Errol (Leon) Meinecke was born March 11, 1940, to Clarence and Evelyn (Johns) Meinecke at Cooper. Leon passed away at his home in Jefferson on Jan. 5, 2022, at the age of 81 years.
Leon and the family moved to Paton in 1950. Leon graduated from Paton High School in 1958. He helped with the family farming until 1964.
Leon married Joan Hutson in 1964. He moved to Fort Dodge and worked for Felco Feed mill/Elevator. In 1973 he moved to Jefferson. He ran the bowling alley for Dean Arbuckle for three years and also worked for Cal-Car Cooperative in the steel division for five years. He then worked 26 years in dealerships for International Harvester, which became Case-IH. Upon retirement for Case-IH, Leon started working for a local farmer who drove Caterpillar equipment. He thoroughly enjoyed that time in his life. He enjoyed fishing in his early years and traveling the last few years.
Leon Meinecke is survived by his wife Marilyn Lawton; daughters Glennda (Tony) Nunez of Jefferson, Jacqueline (Terry) Weeda of Mount Ayr, and Jana (Paul) Hayes of Des Moines; son Kurt Meinecke of Jefferson; 12 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; sisters Bettie Buzzell of Punta Gorda, FL, and Shirley Krech of Zellwood, FL; brothers Clarence (Wilma) Meinecke, Jr of Sheldon, and Larry (Sue) Meinecke of Jamaica, IA.
Leon was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Joan Meinecke, who died in 2008; and brothers-in-law Jay Krech and Bob Parris.
Memorials are suggested to the First United Methodist Church in Jefferson.
The family was assisted by Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home, Jefferson.
