18 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
Obituary. 
JOSEPH MEEHAN 
Joseph Meehan died December 23rd, at his home, Ger¬ 
mantown, Pa,, at the age of 80 years. 
The nursery and florist’s trades have long been fam¬ 
iliar with bis writings on horticultural subjects published 
in the Florist’s Exchange, Gardening, Prairie Farmer, 
Park & Cemetery, Practical Farmer, and a number of 
other periodicals. 
The death of Mr. Meehan marks the passing of the last 
of the first generation in this country of this well-known 
family of nurserymen. 
Brother to the late Thomas Meehan, founder of the 
firm of Thomas Meehan and Sons, Germantown, Pa., and 
uncle of Thomas B. Meehan, Dresher, Pa. 
Joseph Meehan came to this country in April, 1859 to 
knowledge of and intimate acquaintance with plants will 
not be entirely lost. It is to be hoped they will be assem¬ 
bled and compiled in book form and not left in their 
present inaccessible form. 
When the Civil War broke out he promptly enlisted in 
defense of the Union, joining the 118th Pennsylvania 
Volunteers. lie carried a bullet in his shoulder received 
at Shepherdstown following the battle of Antietam. 
He will long be remembered by those who were fortun¬ 
ate enough to be associated with him at the nurseries, 
who learned to love and respect him to a degree that is 
rare in such associations. 
He was “Uncle Joe” to them all. Ever ready with 
kindly interest to give of his fund of knowledge, his 
memory will remain an inspiration of fidelity and loy¬ 
alty to his profession and to a standard of living that 
makes its adherents the salt of the earth. 
Mr. Meehan is survived by two sons and a daughter: 
Charles E. Meehan, the well-known wholesale florist, of 
Philadelphia; A. Rothwell Meehan, and Mrs. George W. 
Williams. 
work with his brother soon after the latter had started the 
nurseries at Germantown and remained with them until 
he retired from business, a period of 52 years. Mr. Mee¬ 
han was horn at Ryde, Isle of Wight, England, November 
9th, 1840, where his father was gardener on the IJar- 
court Estate for half a century. As a boy he worked 
under his father and in other gardens including the Ken¬ 
wood Gardens, London, so that his long life has been 
spent entirely among plants. It is doubtful if his equal 
existed, in his knowledge and familiarity with that 
group usually grown in nurseries and gardens and with 
the local native flora. 
Fortunately through his writings this wonderful 
JOSEPH MEEHAN 
AN APPRECIATION 
Have you ever met a 24-carat man? 
They are rare. To assay any higher they must be of 
celestial origin. There’s lots of alloy, or dross, or what¬ 
ever you want to call it, in all of us. For this reason we 
can appreciate the genuine when we travel with it along 
life’s highway. 
Joseph Meehan, the horticulturist, the writer; and 
above all, the man, has left us. His was no projection of 
the personality of his equally famous and lovable brother 
Thomas. He reflected no one but himself. He filled his 
place in the great scheme of things and filled it well. 
Over 28 years ago he started in to “make a little gen¬ 
tleman” of the then shy little fellow who today pens 
these few words of appreciation. He never grew dis¬ 
couraged in his efforts to improve by encouragement the 
young people whose companionship he sought even until 
his closing years. His was the fair and unselfish spirit 
which gave its best to all and played no favorites. 
He was clean, he was exact; a fighter for fairness and 
for the right; a living example of the Golden Rule. The 
modern idea of sandbagging one’s conscience never con¬ 
taminated him. Things were either right or they were 
wrong, no half-way measures with him. He might argue 
over the placing of a comma or semi-colon, but he never 
argued over doing a good turn. 
He was truly a man of the great outdoors. He loved 
the trees, the plants, the woods and the waters with every 
fibre of his big body and bigger heart. Until darkness 
overtook him never a night did he fail to look at the stars 
and marvel at the infinite. Yet he could see beauty 
in the clouds as well. 
The Great Teacher held out a special reward to those 
who are meek in spirit. Joseph Meehan was meek, but 
never lukewarm. He followed out his own independence 
in thought and actions without trespassing on the feel¬ 
ings of others. 
A good comrade and a good soldier has gone; but he 
has left the world a better place for having lived in it. 
Chas. W. Kesser. 
