Carl F. Meyer

Carl F. Meyer, 95, passed away on May 6, 2023 at Peterson’s Assisted Living in Osage City, Kansas.

On February 18, 1928, Carl Frederick Meyer was born on a farm outside of Osage City to Charles Frederick and Laura I. (Thompson) Meyer. A member of the graduating class of 1946 at Osage City High, Carl was not present for graduation. Enlisting in the Navy on his 18th birthday, he was called up for his Navy physical on April 12, 1946.

Carl traveled to the Naval Training Center in San Diego for a training course at the Balboa Naval Hospital as a Navy corpsman. Training normally took 16 weeks, but at that point in WWII, the coursework was reduced to 8 weeks. Carl graduated first in his class and became a Hospital Assistant, Second Class (HA2c). After training, Carl went to the Corona Naval Hospital and worked in a variety of wards, ending up assigned to the tuberculosis (TB) ward. Corona Naval Hospital was staffed initially by Mayo Clinic physicians, and became the Pacific Theater Center of the Navy for tuberculosis treatment. Carl was a corpsman for a major antibiotic trial on streptomycin. He also did over 100 gastric tests on patients to monitor for ulcers. Discharge was in 1948, with Carl ending service as a Pharmacist’s Mate Third Class. He returned to Kansas to work on the family farm.

While a Navy Corpsman, Carl met the love of his life, Nila Noble. Nila was the sister-in-law of one of Carl’s TB patients. Nila was from Minnesota and stayed with her sister in California while attending college. She followed Carl to Kansas after graduation from Chaffee Community College in 1949. They married on August 25,1950, in Jeffers, Minnesota.

Carl’s family and his farm and ranching operation were a central focus of his life. He also believed strongly in giving back to his community. Carl was a leader in bringing rural water service to Osage County with the development of Rural Water District No. 7. He served as Treasurer on the Dragoon Township Board for 32 years, was a member of the Soil Conservation Board for 23 years and was a member of the Osage County Zoning Board. Carl finally retired from public service after completing 4 terms as a Osage County Commissioner. He was also a life-long member of the Kansas Farm Bureau and American Legion Post 198 in Osage City.

Carl will be remembered for his lasting impact on his family and community. He placed great importance on serving his fellow man and leaving things better than he found them. His advice to the young people around him was to be honest, hard-working, serve others, and keep moving forward.

Carl is survived by his children, Laura DeBaun (Tom), Osage City, KS, Karen Oliver (William) of Shawnee, KS, and Carl Meyer Jr. (Shera) of Oskaloosa, KS; 6 grandchildren, Alex DeBaun (Tammi), Valley Center, KS, Loren DeBaun (Letisha), Osage City, KS, Kathryn Boss (Lucas), Osage City, KS, Maureen Baraban (Brian), Overland Park, KS, Will Oliver, Shawnee, KS, and Owen Meyer, Oskaloosa, KS and 2 step-grandchildren, Kelli George (Manoj), Olathe, KS and Jill Rogers (Gary), Tonganoxie, KS; 12 great-grandchildren and 6 step great-grandchildren.

He is preceded death by his wife, Nila; a brother, Earl; a sister, Margaret E. Jones; sister-in-law, Dorothy J. Meyer; brother-in-law, Harold D. Jones.

The family would like to thank the dedicated staff at Peterson’s Assisted Living for making his four years of residence a great experience, and to thank Gentiva Hospice for their care in his last week.

Funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, May 22, 2023 at the First United Methodist Church in Osage City. Burial to follow the funeral service at Osage City Cemetery. Family will be receiving friends Sunday evening, May 21st from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at VanArsdale Funeral Chapel in Osage City. Memorial contributions may be made to the Osage City First United Methodist Church and sent in care of VanArsdale Funeral Chapel, 107 W. Sixth, Osage City, Kansas 66523. Online condolences may be expressed at VanArsdalefs.com.