Meskimen, Rachel A. Yancey

Rachel A. Yancey Meskimen, 68, of Hiawatha, died Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009, at Mercy Medical Center of a lengthy illness. Services: 2 p.m. Tuesday, First Assembly of God, Cedar Rapids, with the Rev. Rick Gail presiding. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at Brosh Chapel, Cedar Rapids, temporarily located at 3100 F Ave. NW. Visitation also will be one hour before services Tuesday at the church. Private family inurnment will be at a later date. Brosh Chapel in Cedar Rapids is in charge of arrangements.

Rachel was born March 21, 1941, to Lawrence S. and Doris (Ripley) Yancey in Odessa, Mo. She and her family moved to Iowa, and eventually settled in Cedar Rapids, where she attended Wilson School. She worked at the Roosevelt Hotel restaurant and worked several years as a banquet hostess at the Sheraton Hotel in Cedar Rapids.

Rachel married Roger (Bud) Meskimen on Oct. 15, 1960. Rachel's favorite pastime was reading and she helped keep the economy going by buying thousands of books which she then passed on to many family members and friends. In her healthier years, she and he husband had a lot of fun playing bingo at many locations, making more friends each week. She enjoyed knitting and making quilts and she was a wonderful cook. Most of all she enjoyed spending time with family, especially her children and grandchildren. She had a devilish sense of humor and you never knew for sure just what she meant when she grinned and said “how nice!”

Rachel will be missed by all who knew her and will live on in our hearts forever.

Rachel is survived by her husband, Roger; children, Jeffrey (Amanda) of Cedar Rapids, Mark of Hiawatha, John (Stephanie) of Walker, and Tracy (Douglas) Sage of Iowa City; grandchildren, Jessica, Cole, William C., Maranda, Marissa, Sarah, Callan and Blake; brother, Robert N. (Beverly) Yancey; sister, Judith A. McAllister all of Cedar Rapids; brother-in-law, Guy J. (Diane) Meskimen of Guttenberg; sisters-in-law, Margaret Yancey and Linda Yancey of Cedar Rapids; as well as several nieces and nephews who loved her dearly.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a loving stepfather, Leo S. Dvorak; brothers, Lawrence E. Yancey Sr., David L. Yancey; and her twin Ronald A. Yancey; sisters, Mary-Alice Donath and Ruth A. Popelka; and a special grandson, Cline Andrew Meskimen.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.broshchapel.com