Mervyn Meister

Mervyn Leroy Meister, son of Erwin and Georgia Meister, passed away peacefully Saturday, July 12 in Augusta, Georgia at the age of 85. He lived the majority of his life in Bloomington, Indiana.

Merv was born September 7, 1939 in Groton, South Dakota. He grew up one of 15 siblings. He left Groton to join the United States Army at the age of 17, potentially exaggerating his age in order to enlist.

While serving in the Army in Hawaii, Merv was lucky to have met the love of his life and future wife Linda. She was on a girls trip to Hawaii celebrating her graduation from Indiana University in 1960. They were married in 1962 and resided in Bloomington where they worked and raised their family. They were members of the First United Methodist church and would have celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary this year.

Merv worked as a visual merchandise manager throughout his career, starting out for Sears and then became a Project Manager at Target. He was a long-time participating member of the Exchange Club of Northside Bloomington and was president from 1971 to 1972.

He was proud to kickstart various projects, including helping develop and build the Bloomington welcome sign off of Highway 69, where there wasn’t one previously welcoming visitors to town.

Merv took immense pride in Bloomington and participated in countless events and projects around town through volunteering—doing a lot of behind the scenes work to make things happen. Another one of his memorable projects was the installation of multiple bird houses throughout Bloomington. He particularly enjoyed helping with the Monroe County Fourth of July parade and handing out American flags to community members with his granddaughters.

Merv was proudest of being a grandpa and enjoyed keeping up with his four granddaughters—always calling them, leaving voicemails, and taking them for rides around town to show them what was new or what he was working on. He loved the Indiana Hoosiers, his dogs, gardening, keeping up with the news, and spending time with his family. He enjoyed many trips traveling to Hilton Head, South Carolina with family and friends every summer since the 1970s. He enjoyed his long walks through Sea Pines and Harbour Town while visiting.

Merv and Linda also returned to Hawaii often to remember where they first met.

He is survived by his son, Andrew Meister (Jill Habbe Meister); daughter Christina Myers (Darin Myers); granddaughters Hannah Myers Harrelson, Emma Myers, Lilly Meister, and Hadley Meister; and siblings Ila Jesme, Maxine Haywood, and Terry Meister.

Preceding him in death were his parents, wife Linda Meister, and siblings Jackie, Jodean, Bernice, Marian, Jerald, Donnie, Charles, Dale, James, Denny and Robert.