The Mildred Meyer Family History

The family of Mildred V. Meyer (1925 -) of Exira has German and Danish ancestry. The German side of the family, Meyer, emigrated from Holstein, Germany, in 1854. Jacob John (1825 – 1889 or 1899) and Magdalena Angela Bornholdt Meyer (1830 – 1911) settled in Rock Island County, Illinois, but their son, George (1860 – 1930), the third of five children, later settled in Audubon County in 1891. He married Anna Marie Jacobsen (1862 – 1958), who had emigrated from Schleswig, Germany in 1866, in 1885, and they had 10 children. Tragedy struck the family during a diphtheria epidemic in 1892, when three of their children, Charles, George Jr. and Nora died within the same week. One of George’s sons, John J. (1892 – 1966), married Ella Gude (1892 – 1968) in 1920. To this marriage, three children were born. John R. “Junior” Meyer (1921 – 2006) served in the Mediterranean theater in World War II and returned to farm for over 50 years in Audubon Township. Nadine Meyer (1925 -) married Leonard Wheeler (1926 – 1978), and together they had four children: Larry (1945 -), Charles (1947 -), Craig (1950 -) and Sandra (1952 -). Norman S. Meyer (1923 – 2000) graduated from Exira High School with the Class of 1941 and married Mildred Nelson on March 10, 1946.

The Danish side of the family, Nelson, also emigrated to Audubon County in the late 1800’s. Mildred’s parents were Albert T. (1892 – 1964) and Emma Hansen Nelson (1898 – 1986), who married in 1917. Albert’s parents were Lorenz (1843 – 1930) and Marie (1850 – 1931) Nelson, and Emma’s parents were Hans C. (1868 – 1947) and Bodil (1868 – 1951) Hansen; all were born in Denmark. Mildred has three brothers, Donavon D. (1918 – 2003), Richard H. (1921 – 2003) and Robert D. (1937 -). Don married Lois Schlater (1924 -) of Exira and together they had three children: Russell (1949 -), Paulette (1946 -) and Peggy (1954 -). Richard married Maxine Aagard (1925 -) of Audubon. Five children were born to this union: Roger (1946 -), Shirley (1948 -), Randy (1951 -), Lori (1957 -) and Jodi (1961 -). Robert has been an attorney in Exira since 1966. Mildred graduated from Exira High School with the Class of 1942 and taught country school in Oakfield Township during World War II.

Norman and Mildred Meyer farmed 160 acres in Section 36 of Greeley Township in Audubon County, along Troublesome Creek. They are members of the Exira Christian Church. Three children were born to this marriage, and one son was adopted. Ronald D. Meyer (1946 – 1967) was a student at Grand View College in Des Moines when he lost his life in an automobile accident. Two daughters, Patricia J. (1947 -) and Barbara K. (1949 -) each studied elementary education at Northwest Missouri State and Simpson College, respectively. Christopher R. (1968 -) was adopted by the family. Ronald’s girlfriend, LaRita Stanley (1950 -), daughter of Jack and Anna Margaret Stanley of Atlantic, was pregnant with Christopher at the time of Ronald’s death, and Norman and Mildred then adopted this child.

In 1971, Norman and Mildred purchased an additional farm of 60 acres in Section 34 of Greeley Township, where they then made their home until 1995, when they moved to Exira. Norman was a member of the Exira School Board when he was partially disabled by a stroke in 1975, but he continued to farm with his brother, Junior. Norman died on September 7, 2000. Mildred, who has also worked for the Exira Elementary School as a teacher’s aide, is active in the OAO Club, Exira Garden Club and is a volunteer for the Exira Congregate Meals.

Patricia J. Meyer married Charles S. “Chuck” Wise (1948 -), son of Leonard and Anna Marie Wise of Minburn, Iowa, on August 5, 1972. Following a brief stay in Mason City, Iowa, they lived in Omaha, Nebraska, where Chuck worked for Case IH Credit, from 1974 until 1991. In Omaha, three children were born to this marriage. Heather L. (1975 -) married Scott Kenyon of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 16, 2004. Both hold degrees in accounting from the University of Wisconsin and currently work as accountants in Milwaukee. Charles M. “Matt” Wise (1978 -) graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee in 2005 with a degree in journalism. Rebecca A. “Becky” (1979 -) married Ryan Sheedlo of Racine, Wisconsin on September 15, 2001. Becky, who also graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, works in marketing for Reiman Publishing of Milwaukee, and Ryan works for R&B Grinding. They have one daughter, Emily Elizabeth (2005 -). Pat and Chuck moved to Racine, Wisconsin, in 1991, where Chuck works as Senior Director Retail Credit Underwriting for Case IH. Pat has a thriving business in hand-made doll clothes.

Barbara K. Meyer married Daryl Nielsen (1947 -), son of the late Raymond and Bernice Nielsen of Brayton, Iowa, on March 18, 1972. Daryl worked for John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company for many years, and now works for Farm Credit Services as a loan officer. They lived briefly in Fort Dodge, Iowa, where their first son, Jon P. (1972 -), was born. Jon, who holds a master’s degree from the University of Nebraska, is a certified public accountant working for Allianz in Munich, Germany. He married Jill Brown of Lincoln, Nebraska, on November 23, 1996. They have two children, Jacob (2001 -) and Kate Ann (2005 -). Barb and Daryl next lived in Marshalltown, Iowa before moving to Sioux City, Iowa, where their second son, Chad M. (1975 -), was born. Chad has his own construction business in Fort Collins, Colorado. In 1976, Barb and Daryl moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where they lived until 1998. Three more sons were born in Lincoln. Brian C. (1980 -) graduated with a master’s in civil engineering from Colorado State University and currently works for PND Engineers in Juneau, Alaska. Aaron D. (1984 -) and Justin C. (1985 -) are both currently students at Colorado State University in Electrical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, respectively. Barb and Daryl currently live in Fort Collins, Colorado, where Barb works as the property manager of Aspenleaf Apartments.

Christopher R. Meyer graduated with degrees in German and history from Iowa State University in 1993 and served as a U.S. Army Quartermaster officer from 1993 until 1999. He married Katja I. Reich, daughter of Thomas and Silvia Reich of Weiherhof, Germany, on September 1, 1998. After residing in State College, Pennsylvania from 1999 – 2002, where he worked for Wal-Mart logistics, they currently live in Fuerth, Germany. Chris is an international project manager for active logistics GmbH, a logistics software company.

(The photo is of Norman and Mildred Meyer in September 1994.)