Roger Raymond Meier

Roger R. Meier, age 90, of Holstein, formerly of Galva, passed away on Friday, February 12, 2021 at the AbiliT Senior Living of Holstein. A private family funeral service will be held on Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 11:00 AM at the St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church of Holstein with the Pastor Bob Lewis and Pastor Scott Meier officiating.  Burial will be at the Holstein Cemetery of Holstein with military rites conducted by the American Legion Dibbern Post #454 of Galva and the American Legion Dessel-Schmidt Post #225 of Holstein.  A visitation with no family present will be held on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the Nicklas D. Jensen Funeral Home of Holstein.  The family requests that masks be worn at all times.

Roger R. Meier was born May 20, 1930 the oldest of Raymond and Henrietta (Schmidt) Meier’s four children.  He was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church.  He started school in Cushing and graduated in May 1947.

Roger was farming with his dad until the fall of 1951 when he was drafted into the U.S. Army and began basic training at Fr. Sill, Oklahoma as a forward artillery observer.  After training he went by ship to Osaka, Japan and received a month of medical training.  He always said he was qualified to be a doctor.  After a month the Army finally got his orders straight and sent him to Korea on the front lines where he trained to be a Forward Observer.  In June of 1953 Roger received an Honorable Discharge and returned to Cushing farming with his dad.

    During Roger’s time in the service a special bond was formed with the men he trained and spent time in Korea with.  Years later they held yearly reunions at different cities, the last one held in Des Moines in 2014. 

Roger met his wife A. Jean Meier at a dance in the Cobblestone, Storm Lake, Iowa.  They were married at St. John Lutheran Church in Cushing on September 2, 1956.  After a honeymoon in Denver they returned to Ames, Iowa where he got a job working at the Iowa State College Dairy.  A month later he started working at the Agronomy Farm until March 1957 when he started farming NW of Galva for 15 years.  In 1972 they bought a farm five miles north of Galva.

Roger bought a Vermeer round baler, the first in Ida County.  He and his uncle Paul Meier together did thousands of round bales.  After the death of his uncle, he continued baling until retirement.  

In 2010 they bought a house in Holstein.  Roger and son Jim would still drive to the farm to feed livestock and do the field work until poor health forced him to retire.  In June of 2020 he became a resident of AbiliT Senior Living in Holstein and lived there until his death.

Roger was a faithful and active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church where he served twice as an elder and helped at many pancake suppers.  He was a 56-year member of the Galva American Legion.  He served various offices in the 9th District American Legion, his last being 9th District Commander in 2001-2002.  In addition to farming, he served on the Galva Elevator Board for 12 years, Farm Bureau, Ida Sheltered Industries (Crossroads) and Township Trustee.

He and Jean were members of a 500 club before it dissolved.  Later they had monthly cribbage games with two couples.

Roger is survived by his wife, Jean; daughter, Diane (Bill) Green of Des Moines, IA; son, Jim Meier of Holstein, IA; son, Bruce (Sheri) Meier of Jacksonville, FL; and daughter, Sharon (Scott) Lutheran of Jacksonville, FL; grandsons, Steven and Jacob of Jacksonville, FL; sister, Carol Borchers of Holstein, IA; and several cousins, nephews and nieces.

He is preceded in death by his parents Raymond and Henrietta; parents-in-law, Wm. and Elsie Neitzke; brother, Lynn Meier and sister, Nancy (Pastor Evan) Dieck.

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