Gettysburg Twp, Adams County, Pennsylvania, in a household with Wesley B Meals (age 10), William H Meals (age 6), Marry E Meals (age 5), Gabriel S Meals (age 3), and Theodore S Meals (age 1). [7]
[1] William Henry Egle, R. H. Schively, Harry I. Huber, A. S. Dudley, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (1896), 646, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive].
[2] Robert Stover, Abstracts of the Republican Compiler, 1831-1851, Vol. 2 (1976), 354, [GoogleBooks].
[3] Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985, PA, Adams, Gettysburg, Lutheran, St James Evangelical Lutheran, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].
[4] Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985, PA, Adams, Gettysburg, Lutheran, St James Evangelical Lutheran, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].
[5] Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985, PA, Adams, Gettysburg, Lutheran, St James Evangelical Lutheran, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].
[6] U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885, 1860, line 6, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].
[7] United States Federal Census, 1860, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].