Meister, Ralph 1913-2000

MEISTER, KIMM, RIMMER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann (email)
Date: 7/7/2007 at 20:07:30

Ralph Meister, 87, of LeMars, died Saturday, Nov. 25, 2000, at the Brentwood Good Samaritan Center in LeMars.

Ralph Meister was born March 22, 1913, on the family farm in Garfield Township, rural Kingsley, the son of Oscar and Anna (Kimm) Meister. Ralph was baptized and confirmed at Congregational United Church of Christ in Kingsley. He attended country school in Garfield Township and graduated from Kingsley High School in 1932.

On April 11, 1936, he was united in marriage to Maxine Rimmer at the Congregational United Church of Christ parsonage at Kingsley. He was involved in farming from 1937 to 1980, having farmed in the Pierson-Grand Meadow, Remsen and Correctionville areas. Ralph and Maxine retired in 1980 and moved to LeMars.

While on the farm, Ralph had worked as a foreman for the ASCS office, drove school bus for the Grand Meadow School and Union Consolidated School, was a 4-H leader, and seed corn representative for Cargill. During his retirement years, Ralph had worked part-time for the LeMars Hatchery and also assisted Don De Jager in the plumbing business.

Ralph enjoyed volunteer work. He was a volunteer at the Brentwood Good Samaritan Center for over a decade, volunteered with the Elderly Peer Group, and was awarded the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year in 1986 by the LeMars Area Chamber of Commerce. Also during retirement, Ralph learned woodcarving. He was a lifelong member of the United Church of Christ.

Survivors include his wife, Maxine Meister, of LeMars; four sons and daughters-in-law, Jerry and Phyllis of LeMars, Ken and Betty of Redwood Falls, Minn., Mark and Joan of Correctionville, and Dan and Pat of Pierson; 10 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren; a sister, Sylvia Beelner, of Kingsley; two sisters-in-law, Dorothy Meister of Kingsley and Loraine Meister Robinson of Portland, Ore.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Russell, Roy and Melvin Meister; and a granddaughter, Rachelle Meister.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Presbyterian United Church of Christ in LeMars with the Rev. Tim Olsen officiating. Burial will be in Resthaven Memory Gardens, rural LeMars. Visitation will be after 3 p.m today (Monday) at the Mauer-Johnson Funeral Home in LeMars with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m., Monday evening at the funeral home.

~source: LeMars Daily Sentinel