Andrew "Andy" Meyer

Andrew “Andy” Meyer, 81, of Oshkosh, died Tuesday, July 10, 2012, at the Garden County Health Services Hospital in Oshkosh.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at the Oshkosh Wesleyan Church in Oshkosh with Pastor Kerry Johnson and Ace Backer officiating. Burial will follow in St. Elizabeth's Catholic Cemetery near Oshkosh.

Visitation will be on Monday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. with the family present from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Holechek Funeral Home in Oshkosh.

A memorial has been established in lieu of flowers in Andy’s name to the VOA of Lewellen, Nebraska or the donor’s choice.

Family and friends may sign the guest book and leave condolences online at www.holechekfuneralhomes.com.

Holechek Funeral Home & Cremations in Oshkosh is serving the Meyer family.

Andrew (Andy) Jackson Meyer was born January 19, 1931 on a farm in Graham County Kansas to Andrew Wesley and Gladys Adelia (Hill) Meyer. He was the 5th of nine children. He grew up on the farm attending rural schools graduating from Hill City, Kansas High School in 1948. It was there he met the love of his life. He and Laurel Janice (Jan) Engleman were married on September 23, 1950 at Jan’s parents home in Hill City, Kansas.

After graduation Andy went to Kansas City Jr. College for a year and worked with a survey crew surveying for rural electricity in north central Kansas and south central Nebraska for a year. He had also been farming for several years and continued after marriage, living north of Bogue, Kansas. Three children were born during the time they lived on the farm. Jack Edward, Janet Marie and Susan Joy.

The family moved to Denver in 1959 managing an apartment house and Andy worked as a linotype machinist for Denver Post, Denver Catholic Register and other printing shops. He had learned the trade working for Jan’s mother in her newspaper shop in Hill City, KS.

One of Andy’s enjoyable life experiences was taking flying lessons with his mother-in-law, Marie Engleman. He was quick to gloat when he was allowed to fly solo before she was.

The family moved to Frederick, Colorado in 1961 after buying the Farmer and Miner newspaper there. Jan edited and wrote the articles and Andy set type and did the machinist work while still working in the Denver area.

In 1966 the family sold the newspaper and moved to Julesburg, Colorado where Andy started an International Harvester Dealership. After two years the business closed and he worked for Wycon Chemical Co. selling, delivering and spreading fertilizer in the northeastern area of Colorado and the panhandle of Nebraska. In 1973 he had an opportunity to buy the Farm & Ranch Fertilizer business in Oshkosh, Nebraska and through the years developed it into a good sized business.

He sold the fertilizer and chemical assets of the business to Westco and the feed business to Farm and Ranch Feeds in 1998. After retiring the next 12 years were spent traveling in their motor home spending quality time with children grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Andy served on the church board while living in Kansas. He served as a volunteer fireman in Frederick, CO and Oshkosh, NE. He was a Lions Club member in Julesburg, CO and served on area agriculture committees while living at Oshkosh, NE.

Andy loved people; working with the public all those years he was in business was the highlight of his life. He loved his family and in later years lived for the times family could be visited or came to visit him. His grandchildren and great grandchildren were perfect in his eyes. He was a great encourager and his faith was a strength he passed on to all of them. He always said he was not defeated, he was challenged. He was an active member of the Oshkosh Wesleyan Church.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 62 years; his daughters Janet M. (Kerry) Johnson of Julesburg, CO and Susan J. (Ace) Backer of Mitchell, NE. Nine grandchildren and twenty-two great grandchildren with two more on the way. Four sisters; Lois Lee of McClouth, KS; Mary Fountain of Hill City, KS; Betty Lang of Topeka, KS; Dorlea Jenkins of Phoenix, AZ

He was preceded in death by his son, Jack E.; two brothers, Elbert (Bill) Meyer of Kansas City, KS and Glen W. Meyer of Ovid, CO and two sisters; Nancy Hall of Olathe, KS; Sylvia Hetzel of Longview, TX and his parents.