F. WILLIAM MEYER, a prosperous farmer and stock raiser of section 17, range 11, was born in Westphalia, Prussia, Germany, in 1838. In 1849, he came to America with his parents (see biography of Fred Meyer) and has been living in this country ever since. Here he grew to manhood, obtaining a little knowledge of English and English books. While he is not a well educated man he has good judgment and is very intelligent. He is the eldest of his father's family, of whom all are married and live in the United States. Mr. Meyer owns a well improved farm of 160 acres, all under the plow with first class farm buildings, all erected by himself. Beside this fine farm he owns seventy acres of good grass land and eighty acres of timber land. These lands are all earned by his own hard work. He follows general farming and stock-raising and breeds cattle from a first class stock.

He was married the first time to Caroline Telkemeyer, born in Cass county, in 1845, where she was reared and educated. She came of German parents who came to the United States and settled in Cass county where they lived and died, the mother when young and the father, William, when about sixty-five. They were earnest members of the German Lutheran Church. Mrs. Meyer died at her home in this county in 1879, on Easter Sunday of that year. She was thirty-three years of age, a true, good wife and mother, and a devout member of the Lutheran Church. She was the mother of three children: Mary, at home with her father; Minnie and Emma, also at home. They are intelligent young women. Mr. Meyer was married the second time in Schuyler county, to Lizzie Gise, of Hesse Darmstadt, born in 1849. She came to the United States when a young woman with her father, John, the mother having died in Germany. They settled in Cass county. Later, Mr. Gise went to Oregon and died there when an old man. He and his family were Lutherans. Mr. and Mrs. Meyer have one child, Lucy. They are members of the Lutheran Church, and are true, good people. Mr. Meyer is a Republican in politics.