Myron Meier, 79

Published 8:47 am Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Myron Meier, 79

Myron “Mike” Meier, 79, of Austin, Minnesota, died Wednesday, April 24, 2019, at St. Mark’s Skilled Nursing Facility in Austin.

Mike was born on April 18, 1940, in Brownsdale, Minnesota, to Ralph and Naomi (VanRiper) Meier and was welcomed into the family by big brothers Eldred, 12, and Dallas, 6. He moved to northern Minnesota when he was two and loved to tell stories of growing up in Askov, Minnesota, and Finlayson, Minnesota, at a time when all the kids played outside year around, big kids taking care of the littler ones. When Mike was in fifth grade, his family moved to Grand Rapids, Minnesota. In high school he was an honor student, sang in the choir, was the junior class president, ran track, played basketball and was a captain of the football team. He attended South Dakota State with a scholarship to play football and study pharmacy, but knew after a year it wasn’t a good fit. He had always loved children, so a counselor suggested teaching. He graduated from Bemidji State and agreed to teach sixth grade in Hayfield, Minnesota. After adding a masters degree in elementary administration, he became the principal and stayed in the Hayfield system for his entire career. The faculty and staff often felt like family and worked together to shape the lives of hundreds of children.Mike married Carolyn Schendel in 1964 in Grand Rapids. They had two children, Scott and Kristin. The family enjoyed summer trips camping across the country and even a trip to Brazil to meet their AFS son’s family. But they always felt the pull of the special cabin in the woods north of Ely, Minnesota, built by Grandpa and Grandma Schendel. As the extended family grew, Mike took on the challenge of planning and building an additional cabin at the lake, a project of which he was very proud. After Mike and Carolyn retired, they enjoyed traveling. They visited all 50 states, Hungary, Germany, England and Costa Rica, but summers were reserved for wonderful family memories at Fenske Lake.Mike helped get the Oaks Golf Course built near Hayfield and was a charter member. He was a charter member and president of the Brownsdale Lions Club and was president of the Brownsdale park board for many years. He was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Austin for almost 50 years.

Mike is survived by his wife, Carolyn; his children, Scott (Monica) Meier and Kristin Tapp (Troy Tigner); grandchildren, Katie (Mitch) Haugen, Addison Tapp, Jack Meier, Max Tapp and Reece Tapp; sister-in-law, Jean Meier; brother-in-law, Paul (Jessica) Schendel; nieces, nephews, their children and grandchildren; very special cousins; and a lifetime of wonderful friends.

A celebration of Mike’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 6, 2019, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Austin with the Rev. Michael Olmsted officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service on Monday at the church and will continue after the service. Instead of flowers, the family prefers donations to Westminster Presbyterian Church in Austin, First Presbyterian Church of Ely, Mayo Clinic Hospice, or the Hormel Nature Center. Clasen-Jordan Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.