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Grace Meetz

August 26, 1931 - December 9, 2020

Grace Mary (Berglin) Meetz age 89, formerly from Midway, AR., passed away on Wednesday, the 9th of December, 2020 in the Rolling Green Village in Nevada, IA. from the effects of the SARS CoV2 infection.

Born the 26th of August, 1931 in Green Bay, WI. to Melvin J. and Gertrude M. (Timmers) Berglin, Grace was the oldest of four children. She learned early the value of responsibility by helping raise her siblings. She developed a strong ethic of selfless service and sacrifice for others when volunteering as she could for various drives to help “from the home front” for the war effort. These characteristics she would later nurture in her own children. As a young child, Grace loved to ice skate, swim, and hike with her brother Don.

Grace was educated in the Catholic school system until her freshman year of high school when she attended Green Bay-West and graduated in 1949.

She married Dale J. Meetz the 8th of October, 1951 in Waukegan, IL. while he was on leave from the United States Navy. She left the Catholic church and joined the Lutheran (ALC) congregation.

They had three children, Michael Meetz (Linda), Nevada, IA., Kathryn Meetz, Torrington, CT., and Kim (Meetz) Griffin, Mountain Home, AR.

Grace worked various part-time jobs in Green Bay, Greendale, Appleton, Milwaukee, and La Crosse, WI.; places the family lived because her husband’s career with the Wisconsin Bell Telephone Company included periodic relocation.

Her last full-time job was with the Aid Association for Lutherans Insurance Company, now Thrivent, located in Appleton, WI. Ironically, Grace’s office window overlooked one of the fields that once produced sweet corn for the canning companies in Green Bay. The Thrivent building covers much of the rich land that belonged to one of Dale’s aunts.

Grace was a gardener, Cub Scout Den Mother, and loved to sew. She always had a knitting project in the works, was an avid reader, and loved to feed birds. Grace introduced museums, libraries, zoos, historical places and her love of the outdoors to her children. She was a baker of breads, cookies, but her specialty was pie, many varieties. Grace was always the gracious host to guests with offers of snacks and refreshing beverages. The counter containers in her home were always full of goodies especially the peanut M&M jar.

Dale and Grace were avid Green Bay Packer Football fans. As season ticket holders no matter where they lived in the state they often attending home games at Lambeau Field. They were in attendance during the famous 1967 “Ice Bowl”.

When Dale passed, Grace moved from Midway, AR. to Nevada, IA. to live with her son Michael and helped care for her daughter in law, Linda who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.

Grace attended Northminster Presbyterian Church in Ames, IA. She enjoyed living in her own addition, and walked the home prairie and enjoyed riding her stationary bike especially outside on the deck putting at least ten miles on it each day. Grace rode the morning of her knee surgery much to the astonishment of her orthopedic surgeon.

Grace lived independently for eight years, and then after requiring some therapy needs, became a resident of Rolling Green Village where she made friends with many of the staff. She continued to read voraciously, was known as the bird lady, and the Green Bay Packer fan.
Grace was visited daily by family and friends, even after the nursing home closed to outside visitors in March of 2020. In her last hours she was accompanied by her son and many loving staff.

Grace was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Dale, sister Rosemary Geyer, and brother Patrick Berglin.

She is survived by her brother Donald (Carole) Berglin of Shawano, WI., son Michael (Linda) of Nevada, IA., daughters Kathryn Meetz of Torrington, CT., Kim (Meetz) Griffin of Mountain Home, AR., grandchildren Meredith (Stephen) Heard of Fayetteville, AR.,
Michael Griffin of Mountain Home, AR., Erin (Dave) Skoog of Pittsburgh, PA., Emma (Scott) Pyle of Pittsburgh, PA., and four great-grand daughters, Elizabeth, Caroline, and Emily Heard of Fayetteville, AR., and Loretta Skoog of Pittsburgh, PA. and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Our family wishes to extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr. David Carlyle and staff at the McFarland Clinic, Ames, IA. and to all of the staff at the Rolling Green Village, Nevada, IA. who unselfishly provided support and put themselves in harm’s way to embrace Grace as a member of their family and provide comfort in her last hours.

Due to pandemic concerns a family memorial service will occur at a later date.

Memorials may be directed to, Northminster Presbyterian Church-Ames Iowa; Environmental Education program; Story County Conservation Board McFarland Park office Ames, Iowa; KHOI FM community radio 410 Douglas Ames, Iowa.