John Meiners, 86, of Templeton, died Friday, October 19, 2007, at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll. Mass of the Christian burial was celebrated at 1:30 p.m. Monday, October 22, at Sacred Heart Church in Templeton.

The celebrant was the Rev. Dale Reiff.

Lector was Michele Kelly. Gift bearers were Mindy Wittrock and Carrie Meiners. Mass servers were Mathu and Makinze Meiners. Eucharistic ministers were Eugene and Diane Meiners and Harold Schachtner.

Casket bearers were Barry Meiners, Robert Meiners, Mike Meiners, Aaron Kelly, Jason Wittrock, Jeremy Meiners, and Andru Meiners. Honorary casket bearers were Harold Heithoff, Bernard Irlbeck, John Kitt, William Horbach, and Sam Roberts.

The Templeton Knights of Columbus formed an honor guard for the funeral Mass.

Burial was in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Templeton with military honors conducted by the Dedham American Legion and Manning VFW.

Visitation was Sunday at Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll.

He was born September 1, 1921, at Dedham, a son of Bernard and Catherine (Rotert) Meiners. He spent his younger years in the Willey community and attended St. Mary School.

He entered the U.S. Army in September 1942 and served during World War II in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater with the 533rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery and was honorably discharged in November 1945.

On September 23, 1947, he was married to Margaret Schachtner at St. Patrick Church near Churdan. The couple farmed near Willey until 1962 when they moved to their farm north of Templeton. The Meiners retired in 1985 and moved to their home in Templeton. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in September 2007.

He was a member of Sacred Heart Parish, Manning VFW Dedham American Legion, and Honorary Life Member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a former Eden Township trustee. Mr. Meiners enjoyed playing cards, playing bingo, dancing and teasing his grandchildren.

Survivors include his wife, Margaret Meiners of Templeton; children, Eugene Meiners and his wife, Diane, of Templeton, Duane Meiners of Templeton, Jim Meiners and his wife, Dee, of Glidden, Gerald Meiners of Templeton, Anita Meiners of Des Moines, and John Meiners and his wife, Shellie, of Templeton; grandchildren, Michele Kelly and her husband, Aaron, of Grand Island, Neb., Barry Meiners and his wife, Ann, of Ankeny, Mindy Wittrock arid her husband, Jason, of Carroll, Jeremy Meiners and his wife, Sabrina, of Bellevue, Neb., Mike Meiners and his wife, Kelly, of West Des Moines, Robert Meiners of Templeton, Carrie Meiners of Urbandale, Andru Meiners of Templeton, Makinze Meiners of Templeton, and Mathu Meiners of Templeton; seven great-grandchildren; sisters, Catherine Wittrock and her husband, Clarence, of Carroll, and Marcella Naberhaus and her husband, Norbert, of Carroll; brothers, Albert Meiners and his wife, Frances, of Coon Rapids, Bernard Meiners and his wife, Rita, of Coon Rapids, and Anthony Meiners and his wife, Colleen, of Carroll; sisters and brothers-in-law, Harold and Jean Schachtner of Somerset, Wisconsin; Gerald and Helen Schachtner of Badger, Iowa; Wilma Schachtner of Somerset, Wisconsin; and Helen and Richard Johnston of Riverton, Kansas; and many nieces and nephews.

Mr. Meiners was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter-in-law, Mary Meiners; his father and mother-in-law, Alois and Margaret Schachtner; and brothers and sisters-in-law, Lawrence Schachtner, Wilfred and Marcella Schachtner, Mary Schachtner, Fred Schachtner, Bob Schachtner, Bernice and Arnold Berger, and Delores Meiners.