Meskimen, Douglas

Douglas Meskimen, 60, died Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011, at his residence following a sudden illness. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, at Phillips Family Center, 605 Second Ave., Vinton, with the Rev. Cymaron Dawson of Living Waters Church officiating. Interment will be held at Oakwood Cemetery in Shellsburg, with gravesite military rites conducted by Ray and Virginia Boyer American Legion Post 166 of Shellsburg.  Friends may call at the Family Center from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday and from 12:30 p.m. until service time on Tuesday.

Doug was born Oct. 20, 1950, in San Francisco, Calif., to Orlie and LaVonne (Butler) Meskimen, and graduated from high school in Genoa, Ill. He served his nation with the 82nd Airborne Army Division from 1969 to 1971 during the Vietnam War. Doug was a pipe coverer and a member of Local 81 of the Insulators Union. He was currently employed at Frontier Co-Op in Urbana.

In his leisure he enjoyed fishing and spending time with his grandchildren.

He is survived by his children, Conor James Meskimen of Shellsburg, Lori Meskimen of Marion and Holly Meskimen of Cedar Rapids; his grandchildren, DeAnn, LaVonne, Matthew, Emma and Mattison; his siblings, Mary King of Rochelle, Ill, David (Pam) Meskimen of Shabbona, Ill., Steven Meskimen of DeKalb, Ill., and Ellen (Jeff) Hustad of Jefferson, Wis.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Orlie and LaVonne Meskimen; and his grandparents, Clifford and Clara Meskimen.

Published Oct. 9, 2011, in The Gazette