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- EZEKIAL son of Adam and Lettice migrated to Cape Girardeau Missouri around 1829, he married Mary Ann Wilson From Betty Mills genealogy society Cape Girardeau, MO: Ezekial married 1837 Maty Ann Wilson and had possibly 14 children...
Note: Ezek. was in Perry County MO 1840-50-60 Censuses before moving back to Cape Gir Co (Perry Co adjoins Cape Gir Co to the north). Following from Cape Girardeau Gen Society as furnished them by Ezekiel's granddaughter, her name was not given.
"Ezekiel McNeely came from Iredell County North Carolina to Missouri in 1829. He had charge of the plantation of Thos. Swan of Perry County, a few miles northwest of Wittenburg, for two or three years, then married Mary Ann, a Daughter of Thos. Wilson of this county, settled on Brazeau Creek, north of where Altenburg now is, lived there a number of years and settled in Cape County near where Shawneetown now stands. In 1865 he, with Addison and Richard Wilson and George Clodfelter, built a woolen mill at Shawneetown in which they manufactured flannels, jeans, blankets, yams, and other woolen materials. People came here for many miles from this and adjoining counties to change their wool for the manufactured products. It was a great boon to every wide section of country. After some years, Levi Kinder became partner and later was operated by Torrence Walker and company. This mill was to be operated until near the close of the century when the machinery was sold. A flouring mill was later put into the building but a few years later it burned.
I have heard Mr. McNeely, who was my grandfather, say that while living in Perry County he had carried eggs, packed in a sack of chaff, on horseback, behind his saddle, to Appleton, a distance of ten miles, for which he received four cents per dozen, dressed pork sold for 2and half to 3cents per pound. The price of a day’s labor was a bushel of wheat and about 1845, wheat sold for 50 to 60 cents per bushel. Many a deer fell to his trusty rifle but he never carried home more than the hide and saddle of a slain stag. His farm in Perry county was principally in Brazeau Creek bottoms. The blackbirds were numerous and it was necessary to destroy their nests which were in the young willows along the creek bank, as they pulled a great amount of the young com. These nests were destroyed with long poles. Wild hogs were very destructive to the wheat but more so to the slowly maturing com crop. It was Grandfather’s practice to shoot them through the body. They would then go to the creek and die and he was not troubled about burning or burying the carcass. Such today no doubt would be reported to the humane society, but we must bear in mind it was the survival of the fittest, and these settlers were claiming from the wilderness a home which they must hold at all hazards, they had to meet the conditions that confronted them in the most practical way, whether it was in line with their desires had little consideration. Our county seat was not made what it is today by men and women who reposed on flowery beds of ease, but it came at the expense of brain and brawn, the sacrifice of ease and pleasure, the exercise of with and tact, the living of lives whose dreams never came true, for while every life tells the story of an unfinished purpose, their lives, as we look back upon them, were bound by privations and restrictions far more rigid than ours. My grandfather was the song leader in the church service for many years, always standing before the congregation.
The eldest daughter, Martha, married John W. Knox (my father) and their married life extended through 67 years. His only son Eugene, taught in schools and colleges for many years.
Ezekiel McNeely never failed to have an opinion about questions of right and wrong. He did not hesitate to state it, and when he believed a thing right, while courteous and considerate of others, there was no compromise, he served for many years as Justice of the Peace and was greatly respected for his decisions and the administering of his judgements, he way an especial friend of the German settlers when they began to settle around Altenburg.
At the ripe old age of 84 he passed on, mourned in death as he had been honored in life, and to such as he this generation should bare the head."
As stated by Betty Mills above Ezekial and Mary had a large family. The 1850 census of Cape Girardeau and later census includes the entire family we know of Martha who married John W. Knox and Thomas Eugene but there were many others.
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d. 22 May 1846, Mount Mourne,,Iredell County,North Carolina,United States 