Harvey Otto Carl Meiske

Harvey Otto Carl Meiske died this morning. Everyone who knew him is in deep grief because we loved him so very much. We loved him because he was a wonderful, accepting, happy person who brightened up the world for everyone who knew him. He was also a devoted husband, the best father in the world and a magnificent grandfather. We will miss the way he made us laugh, told jokes, and entertained us with his magic tricks.

The county fair will miss having him as a judge. And now the state fair will never have a chance to give his dill pickles first place instead of second. He always did what he loved, hunting, fishing, gardening, visiting with people he cared about and making them gifts in his woodworking shop. His homemade bread was the tastiest on the planet. The hot sauce he made from the peppers he raised in his garden was better than anything anybody ever bought in a store or tasted in a restaurant.

He was solid love. He loved his family, his friends and his garden. He built miniature decorative churches with John 3:16 above the door and gave them as gifts. He built a UT Longhorn corner shelf and donated it to the fire department auction. They got $200 for it. He built a boat dock out of styrofoam that he found by the lake. He fried a mean catfish. He could clean a deer or a covey of quail that he shot at sun down, and have dinner ready by dark.

He was a miracle worker because he believed in miracles. Animals loved him. He was a volunteer game warden. He tamed a deer one year. When it walked up to him and ate some corn out of his hand, he decided not to hunt that season. He was also a deacon at South Jonestown Baptist Church while he was a member. Harvey had friends everywhere, but mostly Jonestown, Lampasas, Taylor, Round Rock and Austin.

He was the youngest of 11. He loved his sisters and brothers dearly. We all miss him more than anybody can imagine. Among the people who loved him most include his wife Deloris, his daughter Gayle, his only son Olen, his oldest grand daughter Shannon, his grand daughter Katy, his only grandson Emery, his older sister Alice Frank of Lampasas and his older brother Alfred Meiske of Taylor.

Although we miss him terribly, we are glad that he will already be there waiting for us when we get to heaven too. He was 83 years old.