Stuart Paul MEERSCHEIDT

Notes:

Stuart’s family moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico, as a small child where he attended school before graduating from New Mexico State Univeristy in 1949 with a degree in Agricultural Engineering. While in college he lettered in basketball and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. In 1950, Stuart received a master’s degree in engineering from Utah State University. After college, Stuart worked for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Smith Machine Company of Texas. He purchased the Las Cruces branch of that company and renamed it Butte Pump Company. He operated the business until selling it in 1960. In 1968, Stuart founded Jornada Water Company, which was a private water utility which he sold in 1982. Stuart became Doña Ana County Roads Superintendent in 1964. He is a former chairman of the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission. From 1968 until 1989 Stuart owned Desert Drydoc, a boat and marine engine dealership. He also operated a 35-acre pecan orchard in Mesilla Valley, New Mexico, which was started by his parents. He retired in 1999. Stuart is a 35-year member and past board member of NMSU Aggie Sports Association and served on the University’s Hall of Fame Selection Committee. In 1998 Stuart was appointed to the Citizens Bank Board of Councilors.

“In March 1944, while a freshman at New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, Stuart enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces and served as an electrical technician on the C-46 Commando, a twin-engine military transport, in the China-Burma-India theater of World War II. Sgt. Meerscheidt was honorably discharged in July 1946, and used his G.I. Bill benefits to earn a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering at New Mexico A&M and a master's degree in engineering at Utah State University… Stuart, who played varsity basketball at New Mexico A&M from 1947 to 1949, and Betsy were lifelong Aggie fans and supporters, and were fixtures at hundreds of Aggie basketball, football and baseball games for more than a half century. Betsy could usually be seen waving her Aggie flag and a red pair of bloomers at nearly every Aggie game. Besides being longtime donors to Aggie athletics, the couple sponsored the hydrotherapy pool in the Stan Fulton Center at Aggie Memorial Stadium in 2008, and established the Stuart and Betsy Meerscheidt Athletic Training Education Program Endowed Scholarship Fund for NMSU athletics students. More recently, they established the Stuart and Betty Meerscheidt Family Rentfrow Fund in the NMSU Department of Kinesiology and Dance. Stuart was inducted into the NMSU Athletic Hall of Fame on March 7, 2015. While raising his daughters, Stuart raced mini-stock cars at Mesilla Valley Speedway and tunnel-hull boats throughout the Southwest, enlisting his girls as his pit crew. Racing was always a family affair with the Meerscheidts, as were fishing trips to Mexico, weekends at Elephant Butte Lake, elk hunting in the Gila Wilderness and many other adventures. He was active with the Las Cruces chapter of China-Burma-India veterans and other veterans organizations.”

Birth:
at 9:10 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital

Stuart married Betty Jean Hall LOOMIS on 19 Nov 1951 in Las Cruces, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA. Betty (daughter of William Jay LOOMIS and Lorraine STONE) was born on 8 Sep 1932 in San Diego, San Diego, California, USA; died on 17 Aug 2004 in Las Cruces, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
in St. Paul’s Methodist Church by Rev. A. C. Douglas

1. Living
2. Living

Notes:

Hilmar was a member of the Western Irrigated Pecan Growers and the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau. He was also active for many years in the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars including managing the Legion’s baseball league. On behalf of his volunteer with the city of Las Cruces’s recreational program, the city named its newly build recreation center after him in August, 1973. Hilmar was also a member of the NMSU Aggie Booster Club serving as its director, as well as being a member of a the Century Club, a unit of the Booster Club.

Died:
at Las Cruces Manor

Buried:
Section 8, Block 5, Plot 15

Hilmar married Esther Irene STUART on 30 Jun 1920 in Las Cruces, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA. Esther (daughter of James Grayson STUART and Mary Helen OLINGER) was born on 12 Jan 1896 in Crawford, Dawes, Nebraska, USA; died on 9 May 1985 in Las Cruces, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA; was buried in Masonic Cemetery, Las Cruces, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Esther was a teacher of science and mathematics for twenty years at Court Junior High School in Las Cruces. After her retirement she became interested in handcrafts through her association with the NMSU Newcomers group. A love for ceramics then branched into other handcrafts such as flower design. She was a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and was active in Women’s Society of Christian Service. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and related groups, Eight and Forty and Past Presidents.

Buried:
Plot: Section 8, Block 5, Plot 14

Notes:

Married:
by the Rev. T. L. Lallance at St. Paul’s Methodist Episcopal Church

Notes:

Paul was born at the Nassau Farm and attended school in Round Top and La Grange. He went to university at Hildesheim, Germany with his brother Axel. However, he returned to Texas the next summer. In La Grange, he studied law under Judge Teichmuller and later at Vanderbilt University, graduating in the class of 1881. At one time he served as deputy sheriff in La Grange for two years. He practiced law in La Grange until 1889 when he moved his family to San Antonio, joining his brother in the real estate business. In 1900 he was elected Bexar County Tax Collector, serving until 1908.

He and his wife celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary while on board ship to Germany. Then at the age of 57 he had a severe case of pneumonia, leaving him very weak. As a result, he was ordered by a physician to spend some time in New Mexico. Years later he acquired diabetes, later dying from complications of this illness.

Died:
at 8:50 a.m. at his residence, 313 W. Park Ave.

Buried:
Block 6, Lot 667, Space 12

Paul married Bertha L. FREDE on 2 Jun 1883 in La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA. Bertha (daughter of August FREDE and Barbara FINK) was born on 4 Jul 1862 in La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA; died on 12 Oct 1948 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA; was buried on 14 Oct 1948 in Mission Burial Park South, San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Bertha was orphaned, along with her three brothers, at the age of five. During childhood she lived with her grandmother Elise Frede, her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. John Schuhmacher of La Grange, and later with another aunt, Mrs. Kate Wurzbach of San Antonio.

She was fond of music, enjoyed crocheting, gardened, and traveled.

Died:
at 1:30 p.m. at her residence, 313 W. Park

Buried:
Block 6, Lot 667, Space 11

Notes:

Married:
by L. W. Moore, Judge of 15th District

Notes:

Buried:
Section 2, Block 4, Plot 31

James married Mary Helen OLINGER on 8 Sep 1886 in Burt County, Nebraska, USA. Mary was born on 8 Dec 1860 in Burt County, Nebraska, USA; died on 7 Nov 1936; was buried on 9 Nov 1936 in Masonic Cemetery, Las Cruces, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
Section 2, Block 4, Plot 32

Notes:

Married:
by R. A. White, Ev. Lutheran Minister

Notes:

Arthur Meerscheidt’s given name was Arthur Carl Wilhelm Gustav Anton Archibald von Meerscheidt-von Huellessem. He was educated in Braunschweig. At sixteen years of age he became a cadet in Prince Wasa’s Hungarian regiment and age nineteen became an officer in the Hungarian army. He was wounded while fighting as a revolutionary at Czegedin. After recovering from his wound, he traveled down the Danube en route to Constantinople when he was captured by Serbians. He was spared by a friendly Hungarian and was allowed to continue his journey. He then returned home to Germany where he attempted to join the army of Schleswig-Holstein, at his mother’s bidding. However, the war that army was in had ended. Shortly after he sailed for the United States.

He arrived at the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana aboard the “Ohio” on 2 Jan 1850. From there he met an acquaintance, a man named Jenski, who was from near Nassau in northern Fayette County, Texas. Arthur settled in that area and became a farmer and family man. He later became a merchant in nearby Round Top before moving to La Grange in 1874. There he was appointed Postmaster, in which office he remained until his death. He took a trip west because of ill health, but saw little improvement. He died in Boerne, Texas due to a heart ailment.

Arthur married Amanda Karoline VON ROSENBERG on 9 Nov 1850 in Fayette County, Texas, USA. Amanda (daughter of Peter Carl Johann VON ROSENBERG and Amanda Henriette Louise FALLIER) was born on 15 Jun 1832 in Memel, Memel, Preußen, Prussia; died on 29 Aug 1911 in La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA; was buried in Old La Grange City Cemetery, La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

“Lina” von Rosenberg was born at Eckitten Estate, was baptized at St. Johannis Kirche in Memel, and was confirmed at the Landkirche in Crottingen. She spent much of her youth with her mother’s relatives in Königsburg where she attended school and enjoyed musical entertainment.

She came with her family to Texas in 1849 and married Arthur Meerscheidt a year later. They lived in a log house near Nassau, but later moved to La Grange. After the death of her husband, Lina moved to San Antonio where she kept house for three of her children, Max, Otto, and Martha. She and Martha also raised Max’s two sons after his wife passed away. In old age she returned to La Grange to live out her days in an invalid’s chair, cared for at the home of her daughter, Lieschen Scholz. She enjoyed reading and stayed abreast of politics.

Birth:
at Eckitten Estate

in the Landkirche

Notes:

Married:
by F. Ernst, J. P.

August married Barbara FINK. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]