- Date Of Birth: January 3, 1951
- Date Of Death: March 5, 2021
- State: Arizona
On March 5, 2021, Merlin Alvin Meitner began his day like he had done all the others in his 70 years of early life: prayer, coffee, and looking into the face of the love of his life, Cinda Lee Meitner nee Kemper, his wife of 48 years. He enjoyed the morning texting with his three sons, Matthew, Paul, and Philip, trading jokes and talking about ministry (his two favorite pas-times). He then went on a bike ride with his daughter, the apple of his eye, Serena, sharing their common passions for exercise and adventure. And then, the gracious Triune God fulfilled Merlin Alvin Meitner’s fondest wish of going to heaven to see Jesus face to face.
Merlin Alvin Meitner was born on an army base in Okinawa, Japan during the Korean Conflict to Carl Meitner, a career Army NCO, and Evelyn Serena Meitner nee Schabow. Merlin was the second son of Carl and Evelyn, joining his beloved big brother, Stephen. Almost named “Jonathan” by his mother Evelyn, a very insistent Carl urged strongly to reconsider the name “Merlin,” a name that he had always love and desired to name one of his sons.
Evelyn, however, ended up giving Merlin the name that he would be known throughout most of his life, “Butch.” The Japanese nanny employed by Evelyn could not distinguish the name “Merlin” from “Marilyn” the name of the little girl born across the street on the army base. Whenever Evelyn said, “Go change Merlin,” the nanny would leave the house and go change the Marilyn. Finally, in exasperation, Evelyn one day just said, “Go change Butch!” The name stuck for the next few decades of his life.
After his baptism into the Christian faith, the Meitners came back state-side. Merlin grew up in Chicago Milwaukee, and finally, the town he would always call home, Appleton, WI. There Merlin attended St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church with his family, including many and many cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Merlin was instilled with a deep love in these years of God’s gift of faith and family. For Merl, there was not one without the other. He firmly was raised to believe that the three greatest things in this life were faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these was love, for love never passes away.
Merlin attended St. Matthew’s grade school, being confirmed in his Christian faith in 1965, and then attending Fox Valley Lutheran High School. There he excelled in music, basketball, and especially, football, being named an All-State for both offensive and defensive play. He was named to the Fox Valley Football Dream Team. Merlin graduated from FVLHS in 1969, and, to the surprise and joy of his parents and teachers, he chose to study for the profession in which he would change countless lives throughout five decades, the Lutheran Teaching Ministry.
Merl continued to excel at Dr. Martin Luther College, located in New Ulm, MN in academics, sports, and, generally speaking, class clown antics that have since risen to legendary status and are still mentioned in hushed tones of reverence to his children by those who witnessed his “bold” sense of humor.
It seemed nothing could tame this human dynamo of confidence until one night where he mistook a fetching young woman as a freshman only to find out she was already a teacher who had graduated a few years previous. Not one to wallow in a humbling experience, he dusted himself off and asked her to attend church with him on Sunday. They soon fell in love, and never left each other side through thick and thin for nearly five decades.
After being married at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN, Merl decided that he could put off his dreams of being a teacher for a time and join the United States Army to support his new bride and coming family. Merl served proudly as a Sergeant in the 101st Airborne Regiment from 1972-1975. While in the service, Merlin continued his studies at Austin Peay State University. When his enlistment ended, he returned to finish his final year of Dr. Martin Luther College.
From 1977 until 2018, Merlin Meitner impacted the lives of thousands of parents and children as a teacher. He served Apostles Lutheran School, San Jose, CA; Peace Lutheran School, Santa Clara, CA; Shoreland Lutheran High School, Somers, WI; Friedens Lutheran School, Kenosha WI, and, for twenty-two years of great blessing, West Lutheran High School, Plymouth, MN. Under Merl’s zeal and wise leadership, he saw the transition of a 70-student high school in rented facilities, to a 300 person high school in its own facilities.
Retiring in 2014 from West Lutheran, Merl continued as a journeyman teacher, packing up his RV and going wherever there was a call for emergency help. In his retirement, He served Bloomer Lutheran School, Bloomer, WI; St. Paul’s First Lutheran School, North Hollywood, CA; Cross of Glory Lutheran School, Peoria, AZ. He also regularly served as substitute teacher right up until his death.
Merlin loved the children he served, but he always deeply cherished his own family and always made time for them. He was the proud father of Matthew (Kristy) Meitner of La Crosse, WI; Serena Jane Meitner of Tempe, AZ; Paul (Michelle) Meitner of Winthrop, MN; and Philip (Amy) Meitner of Plymouth, MN.
In addition to his children, he was proud as punch of his grandchildren: Olivia, Michael, Carl, Danny, Madeline, Abigail, Jack, and Johnny. There was nothing that made his face beam like having all his family invade every nook and cranny of his home in Chetek, WI. “Go, grandpa, Go!” would make the 70 years melt away from his face and become a kid again in the warm days of summer.
As we say good-bye to a beloved husband, father, and grandfather, we re-member the words of St. John in the book of Revelation, “Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the LORD from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” (Revelation 14:13)
