Nila Ann Meyer

Nila Ann (Noble) Meyer, 91, joined her Lord and Savior on May 15, 2020 at Peterson’s Assisted Living in Osage City, Kansas.
She was born on January 25, 1929 on a farm outside of Jeffers, Minnesota to Archie and Mable (Swartz) Noble. She graduated from Jeffers High School in 1947 and attended Chaffey Junior College in Ontario, California, earning a teaching certificate in 1948. Nila later earned her Bachelor’s Degree (1960¬) and Master’s Degree (1965) in Education from Emporia State University.

The Minnesota girl met her Kansas boy in California in 1948 and fell in love. Carl returned to his family farm in Osage City, Kansas after discharge from the Navy. Nila came to Kansas and taught second grade in Olathe in 1949. Nila and Carl married in Jeffers, Minnesota on August 25, 1950 and moved to their home of 69 years six miles north of Osage City in 1951.

She taught the 1950 school year at a one-room country school near Harveyville. Nila began teaching third grade at Osage City Elementary in 1960. She loved teaching natural sciences and together she and her students studied dinosaurs, the life cycle of the monarch butterfly and grew tadpoles to frogs in her classroom. She was also passionate about soil conservation and her students always entered the Soil Conservation Poster contest. She was recognized in 1985 as the State Award winning Teacher for Environmental Conservation Education. Nila retired from thirty-six years of teaching in 1994.

Nila is survived by her husband, Carl, of the home; 3 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; 11 great-grandchildren and 6 step great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, Gerald, Virgil and Loren, and one sister, Cleo Howard.

Nila’s family was her passion. She will be missed by one and all.
Sharon Larson was an exceptional support to Nila since 2018. We would like to thank the dedicated staff at Peterson’s Assisted Living for their loving care in Nila’s last year; also Avalon Hospice for their support and care in the last few months.

A private family graveside service officiated by Pastor Libby Oberdorf is planned. A Celebration of Life service will be held as soon as Covid-19 restrictions allow. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Nila Meyer to the First United Methodist Church of Osage City or to the Nila Meyer Scholarship Fund in care of VanArsdale Funeral Chapel, 107 N. 6th St., Osage City, KS 66523. Online condolences may be expressed at VanArsdalefs.com.