The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-02-19
MEEKlNS
Continued from Page One)

teo men who organized and man.
aged Manteo's large boat build
ing enterprise during World War
II. For many years he was active
in the Manteo Chamber of Com
merce and served as its President
several times. He participated in
nearly every civic activity of his
community during his lifetime.
He married Miss Rosa P. Mid
gett of Rodanthe June 6, 1896
and of this union, four children
servive: Ernest E. Meekins and
Theo. S. Meekins, Jr,, of Manteo;
Percy w. Meekins of Washington
D. c., and Mrs. Alma Reich of
Manteo. Also by three grand
children and several great-grand-
children.
He is survived by two broth
ers: j. Frank, and Ara E. of Ro-
danthe, and three sisters, Mrs.
Molly Midget, Mrs. Zenith Mid
gett and Mrs. Lewis Midget of
Rodanthe.
In June 1896 he joined the Ma
sonic Lodge and was a member
of Wanchese Lodge No. 521 A.
F. & A. M. at the time OF his
death.
An Interesting Raconteur
A close-observer and endowed
with keen memory, Mr.. Meekins
eXcelled as a story-teller and was
interesting company on trip.
He made many trips to various
public meetings, particularly po-
litical conventions which he es-
pecially enjoyed. He was inter
ested in politics all his life, and
as he told it, his interest began
at an early age. He was thrilled
early in life by having the ex-
perience of plotting the late
Charles Brantley Aycock, North
Cardinals educational Governor
when he campaigned through
Dare County during sailboat days
in the late COS. 1t was on this
trip that Aycock put his arms
about him, and said: Il like you
Theo Meekins. I am going to be
Governor of this state some day,
and 1 won't forget you" In years
to come he was privileged to be
the friend of many Governors;
one of his closest friends being
Cameron Morrison and as dele
gate he attended several National
Democratic Conventions.
After he had spent eight years
in the Life Saving Service, he de-
cided to move to Manteo. He de-
cided also to go into politics,
along with his mercantile ven
ture with Mr.. Evans. He was al
ways successful in his campaigns
for office, and carried on many
business activities. After many
years in business with Mr.. Evans,
he opened a store in his own
name which ran for several
years, and finally failed about
1914, because he didn't have en-
ough capital. Il went home and
cried like a baby" he said.
But Theo. Meekins was not a
man to let failure get him down.
He always found a way to rise
again; he was a good mixer and
liked people, and he did not
carry bitterness in his heart for
long, following the disagreements
that ensued as matter of course
during his political activities. He
always liked to speculate in land.
He promoted some of the large
ocean front developments at
Mays Head, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty
Hawk. He was instrumental in the
promotion of many large shoot
ing clubs developed by northern
sportsmen when wildfowl were
most plentiful in Dare County.
At the time of his death he was
a large landowner.
He was man with intense de-
votion to his family and his
home, and he provided for his
family the largest and most
costly home in Manteo. For sew
eral years he had devoted the
greater part of his energies and
his efforts to caring for his in
valid wife. Her slightest wish was
promptly gratified, regardless of
the cost. Throughout his life he
had endeavored to provide better
for his family than was the for
tune of many others. fang9s
In 1889 a heavy misfortune
struck him, when he lost his Of
flee building and most of his re-
cords in the fire which swept
Manteo's business district. But on
the ashes of the old building he
erected a new brick two-story
building with offices on the Sc
cond floor, which were his pride
and joy. When doctors told him
it was time to stop climbing |
stairs, he then remodeled the
downstairs into the incest look
ing office in town land continued
working long hours and until
late in the night at his real-estate