Eugene "Gene" Ray Meyer

A livestream of Gene's service can be viewed on the church's YouTube page.

Eugene “Gene” R. Meyer, 90, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, formerly of Willmar, Minnesota, went to his heavenly home on April 29, 2026, at the VA Hospice Cottage in Sioux Falls, surrounded by his loving family.

His funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, May 11, at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Willmar, with visitation one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment with military honors will be at Cloverleaf Cemetery in Willmar. Memorials are preferred to Lutheran Island Camp, Redeemer Lutheran Church in Willmar, or Main Street Living. Funeral arrangements are with Harvey Anderson & Johnson Funeral Homes.

Gene was born on July 5, 1935, in Ellsworth, Minnesota, to Ralph and Vivienne Meyer. He was the ninth of ten children of five boys and five girls.  He grew up in Ellsworth and Luverne, Minnesota.  He attended Luverne High School, where he met his high school sweetheart, Rose Marie Bartels. 

Gene served in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956 as a mechanic. He married Rose Marie Bartels on September 5, 1959. After returning from the Army, He began his career with Northwestern Bell Telephone Company, where he worked as a lineman, manager, and engineer. His work took him to Luverne, Pipestone, Marshall, Willmar, and St. Cloud. He retired in 1986. Soon after retiring, Gene began working at Pruden Products in Willmar, initially part-time before transitioning to full-time as a quality control specialist. He retired from this second career in the early 1990s.

In his spare time, you could always find Gene in his wood shop being a craftsman. He did a lot of work building their home in Willmar in 1976, where they lived for 46 years.  He loved volunteering and building anything he could for many churches, Lutheran Island Camp in Henning, MN, and a couple of Lutheran schools.  His craftsmanship can be found in many of their children’s homes from an addition to cabinets, furniture, intarsia art, scroll saw wall hangings, and so many wood toys and Christmas ornaments for all the grandchildren.  Some of those toys are also being passed down to the great-grandchildren.  Gene had a final trip to a woodshop through the Veterans Wishes for Heros program.

When he wasn’t in his workshop, Gene enjoyed following sports, especially Minnesota Twins baseball. He also treasured attending his grandchildren’s sporting events, music performances, and theater productions. There were also many hours spent fishing on open water or on the ice.

He volunteered many hours on church boards throughout his lifetime, including Elders, Trustees and building committees.  He served as a craftsman for Laborers for Christ where he helped in the building of new Lutheran churches and schools doing much of the finishing and cabinetry work. He also enjoyed his time serving on the board at Lutheran Island Camp in Henning, MN.

He is survived by his wife, Rose; children: Sarah (Scott) Sailer of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Amy Brooks of Berlin, Wisconsin; Paul (Elizabeth) Meyer of Raymond, Minnesota; and Jane (Steve) Thielman of Fargo, North Dakota; grandchildren: Timothy Sailer; Aaron (Lisa) Sailer; Daniel (Lindsey) Sailer; Steven (Melanie) Brooks; Michael Brooks (AJ); Katherine (Joe) Schaefbauer; Jacob Meyer; Benjamin Thielman; and Nathan Thielman; and great-grandchildren: Everly, Hallie, Henry, and Anna, with two more expected this summer. He is also survived by his sisters, Dorothy Sherburne and Marilyn Munns, along with many nieces and nephews.

Gene will be reunited in heaven with his parents, Ralph and Vivienne; his in-laws, Otto and Martha; his son-in-law, Bill Brooks; his brothers, Joy, Robert, Richard, and Dallas; his sisters, Pauline, Betty, and Maxine; and other beloved family members and friends. that have gone before him.

Gene’s family extends their heartfelt thanks to those who cared for him in recent years, including VA Home Health in Montevideo and Sioux Falls, Edgewood Assisted Living in Sioux Falls, and the VA Hospice Cottage in Sioux Falls.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Eugene "Gene" Ray Meyer, please visit our floral store.