Stanley Dean Meierhenry

Stan Meierhenry, age 83, loving husband and father, passed away peacefully on February 20, 2016 after having a stroke. He was born in Stanton, NE to parents Oscar and Louise. He grew up on a large family farm where he plowed fields with teams of horses at age seven and attended a one-room school up to the 8th grade. He earned an Elementary Teaching Certificate at Kearney, NE and a BS in Education at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Stan taught elementary students for several years before one of the coldest winters in Nebraska prompted a move to sunny California where his brother lived. He became a seventh/eighth grade science teacher in Buena Park where he loved learning about California earthquakes. In 1961, he met and married his wife, Margaret, and they started their family in Fullerton, CA. While teaching, he earned a Master of Arts Degree in Education from California State College at Long Beach. During the 1970's, American teachers were recruited to teach in many areas of Australia and when, in 1971, Stan was hired by the New South Wales Education Department, the family went off on an adventure. They moved to Queanbeyan, New South Wales, a small community 200 miles from Sydney and next door to Canberra, the National Capital. As a full-time substitute teacher, Stan would find out each morning whether he'd be teaching kindergarten in town or all grades in a one-room school in the outback. Another daughter was born to the family during the 18 months in Australia. Because adventure kept calling, Stan accepted a teaching position with the Methodist Church in Western Samoa. However, after arriving in Apia, he was asked to be principal of the Methodist High School for the following year. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1974, the family settled on a small farm near Eagle Point, OR and Stan became a teacher/assistant principal at Little Butte Intermediate School, working alongside Helen Barrow. He taught fifth grade for two years, took a teaching break, and came back to teach seventh grade science at the Junior High. Farming still interested him and kept him busy in the summer haying and raising cattle. In 1981, he retired from teaching for health reasons. Stan is survived by his wife of 54 years, daughters, Carol Wagenet (Chris), Diane Peterson (Paul), sons, Jeff and Gary, and grandsons, Jonathan and Thomas Wagenet. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, and sister. Stan will be greatly missed by his loving family and friends and a Celebration of Life will occur this summer.