Eugene Meier, age 92, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, December 8, 2022, at 8:20 p.m. at the Cottages in Pella due to congestive heart failure. He was born to Charles and Volene (Vollie) Meier on February 25, 1930, in rural Hedrick, Iowa. He met Mary Boord at Hedrick High School where they were high school sweethearts all four years and then married on February 26, 1950. He farmed for two years Northwest of Hedrick and then they moved two miles South of Fremont where they continued to farm for 60 years. During that time, they had two children, Dennis, who was born on June 4, 1951, and Joy, who was born on March 20, 1953. Together, Eugene and Mary shared 71 years of marriage until her passing on March 6, 2021.
He quit raising livestock after some years so then he started working for Paul Versteegh building houses when he wasn’t farming. He also used the whole basement to build toys for “With Love Toy Ministry” in Pella and toys and small furniture for them, his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
He retired in 1992 but kept very busy in his basement doing his woodworking. They moved to Pella in 2011 to be closer to his daughter, Joy. He still worked with his hands by going to Toy Ministry to help with the toys and, he went to Leighton to help with Worldwide Mobility, which is a wheelchair propelled by a hand crank by those who can not walk. They were distributed to many countries. Gene was a member of the Pella Nazarene Church and enjoyed playing cards with old neighbors from Fremont still after they moved to Pella. While they were younger, they did a lot of traveling.
His family includes his son, Dennis Meier of Monument, Colorado; his daughter, Joy (Mark) Rhinehart of Pella; five grandchildren, Josh (Missy) Rhinehart of Pella, Jennifer (Sean) Nathaniel of Austin, Texas, Jeff Rhinehart of Schertz, Texas, Scott (Cassie) Meier of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Brian (Christena) Meier of Kuna, Idaho and 15 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Meier; his parents; Charles and Vollie; his maternal and paternal grandparents and a daughter-in-law, Diane Meier.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, December 16, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. in the Fremont Funeral Chapel with Pastor Michelle DeBruin officiating. Burial will be in the Cedar Township Memorial Cemetery South of Fremont following the service. Visitation will be held on Friday, December 16, starting at 9:30 a.m. until service time at 10:30 with Eugene’s family present to greet relatives and friends.
Memorials may be made to Mobility Worldwide or Wesley Life Hospice.
