John Richard Meinhardt

MEINHARDT John Richard (Dick) Meinhardt, was born on September 7, 1935 of my German father, Carl E. Meinhardt and my English mother, Marjory (Wood) Meinhardt. James R., Joseph R., Judith R., Meinhardt soon followed, "the four JR's". I graduated from Glenmont Elementary School, Crestview JR High, and North High School in Columbus, Ohio. I volunteered for the draft in September, 1954 and was inducted into the Army at Fort Hayes, Columbus, in December, 1954. Following basic training and advance tank training at Fort Knox Kentucky, I was sent to Colman Barracks, Company C, Second Armored Division (the Hell on Wheels Division), in Mannheim, Germany. I took two leaves in 1956 to Paris, London, and Amsterdam. I made a youth mistake in; I did not visit my English relatives who lived north of London. My Grandmother, Marie Boex (Meinjhardt) from Edberdingen, Germany, arranged for me to meet her brother, Carl Gottlob Enz, over Christmas in 1955. I took a train from Mannheim to Rastatt and changed trains for Gaggenau. Not speaking Germany, my English-German dictionary was used most of the time. A neighbor boy of my second Helmut was translator during the evenings. I returned to the United States in December 1956 and attended Ohio State University for one year. On January 1, 1958, I met one, Betty Jane Howsmon. On December 15, Betty and I were engaged, and were married on December 31, 1958. With such a short engagement and wedding, the tongues were wagging. Our son was born seven and a half years later and our daughter was born two and a half years later. Betty (my babe) and I had a full life for fifty-two years, seven months and nineteen days. We had some bumps along the way but we smoothed them out. I love you babe! In December 1960, I went to work for Phillips Petroleum Company and left Phillips 66 in 1974 with the title of, Columbus Division Manager of Lubrication and Commercial Sales. I then started by own remodeling company, Meinco Kitchen and Baths. The most rewarding work I have ever done. In 1985, I went back to school and graduated from Columbus State Community College obtaining an Associate Degree in Construction Management. Worked for a couple of remodeling companies and retired early in January 1998. In September 2002, I flew to Germany and stayed for fourteen days with my second cousin, Helmut and his wife in Oberndof. You could not have had better hosts. There were daily tours thru southwestern Germany. On September 8, I was the guest at an Enz reunion in Otisheim where I met many of my German relatives and many of them spoke English, thank goodness. My second cousin Waltrud, on the Meinhardt side of the family also attended and speaks/writes English. We have communicated via e-mail over the years. Helmut and I have always been faced with the language bearer. Helmut's daughter, Manuela writes and speaks English. I call Manuela several times a year. Jesus Christ has been good to me over the years and for that, I thank Him. I leave you on this 30, August, 2012 and say to my Son and Daughter, Grandsons, Relatives, friends and neighbors, Take Care and keep having fun, for it is the only way to go. Spater, Die German Nuss. Family will receive friends 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, in the LONG FUNERAL HOME, 5528 Cleveland Avenue, Columbus, OH (one block south of St. Rt. 161), where funeral services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, September 5, 2012. Pastor Jonathan Mitchell, officiating. Interment will follow at Somerford Township Cemetery, London, OH. Military Honors will be provided by the American Legion and VFW Post prior to leaving for the cemetery.