Meis, Ray 1910-2007

MEIS, ROERIG, NILLES

Posted By: Paul Van Dyke-Volunteer
Date: 1/22/2015 at 22:45:05

Source: North West Iowa Review (5-2007)

Born: July 1, 1910
Died: May 29, 2007

Ray Meis, 96, Crescent, Formerly of Granville, died Tuesday, May 29, at Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

Services were Tuesday, June 5, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Granville, with the Reverend Richard Ball officiating. Burial was at the church cemetery under the direction of Fisch Funeral Home in Remsen.

Ray Meis, son of Joseph and Katherine (Roerig) Meis, was born July 1, 1910, in rural Le Mars. He was raised in the Le Mars area and received his education at St. Joseph Catholic School in Le Mars. He then worked at different jobs in the Le Mars area, including hauling milk and working at Wells’ Dairy when it was first established.

He married Catherine Nilles on September 26, 1939, in Remsen. They made their home near Remsen, where they farmed until 1942, when they moved to the Granville area to farm. They retired in 1972 and moved into Granville.

Mrs. Meis died November 9, 1989. He moved to Crescent in 2003 to be closer to his family. He moved to an assisted living facility in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, in November 2006 and had just moved to a nursing home in Omaha, Nebraska, on April 30.

He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Granville and a lifelong member of the Eagles Club in Le Mars. He enjoyed bowling, fishing, dancing, watching baseball and playing cards. He was always up for a game of pitch or pinochle.

Survivors include four sons, Bill and Marian Meis of Crescent, Ken and Suzi Meis of Crescent, Ron and Rosemary Meis of Honey Creek, and Tom Meis of Carter Lake; a daughter, Mary and Jerry Koob of Omaha, Nebraska; a daughter-in-law, Janice Elledge of Bennington, Nebraska; eight grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; five sisters, Marian Abdalla of Fort Dodge, Margaret Grau of Littleton, Colorado, Joan Van Steenwyck of California, Janet Olson of California, and Ruth Marienau of Des Moines; a sister-in-law, Joan Meis of South Sioux City, Nebraska; and a brother-in-law, Francis and Pat Nilles of Remsen.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Catherine Meis; a son, Robert Meis; five brothers, Leonard Meis, Clarence “Huck” Meis, Herb Meis, Ed Meis and Richard “Bud” Meis; and a sister, Clatilda “Tillie” Wolf.