Biography of Harlan Page Mead, pages 744 / 745.  History of De Kalb County, 
Indiana.  Inter-State Publishing Company, Chicago, 1885.

Harlan Page Mead, deceased, was born in Auglaize County, Ohio, Oct. 2, 1840, 
a son of Julius C. and Marium (Barr) Mead.  When he was an infant his 
parents moved to De Kalb County, Ind., and settled in Richland Township, and 
here he was reared and educated, receiving a common-school education.  He 
was married Sept. 1, 1861, to Mary Ellen Hathaway, a native of Richmond, 
Lake Co., Ohio, third daughter of Nathan and Hannah Hathaway, early settlers 
of De Kalb County.  He remained on his father’s farm five years and then 
moved to Smithfield Township.  In 1873 he moved to Keyser Township, where he 
died, June 12, 1873.  He was an industrious, energetic man, a good manager, 
economical and enterprising, and although but a young man when his life 
work was finished he had accumulated a good property, and had the 
prospects of a prosperous and useful future.  During his last sickness he 
said to his wife, “Mary, my time has come, prepare to meet me in heaven.”  
He was unable to speak above a loud whisper, but conversed with all who 
visited him till the last, urging them to prepare for death.  He said he 
would like to see all his friends and neighbors, and told his wife to tell 
them how he died in the triumph of living faith, and urge them to prepare 
to meet him with the blood-washed throng.  He talked constantly of his 
Savior, and at one time said, “I suffer, Mary, but my sufferings are not 
to be compared with those of my dear Savior’s, for he sweat, as it were, 
great drops of blood.”  At one time he called Mrs. Hathaway to his bedside, 
and said: “Mother, I came here with good intentions to care for you in 
your old age and make you comfortable, but God has ordered it otherwise.  
My time is about to close on earth, I will leave you in the hands of your 
Savior and my Savior, and he will eventually take you home.”  At one time 
he laughed, and said: “Mary, can’t you laugh?  If you could see what I see 
you would laugh.”  His wife said:  “Page, what do you see?”  He said: 
“They are all there, and there is my Savior spreading for me his precious 
hands.  I have but one thing to make me cling to earth and that is my dear 
wife, but I will leave her in the hands of a just God and he will take 
care of her.”  “Mary, prepare for death, and when the pale horse comes 
mount on and I will meet you.”  He told his two brother-in-law and nephew 
to care for his wife, and never see her trampled on or abused.  He 
selected the hymns to be sung at his funeral and the text for the 
discourse.  The latter was Job xiv:14,16.  He had no fear of death.  
“It is just a step and I am on the other side where Jesus stands ready to 
receive me,” he said.  He was very anxious to make his will, that his wife 
might have all the property, and after that was done was content.  Mrs. 
Mead is living on a farm in Richland Township, which she superintends, and 
is a woman of unusual energy and ability.  She was a member of the 
Disciples church in early life, but in 1875 transferred her allegiance to 
the German Baptist church.  In Politics Mr. Mead was a Democrat.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com