Dr. Lloyd W. MEYER

MEYER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 4/6/2007 at 21:45:23

July 8, 2006
Iowa Falls Times Citizen

May 26, 1917-July 4, 2006

A visitation was held Friday, July 7, for Dr. Lloyd W. Meyer, longtime pastor of the Church of the Open Bible, who died Tuesday, July 4, 2006, of complications from pneumonia. Visitation was at the Foust Funeral Home in Eagle Grove. A private graveside service for family members will be conducted at a cemetery in Iowa Falls on Saturday morning, July 8. Dr. Meyer, 89, and his wife, Juanita, have resided at the Rotary Ann Home for a number of years following more than a half century of pastoral work in the community. The couple and their three children - Jerry, Lloyd and Donald - moved to Eagle Grove in 1948 from Los Angeles and assumed the pastorate at the Open Bible Church. Dr. Meyer concluded his ministry there in 2003. Over the years, the ministry became heavily involved in mission outreach. Dr. Meyer spent a number of years speaking and raising funds to build several new churches in Africa. In more recent years, the congregation was heavily involved in raising funds to purchase Bibles for emerging churches in mainland China, and the church continued to support the Flagstaff Mission to the Navajos in Flagstaff, Ariz., at the time of Dr. Meyer’s retirement.

Born in Iowa Falls on May 26, 1917, Dr. Meyer was one of two children. A sister, Lucille, still resides in California. His mother, Hertha, immigrated from Germany in 1910 to the United States, where she met her future husband, Lewis. His parents also are interred in the Iowa Falls cemetery. Dr. and Mrs. Meyer were well-known throughout large portions of Iowa in the ‘50s and ‘60s because of the radio and television ministries they initiated. The Old-Fashioned Church of the Air radio broadcast, which originated from a specially designed broadcast booth located in the Eagle Grove church, aired for 24 years over station KVFD out of Fort Dodge, broadcasting live for one hour each Sunday evening. The radio ministry was joined later by the Little Country Church of Iowa telecast over Fort Dodge-based station KQTV, telecasting for nearly a decade. The program was designed to feature various country church congregations throughout the region as a means of paying tribute to the Midwest’s rural faith traditions. Dr. Meyer loved boating and fishing. For eight years he served as national chaplain of the United States Power Squadrons, a safe boating educational organization. But his real passion centered on reaching out to those in need through his counseling and mission projects. His influence also touched the lives of many young people who grew up under his ministry — some 29 individuals went on to devote their lives to pastoral, mission and other vocational ministries.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Juanita; sons Lloyd of Carefree, Ariz., and Don, who lives in Chicago, Ill.; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Jerry preceded him in death in June 2005. Peace be to his memory.