Ralph Edwin Meeker

Ralph Edwin Meeker was born on October 17, 1924 to Clarence and Sarah Meeker in St. Louis, Missouri. Upon graduating from high school, he attended Eureka College in Illinois for a semester until, as he put it, “the money ran out,” and he then enlisted in the Army in December 1942. While stationed in Camp McCoy in Wisconsin, he met the love of his life, Maryellen Nienas, in July 1944. After a four-month courtship, they married on November 2, 1944, and he was shipped out 13 days later. Thus began the whirlwind Army life of Ralph and Maryellen Meeker! During his 23-year Army career, Ralph served in both World War II and the Korean War. The family was stationed in places all over the U.S., and Ralph did a tour in Iceland as well as a 2 ½-year tour in Germany with the entire family. Shortly after the Germany stay, he decided to “bow out” (as he liked to say) just as things were really heating up in Vietnam, and he finally retired from the U.S. Army in 1965.

The Meekers moved to Olathe, Kansas in 1959. Upon retirement from the Army, Ralph and Maryellen got busy in their civilian lives, immediately becoming pillars of their community. Ralph went to work for the U.S. Postal Service for 10 years before retiring (again!) in 1979. He and Maryellen volunteered in numerous capacities, including Olathe Medical Center, where Ralph was known as the magazine guy – he spent countless hours passing out reading materials to inpatients several times a week. He also volunteered for the Olathe Senior Center, Good Samaritan Center, Community Blood Center, Meals on Wheels, District Attorney’s Office Victim-Witness Program, Sister Cities Committee, Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm Foundation Board, Kiwanis, and Salvation Army. He was a regular blood donor for the Community Blood Center, and he and Maryellen both were charter volunteers in our local program, Seniors Serving Schools. Ralph loved to sing and was very active in the Olathe Intergenerational Choir as well as his own volunteer singing group, The Good Guys. Additionally, Ralph was an active member and choir participant of First Presbyterian Church of Olathe.

Ralph and Maryellen (who preceded Ralph in death on January 24, 2009) have 6 children: Jan Meeker, Therese Roberts, Randy Meeker and wife Glenda, David Meeker, Mary Beth Pregon and husband Greg, and Joan Meeker; 8 grandchildren, Scott Meeker, Kevin Barnes, Michelle Roberts, Brandy Thayer, Jayme Specht, Randy Meeker, Jr., Steve Meeker, and Daniel Meeker; and 11 great-grandchildren, Jordan, Ricky, C.J., Payton, Devlin, Jackson, Jayda, Max, Mikalyn, Micah, and Graham.

Ralph never met a stranger, and he was always a helping hand to anyone who needed it. He was truly a servant, in every sense of the word, to his family and his community. He was a blessing to all who knew him, and he will be missed by all.