Ronald Max Meissner

Ronald Max Meissner, 77, of Madison Lake, MN, passed away peacefully on October 9, 2024, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, with his wife Deb by his side. 

Ron was born April 7, 1947, to Max and Rose (Lutzmann) Meissner in Mankato, MN. He graduated from Mankato High School in 1965 and enlisted in the Navy in January of 1966. He was stationed in Hawaii and was assigned to the USS Haverfield where they patrolled the waters off Vietnam for three years. In letters written to his parents, Ron recounted a time where he and his shipmates helped the Marines intercept a Vietnamese trawler. They were able to confiscate 2 million rounds of ammo and five thousand guns. Officials estimated 1000 American lives were saved. Ron was a long-time member of The American Legion and the VFW.

Ron married the love of his life, Debra McShane, on August 7, 1976, at the Thomas Moore Newman Center in Mankato, MN. Together Ron and Deb had three children, Ron (1977), Andy (1979) and Tony (1982). He welcomed his first granddaughter, Maile, in 2008 and his second granddaughter, Zoey, in 2012. In 2024, the family welcomed two adopted granddaughters, Alexys and Evangelyne. Ron loved animals, particularly Dobermans, Mastiffs, and Scottish Terriers. He had a unique talent for naming his pets to reflect their personalities. 

He earned a CNC Machinist degree from South Central Technical College. During his career he worked at Mankato Fire and Safety, Viking Fire and Safety, MICO, Kato Engineering and retired from Condux. For a period, he also worked as a realtor, owned his own duct-cleaning business and worked as a handyman. Ron was always willing to help his family with any repairs to their homes or vehicles.

Ron coached all his boys in little league baseball and helped with Tony’s elementary school football team.

Ron was a prankster with a unique sense of humor which he passed onto his sons and granddaughters. He loved fishing, family trips, riding motorcycles and watching and betting on horse races. For a brief time, he was even a part-owner of a racehorse named Crown the Cat. Ron was an enthusiastic supporter of Minnesota’s professional teams, especially the Vikings, Twins, and Wild. He looked forward to the road trips he took with his sons to visit baseball stadiums across the country and fishing trips on Lake Superior.

Ron and Deb enjoyed traveling, with favorite destinations including Port Aransas, Texas and Venice, Florida. One of his greatest joys was watching his sons play sports and being a devoted, passionate fan at any event his family participated in, including his grandchildren’s games. Ron lived and was thankful for an incredible life, even though he never got the chance to see his beloved Vikings win a Super Bowl.

Ron is survived by his wife, Deb; children, Ron (Clarissa) of Madison Lake, MN, Andy (Tiffany) of Spicer, MN, Tony (Kelly) of New Ulm, MN; grandchildren, Maile Meissner, Zoey Meissner, Alexys Thompson and Evangelyne Thompson-Meissner; several nieces and nephews; his cat, Diva and dog, Dooley.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Max and Rose Meissner and sisters, Loraine Gaare and Lorraine Johns. 

Ron struggled with multiple health issues stemming from his service in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Ron’s family would like to thank the medical professionals from the Mankato Clinic, Mayo, Veterans Administration, and Abbott Northwestern who cared for Ron during his illnesses, particularly Dr. Dan Anderson and Dr. Moise Bennett. 

Memorial Mass will be held on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Mankato. Visitation will be held on Monday, October 14, 2024 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Northview-North Mankato Mortuary and will continue one hour prior to the service at church. Interment will be in Minneopa Cemetery. 

In lieu of memorials, donations may be made to Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) mac-v.org

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