Prominent Lima Woman Is Dead

Mrs. Harriet Amelia Meily Motter Dies Wednesday Of Heart Disease

After a lingering illness, Mrs. Harriet Amelia Meily Motter, 76, died of heart disease at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in her home, 613 W. Spring-st. She had been critically ill for the last ten days.

Mrs. Motter was the widow of Isaac S. Motter, prominent Lima attorney, and the mother of Benjamin S. Motter, also an attorney. Her son made his home with his mother.

The youngest of nine children, Mrs. Motter was born in Lima, where she lived all her life. Her mother, Mrs. Catherine Fisher Meily, founded the first Lutheran church in Lima, known as the Zion Lutheran church.

The family had moved to this city in 1844. The church site is now part of the property of The Lima News, on Union-st. Around it raged the battle which later resulted in the split into several parts of the Lutheran churches of Lima. All night vigil by her brother, General Lucius Meily, then probate judge, with a posse marked the close of the historic disagreements of the congregation.

Of the nine children all more or less participated in state and national affairs during the eighties and nineties. Lucius, a brother was an attorney and an adjutant-general. Another daughter, Catharine, was the wife of Senator Calvin S. Brice, builder of the Lake Erie & Western and the Nickel Plate system from Buffalo to Chicago. Another sister of deceased became the wife of Colonel W. P. Orr, of Piqua, the linseed oil king of his day. Another sister was the wife of Dr. Irvin, a famous Indiana surgeon. A brother, George H. oil operator and attorney was the builder of the first natural gas system into Lima, while Ringold M. Meily, brother, was postmaster of Lima under the first Cleveland administration in 1884. Isaac S. Motter, her husband, served as prosecuting attorney during the nineties, and was senior member of the law firm of Motter, Mackenzie & Weadock, partners also in the wealthy midcontinent oil company known as Roth Argue-Maire Bros. at the turn of the century. The widely known Freeman family were the deceased's nieces and nephews, as well as Warren P. Meily, of Detroit, Bob and Fred of this city.

Also historic, where now stands the Morris Bros. store, formerly the Meily block on N. Main-st, with its great soft water cistern, was the Meily homestead built by the father of Mrs. Motter, from bricks baked on his own brickyard, delivered and laid by three sons.

In addition to her son, Mrs. Motter leaves two sisters-in-law, Mrs. George H. Meily and Mrs. R. W. Meily, and two nephews, Fred R. and J. Robb Meily, all of Lima.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Luke's church with the Rev. John Berger officiating. Burial will be in Woodlawn cemetery. The casket will not be opened at the church.

(published in The Lima News, Thursday, June 8, 1933)

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Library To Close For Mrs. Motter's Funeral

As a tribute to Mrs. Harriet Amelia Meily Motter, prominent Lima woman who died Wednesday at her home, 613 W. Spring-st, the Lima public library will be closed during the funeral services Saturday morning. Mrs. Motter was the mother of Benjamin S. Motter, Lima attorney and a member of the library board.

Services will be conducted at 10 a.m. in St. Luke's Lutheran church by the Rev. John W. Berger, pastor. The pallbearers will be Daniel Tripplehorn, J. A. MacDonell, John Carnes, C. H. Klinger, E. R. Curtin, O. B. Selfridge Jr., James Weadock Jr., and Allan Brady. Burial will be in Woodlawn cemetery.

(published in The Lima News, Friday, June 9, 1933)