W. William "Bill" Meyer 1927-2013

KESSLER, MEYER, FORRE

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/28/2013 at 11:46:29

Sioux City Journal
20 January 2013

SIOUX CITY | W. William "Bill" Meyer, 85, of Sioux City died Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, at Northern Hills Assisted Living after a long illness. Bill along with his brother, Chuck, owned and operated Meyer Brothers Funeral Homes until their retirement.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, with the Rev. Merlin J. Schrad officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, with military graveside rites. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 5 to 8 p.m. and a vigil service at 7 p.m., at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. Condolences may be posted online at www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Bill was born on Friday, March 4, 1927, in rural Creighton, Neb., the son of John Albert and Mary Ann (Kessler) Meyer. He grew up on the family farm and attended St. Ludger Academy in Creighton where he graduated in May 1945. He was drafted into the U.S. Army on June 16, 1945, and received his basic training in Ft. Lewis, Washington. He served on an attack personnel ship (AP 115, General George M. Randall) in the South Pacific, receiving his discharge in February 1947.

He then attended Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Neb., for his pre-mortuary requirements. He graduated from St. Louis College of Mortuary Science in June 1950 with distinguished honors. Bill started his internship in Chadron, Neb., and in February 1951 moved to Omaha, where he completed his internship and received his license as a Funeral Director/Embalmer in June 1951.

Bill met and married his wife, the former Ruby Arlene Forre, an Immanuel Hospital nurse, on Oct. 11, 1952, in Omaha. They moved to Albion, Neb., in February 1954 and in May 1955 purchased the Smith Home for Funerals and Home Furnishings that they owned and operated until they purchased the Manning O’Toole Funeral Home which was located at 500 W. Fourth St., in Sioux City on March 1, 1960.

In the later part of 1969, Bill incorporated with his brother, Charles, who owned and operated Perasso Brothers Funeral Home. In 1970, they purchased Anderson Funeral Home and merged Perasso Brothers with it. Manning O’Toole Funeral Home was in the Hamilton Urban Renewal area and was slated for demolition. Mr. Meyer purchased the former Fisher Nursery property and built Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. The new facility opened for business in July 1973. When the Hamilton Urban Renewal Project was started, he was elected chairman, serving until he was displaced from the area.

Bill was a member of the Order of The Golden Rule, a funeral service organization and had served as state chairman. He had been a member of the Suburban Rotary Club since 1973 and served on its board of directors and in 1996 was designated a Paul Harris Fellow by International Rotary Foundation. He was a member of S.C.O.R.E. since 1992, serving as chairman for FY ’94 and ’95. He served on the Salvation Army board of directors of which he was a lifetime member. Bill was a member of the American Legion Monahan Post 64, the V.F.W. Shull Post 580, AmVet and Fraternal Order of Eagles.

From 1960 to 1973, he was a member of St. Boniface Catholic Church. Since 1973, he had been a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. He was a member of the Third Degree Knights of Columbus Epiphany Council 743 and the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus Garrigan Assembly.

Bill is survived by a son and his wife, Mark and Deborah Meyer of Hoboken, N.J.; two daughters and their husbands, Cindy and Mark Struve of Sioux City, and Janel and Steve Skerl of Centerville, Ohio; a brother, Chuck Meyer and his wife, JoAnn of Sioux City; nine grandchildren, Jeffrey Struve and Keri Johnson, Brian and David Struve, Matthew, Lillian and Claire Meyer and Zachary, Adam and Rachael Skerl; two sisters-in-law, Jeanette Forre-Mortensen of Newman Grove, Neb., and Dorothy Forre of Bellwood, Neb.; a brother-in-law, Bob Gere of Ohio; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Ruby on Nov. 7, 2008; his parents; three brothers, Albert, Leonard and James Meyer; and three sisters, Caroline Ebel, Rose Gere and Florence Hurst.

Pallbearers will be his grandchildren.

Memorials may be made in his name to Blessed Sacrament Church Endowment Fund, Bishop Heelan High School Endowment Fund, Salvation Army or Hospice of Siouxland.

Bill’s family extends their sincere thanks and appreciation to all who have cared for him with their compassion and attention to his well being.