Obituary

Bernard T. Meiners, 95 of Coon Rapids, died Monday, September 1, 2025 at Thomas Rest Haven in Coon Rapids surrounded by his family.

Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Friday, September 5, 2025 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Dedham. The Celebrant will be Fr. Patrick Behm, assisted by Deacon Louis Meiners. Music will be by Jane Heithoff and the St. Joseph’s Choir. Lector for the Funeral Mass will be Jill Klein. Gift Bearers will be Talina Haskins, Caitlin ThongVahn, and Amanda Meiners. Casket Bearers will be Brian Meiners, Ben Meiners, Aaron Meiners, Lucas Meiners, Jason Nees, Mike Nees, Ryan Schultes, Tyler Schultes, Jordan Schultes, Justin Meiners, and Trenton Meiners. Burial will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Dedham with military honors conducted by the Dedham American Legion.

A visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll with a rosary at 7 p.m. The casket will be moved to St. Joseph’s Church on Friday morning where additional visitation will be from 9:30-10:15 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left at the funeral home or the church for a later designation.

Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for Bernard’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com.

Agatha Fischer, age 86, of rural Audubon, Iowa, died Friday, August 29, 2008, at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll of injuries received in an auto accident in Carroll. Mass of the Christian Burial was celebrated at 10:30 A.M., Tuesday, September 2, 2008, at St. Joseph Church in Dedham. The Celebrant was Father Anthony Pick, assisted by Deacon Louis Meiners. The casket was taken to the church at 8:30 A.M. Tuesday to lie in state until the time of the funeral mass. Lectors were Dennis Fischer and Gene Tranel. Gift Bearers were Michelle, Jennifer, and Ryan Wilson. Soloists were Ron and Maureen Halbur. Mass Servers were Daniel and Brittany Baumhover. Eucharistic Ministers were Donna Ankenbauer and Dale Sporrer. The Dedham American Legion Auxiliary formed an honor guard at the church for the funeral mass. Casket Bearers were Chad Odland, Phillip Tranel, Craig Fischer, Jeremy Fath, Christopher Tranel, Robert Wilson, Dan Wahlstrom, Gregory Etter, Aaron Kellar, and Matthew Petersen. Burial was at St. Joseph Cemetery in Dedham. Visitation was held Monday at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll. A rosary was prayed at 3 P.M. Monday and St. Joseph Parish held a Christian wake service at 7 P.M. Monday. Mrs. Fischer was born on February 17, 1922, at Halbur, Iowa, the daughter of Phillip and Catherine (Eischeid) Dentlinger. She attended St. Augustine School in Halbur and then worked as a hired girl and waitress. On April 18, 1944, she was married to Clarence Fischer at St. Augustine Church in Halbur. The couple lived in Louisiana for the first six months while Mr. Fischer was in the military and then returned to the Templeton and Willey area. Since 1950 they have lived on their farm south of Dedham with the exception of three years when they owned and operated a supper club in Oskaloosa. She was a member of St. Joseph Parish, Parish Ladies Guild, Homemakers Club, and Dedham American Legion Auxiliary. Mrs. Fischer enjoyed her family, quilting, cake decorating, crafts, and gardening. Survivors include her husband, Clarence Fischer of Audubon; children, Dennis Fischer and his wife Elaine of Boise, Idaho, Daryl “Dual” Fischer and his wife Mary Ellen of Audubon, Denise Odland of Johnston, Diane Fath of Des Moines, and Debra Tranel and her husband Gene of Washington, Illinois; 13 grandchildren; 4 great grandchildren; sisters, Angela Riesberg and her husband Lester of Carroll, Gladys Halbur of Halbur, and Jeanette Venner of Carroll; and brothers, Jerome Dentlinger and his wife Elaine of Glidden and James Dentlinger and his wife Rita of Glidden. She was preceded in death by her parents; a son-in-law, Ronald Odland; and brothers-in-law, Vincent Halbur and Ed Venner.

Church Service

Friday, September 5, 2025 10:30 a.m.
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
420 3rd Ave, Dedham, IA 51440

Burial

Sharp Funeral Home ~ Carroll, Iowa

226 W. 8th St., Carroll, IA, 51401

712-792-4301

[email protected]

https://www.sharpfuneral.com

Church Service

Thursday, September 4, 2025
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. – Rosary at 7:00 p.m.
Sharp Funeral Home – Carroll
226 W. 8th St, Carroll, IA 50401

Friday, September 5, 2025
9:30 – 10:15 a.m.
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
420 3rd Ave, Dedham, IA 51440

Obituary

Born March 31, 1930, he was the son of Bernard and Catherine (Rotert) Meiners. He grew up in the Dedham-Willey area and graduated from St. Mary’s School in Willey in 1943. He entered the U.S. Army July 8, 1953 and was stationed at Wurzburg, Germany. He was discharged on May 20, 1955.

Bernard married Dolores S. Halbur on January 24, 1956 at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Halbur. After being married Bernard and Dolores lived 3 miles north of Dedham for two years. In 1958, they moved to the farm they purchased four miles east of Dedham. They were the parents of six children: Daniel, Dale, David, Cathleen, Christine, and Gary. Dolores passed away January 21, 1978.

On August 9, 1980, Bernard married Marita Eickman at Annunciation Catholic Church in Coon Rapids. In May 2011, Bernard and Marita moved off the farm into the town of Coon Rapids, Iowa. They made their home there for 14 years. In April 2025, they moved to Parkview Assisted Living in Coon Rapids, Iowa.

During Bernard’s lifetime, he farmed, had a dairy operation, had a cow/calf operation, and raised hogs. He retired in 1992. He is a current member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church of Dedham, a member of the Dedham American Legion Post #20, and a member of the Manning VFW. In July 2001 Bernard, being a Korean Veteran, had the privilege to go on the Military Honor Flight to Washington DC. Just recently he was presented with a Quilt of Valor at Thomas Rest Haven, and at the age of 95 he still enjoyed attending the Legion meetings.

Bernard loved spending time with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Holiday gatherings were a treat for him to get to see most of them at one time. In his spare time Bernard enjoyed gathering black walnuts in the fall and kept busy shelling the walnuts during the winter. Family and friends benefited from the fruits of his labor.

Bernard is survived by his wife of 45 years, Marita Meiners; his children, Dale (Mary) Meiners of Carroll, David (Jane) Meiners of Varna, IL, Cathleen (Larry) Nees of Coon Rapids, Christine (Mark) Schultes of Dedham, and Gary (Barb) Meiners of Manson; 19 grandchildren; 32 great grandchildren with 2 more coming in October; a brother Anthony (Colleen) Meiners of Carroll; 2 sisters, Catherine Wittrock of Carroll and Marcella Naberhaus of Carroll; his sisters-in-laws, Margaret (Tom) Denker of Manning, and Pat (Joe) Goblirsch of Jesup. He is also survived by Marita’s children, Richard (Sandy) Eickman of Omaha, NE, James (Joni) Eickman of Dyer, TN, Dave (Joan) Eickman of Macungie, PA, Randy (Rose) Eickman of Coon Rapids, Nancy Eickman and Jim Springer of Warren, NJ, and Karen Heck of Delano, MN, and many nieces and nephews.

Bernard was preceded in death by his first wife Dolores S. Meiners; a son Daniel J. Meiners; Marita’s son Bill Eickman; his parents Bernard and Catherine Meiners; his brothers John (Margaret) Meiners, Albert (Frances) Meiners; his brothers-in-law Clarence Wittrock, Norbert Naberhaus, Cletus (Emaline) Halbur, Norman (Inez) Halbur, Larry (JoAnn) Halbur; his brother-in-law, William (Marie) Halbur; Dolores’ parents, William and Frances Halbur, and stepmother-in-law, Josephine Halbur.

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Tribute Wall

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I am truly sorry for your loss. Please know that your family is in my thoughts and prayers. May God bless your family in this sorrow time. And may you only grieve for awhile but always hold the memories close to your hearts in which will give you strength and get you through these sad days ahead.

Dana Whitehill – September 01 2008 at 8:45 PM

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