Catherine P. Packer and John Meredith Davis

JOHN MEREDITH DAVIS was born April 17, 1840 in Richland County, Ohio,⁴⁹³¹ and died May 28, 1916 in Rochester, Fulton, Indiana.⁴⁹³¹ He is buried in IOOF Cemetery, Rochester, Fulton, Indiana.²⁵

He married CATHERINE P. PACKER on April 13, 1865 in Fulton County, Indiana.¹⁶⁷⁵ She was born January 25, 1843 in Perry County, Ohio,⁴⁹³¹ and died March 5, 1928 in Rochester, Fulton, Indiana.⁴⁹³¹ She is buried in IOOF Cemetery, Rochester, Fulton, Indiana.^{267, 25, 4931}

Children of CATHERINE P. PACKER and JOHN MEREDITH DAVIS:

1. CYRUS M. DAVIS, b. November 12, 1862, Newcastle Township, Fulton, Indiana;⁴⁹³¹ m. CALLA R. DUMBAULD on May 26, 1888 in Fulton County, Indiana¹⁶⁷⁵; d. September 29, 1944, Rochester, Fulton, Indiana.⁴⁹³¹
2. OSTINELL AUSTIN DAVIS, b. March 26, 1866, Tiosa, Fulton, Indiana;⁴⁹³¹ m. CLARA NEWTON on July 31, 1919 in Marion, Indiana²⁶⁷; d. January 19, 1947, Rochester, Fulton, Indiana.⁴⁹³¹
3. HENRY A. DAVIS, b. 1869.
4. ROSA DAVIS, b. 1871; m. FRANK L. MCKEE on July 3, 1899 in Fulton County, Indiana¹⁶⁷⁵; d. 1912.
5. DR. FREDERICK W. DAVIS, b. 1874.
6. CHARLES AUGUSTUS DAVIS, b. June 30, 1875, Rochester, Fulton, Indiana;⁴⁹³¹ m. (1) EVA GEM MCCLUNG on December 1, 1907 in Fulton County, Indiana¹⁶⁷⁵, m. (2) LENA RACHAEL MOGLE on September 1, 1917 in Fulton County, Indiana⁸⁷⁹⁰; d. September 10, 1950, Mishawaka, St. Joseph, Indiana.⁴⁹³¹
7. VERNON JOHN DAVIS, b. 1879.

Personal Information

• Catherine P. Packer was a member of the Lutheran Church. ²⁶⁷

Military Service

Clubs and Associations

Obituaries

Rochester Sentinel²⁶⁷

John M. DAVIS, 76, a veteran of the Civil war and a resident of Fulton county since 1846, died Sunday evening at 10:15 at his home on west 11th street after several months illness caused by a stroke of paralysis.

Mr. Davis was well known in Rochester, where he had lived since 1881, moving here from Newcastle township. He was born April 17, 1840, in Richland county, Ohio, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Amos DAVIS. With his parents, he moved to this county when he was seven years old, settling in Newcastle township upon a farm. When about 22 years old, Mr. Davis married Miss Katherine PACKER, who survives. They were the parents of eight children, seven boys and one girl. One boy is dead and Mrs. Frank McKEE, the daughter, died several years ago. The living are Cyrus [DAVIS], Ostinell [DAVIS] and Charles [DAVIS] of Rochester, Henry [DAVIS] of Michigan, Fred [DAVIS] of Jeffersonville and Vernie [DAVIS] of Buffalo, N.Y. A sister is living, Mrs. Eliza DYER of California, now visiting in Rochester.

At the beginning of the Civil war, Mr. Davis went to Indianapolis where he joined the regular army, serving in the 17th Ohio. After three years he returned home with an honorable discharge. Mr. Davis joined the Masonic lodge at Talma in 1869, and was the first man to finish his work in the present Masonic building in Rochester. For 12 years he was secretary of the local order. He w as also a member of the McClung Post G.A.R., and for years acted as its secretary. After moving to Rochester from the farm he took up life insurance and until 10 years ago, when he retired, was very active. Mr. Davis was a life long democrat and was elected several times on the ticket as justice of the peace.

The funeral will probably be held Wednesday afternoon at the home if the children arrive.

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Rochester Sentinel - Wednesday, May 31, 1916

The following relativeds and friends were here Wednesday to attend the funeral of the late John M. DAVIS, which was held at three o'clock at the home, with the Masonic Lodge in charge:

William PACKER of Mishawaka, Mr. and Mrs. George PACKER of Culver, Vernon J. DAVIS of Buffalo, Mrs. Charles BUSH of Culver, Mrs. Amos DAVIS, Mrs. Cora DAVIS and Mr. and Mrs. Harley DAVIS of Pierceton, Henry DAVIS of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Dr. Frederick DAVIS of Jeffersonville, Ind.

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Rochester Sentinel - Monday, June 5, 1916

John M. DAVIS, one of the best known citizens of Rochester and a resident of Fulton county for 70 years, died at 10:15 Sunday evening at his residence at 317 west 11th street. He had been in poor health for several years and finally on February 18, had a stroke of paralysis on his left side, rendering him helpless. He continued to grow weaker from day to day but kept up his courage and often said if he could walk he could regain his strength and tried in vain until last Friday, when he weakened and refused to take nourishment. Altho the members of the family scarcely hoped that he could live long they did not realize that the end was so near, as he continued conscious and conversed with the family up to within five minutes of his death. Mr. Davis was well known in Rochester where he had lived from 1881, moving here from Richland township.

He was born April 17, 1830, in Richland county, Ohio, the son of Amos and Rachel DAVIS and died at Rochester, Indiana, May 28, 1916. Together with his father and mother and family of seven children he moved to this county when he was six years old, settling in Newcastle township upon a farm where he lived for many years. When about 21 years old, Mr. Davis married Miss Catherine PACKER, who survives. They were the parents of eight children, seven sons and one daughter. The youngest son, Marion L. [DAVIS], died when about two years old and the daughter, Rosa McKEE, died a number of years ago, leaving six sons who are Cyrus V. [DAVIS], Ostinal A. [DAVIS] and Charles A. [DAVIS] of Rochester, Henry A. [DAVIS] of Kalamazoo, Mich.; Dr. Frederick W. [DAVIS] of Jeffersoville, Ind., and Vernon J. [DAVIS] of Buffalo, N.Y.

Mr. Davis has one sister, the last one of the family, living yet, who is Mrs. Eliza DYER of Glendora, Calif., who was with the deceased in his last hours.

Soon after his marriage, Mr. Davis and wife settled on a farm in Richland township near Tiosa, Ind., afterwards going into the mercantile business and conducted a small store and was postmaster and justice of the peace for many years in the small town of Sturgeon, located on the Tippecanoe river north of Rochester. Some years later the post office was discontinued at that point and he moved to Rochester where he studied law, was admitted to the bar, and conducted a law, loan and insurance business in connection with his son, O. A. DAVIS, until a few years ago when his health began to fail him and he retired from the business.

Mr. Davis' ancestors were of Welch origin, coming to America from Wales about the time William Penn laid out the city of Philadelphia. They settled about seven miles west of Philadelphia and built a large stone house there which has the date of 1702 carved on the stone in the gable and which stately building still stands to the memory of the Davis family and where their ancestors gathered for worship in their Quaker form of religion.

At the beginning of the Civil War Mr. Davis enlisted in the regular army enlisting in Company A, Second Battalion, United States Infantry, at Logansport and served until the end of the war, returning home with an honorable discharge. Afterwards he was a member of McClung Post, G.A.R. and served as their secretary for many years.

Mr. Davis joined the Masonic lodge and was the first to finish his work in the present Masonic Temple in Rochester and for 21 years served as secretary of the local order and for many years was one of the principal instructors in the Masonic work. Mr. Davis never united with any religious denomination, but was a strong student of the Bible and especially that portion which applies to the Masonic doctrines and always followed the teachings of Masonry as his guide and was a seeker after the truth and the right way of living to the end.

Funeral of Mr. Davis was conducted by the Masonic lodge at the home at 317 west 11th street at three o'clock Wednesday afternoon. Interment in I.O.O.F. cemetery.

Rochester Sentinel, March 6, 1928²⁶⁷

Mrs. Catherine P. DAVIS, 85, one of the best and most widely known pioneers of Fulton County, died at eleven o'clock Monday night at her home, 317 West Eleventh Street, after an illness of more than a month during which she had been bedfast. Some time ago she slipped on the ice at her home, fell and broke her hip. Death came as the result of this injury and complications which set in following the accident. She is survived by six sons and a brother, all of whom were at the bedside when the end came.

Mrs. Davis lived in this county for 76 years and during that time was loved by all who knew her. Her wide acquaintance and her alertness at all times endeared her to many. She was always neighborly and until her death was a constant friend of the children who flocked about her door.

Catherine P. PACKER was born January 25th, 1843 in Perry County, Ohio, the daughter of Frederick B. and Elizabeth PACKER. In the year 1852 she moved with her parents and brothers and sisters to Fulton County, Indiana, where they made their home on a farm near Tiosa. In 1862 she was united in marriage with John M. DAVIS and the couple continued to live in the Tiosa neighborhood until 1882 when she moved with her husband and children to Rochester. Mr. Davis preceded her in death about ten years ago.

They were the parents of eight children, seven sons and one daughter. The youngest son, Marion L. [DAVIS], died when about two years old and the daughter, Mrs. Rosa McKEE, passed away sixteen years ago. The surviving sons are Ostinell [DAVIS] of Indianapolis, Henry A. [DAVIS] of Louisville, Ky., Dr. Frederick W. [DAVIS] of Jeffersonville, Ind., Vernon J. [DAVIS] of Buffalo, N.Y.. Cyrus H. [DAVIS] and Charles A. [DAVIS] of Rochester. She has one brother, the last member of her parents' family living, George PACKER, of Mishawaka, Indiana.

Mrs. Davis was baptized in her childhood days in the Lutheran Church, the church of her parents and in which she remained with her broadened views until the last. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star No. 70 and the Women's Relief Corps for many years.

Her ancestors were of Scotch and German origin coming from England and Germany to America where they served in the Revolutionary War, finally settling in Pennsylvania, thence to Ohio and Indiana.

The funeral will be held at the home Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock with Rev. Paul MADER officiating. The six sons will act as pallbearers. Burial in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery.