Ira Meador Overstreet

b. December 1905, Bedford County  VA

  A Virginian, Elisha Overstreet in 1905 purchased 120 acres of farm and

timber land in the Swofford valley of Lewis County, Washington for $2,600.

The partial log house on the property would in the spring of 1906 become the

home for Elisha and his wife Starr Addosa Wright, plus their two sons,

Gilbert and Ira. Ira Meador was only four months old when the cross country

train ride occurred to move this family from Virginia to Washington state.

Part of the transaction was that the Swofford post office would be housed

with the young family, and Elisha was Post Master for a couple of years.

  Ira did not start school in the one room school house until after his

eighth birthday. Upon completing the eighth grade, Ira was again held out of

school for a year to help do farm work. In the spring of 1926 Ira graduated

from Mossyrock High School, and later that year started training to become a

teacher at Central Normal School in Ellensburg, Washington. Eligible to

teach after only two years of college, Ira chose a teaching position at

nearby Selah, Washington, where he taught and coached for seventeen years.

Then the job of Superintendent of Schools in White Swan, Washington was

offered and he accepted. This was soon followed by a three year term as

Superintendent of Schools in Raymond, Washington.

  A move to Seattle and back to the classroom teaching environment was next

for Ira and his wife, Margaret. Retirement followed, and over thirty years

of active golf, bridge, travel and many other activities have occupied his

enjoyable and rewarding years in Seattle, Washington.

  At this time it is believed that Ira is the oldest living Overstreet.

Biography courtesy of Bob Overstreet, son of Ira Meador Overstreet
  

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