Fred M. Meyer, 96, of Humboldt, passed away February 9, 2012 at the Humboldt Care Center North. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Faith United Methodist Church in Humboldt with the Rev. Walden Paige officiating. Interment will be in Indian Mound Cemetery, Humboldt with full military rites by the Sathers-Odgaard Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5240 and Adams American Legion Post 119. Visitation is from 4-7 p.m. Monday at the Mason-Lindhart Funeral Home in Humboldt.
Mr. Meyer is survived by his children, Ken Meyer of Dakota City, Jerry (Shirley) Meyer of Humboldt, and Joalyn (Monte) Cunningham of Humboldt; grandchildren, Jenifer (Chad) Lange, Jamey (Chad) Gregersen, and Misti (Kyle) Rierson; and great grandchildren, Hannah, Sydney, and Nathan Gregersen, Katherine and Brianna Rierson, and Noah and Max Lange. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his wife, Margery.
Fred Milford Meyer, the son of Wayne and Anna (Meyer) Meyer, was born October 15, 1915 on a farm between Hampton and Iowa Falls, Iowa. Following his graduation from Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa), in Cedar Falls, Fred was hired as a business teacher at Rippey High School in Rippey, Iowa. In 1942 he was drafted into the United States Army.
After finishing out the school year, he went straight to Fort Worth, Texas where he received his basic training before being sent to Colorado Springs, where he was made a company clerk and sent to England. He became a member of Patton’s Third Army Headquarters, traveling with the general to France after the invasion, and then around Europe.
Following his honorable discharge after the war, Fred returned to his teaching position at Rippey. On August 6, 1947, he was united in marriage to fellow Rippey teacher, Margery Dickey. Together, the couple had three children. He then accepted a teaching position at Clarion before following his interest in Theater. In 1951, Fred became the manager of the Humota Theater in Humboldt and for the next 41 years, sold tickets and concessions to generations of Humboldt Residents until his retirement in 1992. Up until recently, Fred remained active part-time in the theater working for his son, Jerry.
In addition to his management of the theater, Fred was very active in the Humboldt Community. In 1963, he served on the Humboldt Centennial Committee and was one of four founding members of the Midwest Polk Festival. He was also part of the Humboldt/Dakota City Chamber Of Commerce for which he was secretary for 18 years. He was a member of the Humboldt County Tourism Committee, organizing Christmas bus tours to Humboldt. Fred was also an active member of the Humboldt-Dakota City Noon Kiwanis Club and in 1980, he and Margery came up with the idea of a series of animated Christmas scenes which became Christmas Land, which has been visited by hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world. He was also a member of the Faith United Methodist Church.
In 2003, Fred lost his wife, Margery. He continued to maintain his home in Humboldt until becoming a resident of the Humboldt Care Center North in September of 2011. He passed away there on the evening of February 9, 2012 at the age of 96.