Juanita

Meisen

Juanita G. Meisen, formerly of Lutz, Florida, passed away June 7, 2021, in Thomasville, Georgia, where she lived for the last thirteen years.  She was 98.  Her parents were Florence and Silas Odette of Carthage, New York.  Her father worked as a superintendent at Carthage Machine Shop, her mother was a homemaker, and her two siblings were Robert and Shirley.

In 1939, she graduated from Carthage High School.  Two years later, she married Daniel Lawrence Meisen of Paterson, New Jersey, who was in the U.S. Army.  (The picture used is of their wedding day.) We knew them as "Mom" and "Pop."  Their first child, Daniel Silas, was born at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.  During World War II, Pop served in Europe.  Daughter Frances Rita was born the day after he deployed, and Pop did not meet his daughter until he returned home two years later.  He served with the 101st Airborne, jumping into Normandy on D-Day; he also fought at Bastogne and participated with the British Airborne in Operation Market Garden.  While he was away, Mom took care of their two children and worked as a diner waitress in Carthage, New York, where the family lived with her parents during the war.

After World War II, Pop worked in Carthage as a steel worker until 1947, then re-enlisted in the newly-formed US Air Force as a Master Sergeant.  Son Gary was born in 1947 in Carthage.  The family moved to Turner AFB (Albany, Georgia); MacDill AFB (Tampa, Florida); and Maxwell AFB (Montgomery, Alabama), before settling permanently in the Tampa area.  Mom worked as a homemaker, secretary, and bookkeeper.  In later years, she enjoyed her jobs in catering businesses and as a hostess for the cruise ships at the Port of Tampa.

Together they enjoyed family fishing trips on the Gulf of Mexico from Fort DeSoto State Park or aboard their boat, the Danita.  Two of her favorite places to go were Las Vegas and Atlantic City; she was a mean pinochle player and loved scratch-offs, but her biggest joy was her family, especially her grandchildren:  Jeff, Devany, Chris, and Kim.  She kept a neat and welcoming home that was the family hub, a place to gather and enjoy delicious meals at a nicely-set table.  We will always  remember her famous lasagna, dutch apple pancakes, chicken cordon bleu, and apple crisps.  Breakfast was a full-course meal.  Everyone looked forward to Christmas at Mom and Pop's house:  we started on Christmas Eve with piles of presents under the tree and piles of Christmas goodies on the table to eat, ribbon candy, eggnog -- "enough to feed an Army Division," remembers grandson Jeff.   Between the celebrations of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, a 24-hour food coma was an expected part of the holiday.  Mom loved the holidays and always dressed the part with Christmas shirt, reindeer antlers, light-up Christmas ties, etc.

A daily tradition at the Meisen home was the morning raising of the US flag on the big pole in the front yard, and the lowering and respectful folding of the flag every evening.  Mom and Pop  were patriots to the core.

Pop passed away in 2005; he and Mom had been married 64 years.  In 2008, Mom moved to an assisted living apartment in Thomasville, Georgia.  Her jokes and fun-loving capers included wearing hats, googly-eye glasses, feather boas, and any of her collection of t-shirts for holidays or just to spice up life.  She was the belle of the ball, the center of attention, and she enjoyed it.

Many sincere thanks to the staff and caregivers of Legacy Village/Plantation Manor of Thomasville, Georgia, who were her family in her last years.

She is survived by son Daniel (Anita) Meisen of Meigs, Georgia; daughter Frances (Jack) Bozarth of Tampa, Florida; and son Gary (Lynda) Meisen of Canton, Georgia; and four grandchildren.

Memorial gifts may be made to Liberty Manor of Tampa (www.libertymanor.org), a home for veterans, or Wreaths Across America (www.wreathsacrossamerica.org),