marriage

Wedding Picture taken in the Ord Studio, Hastings, Adams Co., NE

Fred & Mary

How they met is unknown for sure, probably when he was an apprentice baker in Hastings. They were married in 1888 in Hastings, Nebraska. He was already living in McCook Co., Nebraska so he presumably came back to Hastings for the wedding. Three children were born to Fred and Mary: Ellen, born June 19, 1894; George F., born July 26, 1996; and Harmon born April 19, 1900.

Family Portrait - l. to r. Mary, Ellen, George, Fred and baby Harmon in back. Cir.1902

Fred

Germany

Fred Meissner was born May 9, 1867 in Breidenbach, Hessen-Nassau, Germany to George Frederick Meissner and his wife (name unknown). He had a brother, Christian, and a sister, Helena. Family tradition has it that he emigrated to the United States in order to avoid conscription in the Prussian Army during the Franco-Prussian War. Tradition also holds that he came to Nebraska in order to be with relatives who had previously emigrated there from Germany.

America

Arriving in the U.S. in 1884? (17 yrs old), he was apprenticed to a baker in Hastings, Nebraska He moved to McCook, NE about 1888 and operated his own bakery for one year. He moved to Ogden, Utah in 1889 and worked as a baker for Julius Kiesel, then opened his own bakery.

Fred served in the Ogden, Utah police force 1892-1903, and was involved in a gun battle on Jan. 26, 1894, in which he was wounded by a shot in the left ankle (Ogden paper "50 years ago column, Jan. 26, 1944). He moved to Logan, UT in 1903, opened and operated the Royal Bakery until 1909. He took family back to Germany for 18 mos. in 1909-10.

According to his son Harmon, he may have intended on staying in Germany, but was so revolted by what was happening in pre-WWI Germany that he came back to the States. Harmon recited an incident in which he and his father were watching Military maneuvers that involved a horse drawn canon. The canon became mired in mud and turned over. The officer in charge thought that the soldiers handling the horses and canon were at fault and beat them unmercifully with is riding crop. That was apparently a critical event in causing Fred to take up his family and return to Ogden, UT.

Upon returning, he opened up and operated a bakery for one year at 2457 Grand Ave. He sold out in 1911 and "went into semi-retirement, looking after other interests". This apparent sign of affluence may have been the result of wife, Mary, having inherited a substantial some of money from her father (see biography of Benedict Stimbert for Mary Stimbert Meissner's inheritance story). In spite of "semi- retirement", he was a special agent for the Utah Idaho Central Railroad 1916-1917.

He was one of the original investors in the Ideal Cement Co., founded by Colorado industrial magnate Charles Boettcher (who made his original fortune as a hardware merchant in Leadville, CO). Boettcher was an immigrant from the same town in Germany, and this formed the initial basis for a relationship between the two men. Fred loved to smoke cigars and was active in Freemasonry. In those days of Utah history, the Masons were a bastion of "gentile" solidarity against the influence of the Mormon Church.

After 1st wife Mary's death in 1925, Fred married Anna Miller in 1927 and lived for some time in Florida with her. This was apparently not a very good marriage. Fred was separated from Anna and in the process of divorcing her when he died January 12, 1936. At the probate of his estate, Anna was awarded most of it, and the two sons Harmon and George were essentially disinherited.

Mary

Mary was born 1867 in Illinois, probably Woodford County. She was the sixth child of Benedict (see Benedict's bio.) and Maria (Bittner) Stimbert. Her family moved to Inland, Nebraska in 1875. Not much is known about her childhood or the details of her life. She probably attended the German Congregational Church in S. Inland that her father was very much involved in. She's living with her father in the 1880 Census and is possibly living in Hastings in the Nebraska 1885 Census as she's not in her father's home in 1885.

I'm sure she was a model wife and must have supported her husband in his careers. Her inheritance from her father certainly changed their lives and lifestyle. I could presume that during the time they owned a bakery that she worked along side her husband. I can only imagine what it was like for her when she moved with her family to Germany. I wish I had more details about her. Mary passed away September 5, 1925 in Ogden, Weber County, Utah.

Deaths

Fred and Mary (Stimbert) Meissner are buried in Block 10 Lot 37, Mountain View Cemetery (now called Aultorest Memorial Gardens), at the corner of Thirty Sixth Street and Quincy Ave., Ogden, UT . This is a family plot, with other members also buried here; Ellen M. Meissner (daughter), George F. Meissner (son), Gladys Riddiough Meissner (wife of George), and ? Riddiough (mother of Gladys). The gravesite was visited on May 14 and 17, 1995 by Fred F. Meissner (grandson of Fred) and his wife, Jackie. Fred F. also located and visited the last residence of Fred at 2372 "E" Ave. (or Street?) at these times.

Mary Stimbert Meissner's grave sight taken at the time of her burial in 1925. Flowers covering the grave are at the foot of a standing headstone next to the grave of her daughter Ellen, who died in 1917. Both of the vertical headstones have been tilted and flattened horizontally parallel to the grass in order to facilitate mowing and upkeep of the cemetery grounds.

Obituary

Arrangements were being made to day for funeral services for Fred Meissner, 68, retired businessman and former peace officer, who died Sunday in a local hospital of a heart illness. He was stricken Thursday and taken to the hospital Saturday. He resided at 2372 E. Avanue. The body was taken to the Kirkendall-Darling mortuary.

He was born May 9, 1867, in Breidenbach, Hessin-Nassau, Germany, a son of Mr. and Mrs. George Frederick Meissner. He was educated in his town schools was then apprenticed as a baker and came to the United States when 17 ears of age, locating in Hastings, Neb. He remained there five years and then spent one year in McCook, Neb., where he operated his own bakery.

He came to Ogden in 1889 and worked for Julius Keisel as a baker, and after three years with Keisel he opened a bakery of his own on the site now occupied by the W. O. W. building. He sold out and in 1892 he joined the Ogden police force and held that position for 11 years. In 1903 he moved to Logan, opened the Royal Bakery and operated it until 1909, when he sold out and took his family to Germany, where the children attended school and studied music for eighteen months. On returning to Ogden in 1910 he again opened a bakery at 2457 Grant avenue, sold out in 1911 and went into semi-retirement, looking after other interests. In 1916 and 1917 he was a special agent for the Utah Idaho Central railroad.

He was first married in 1888, in Hastings Nebraska, to Mary Stimbert, who died here in 1925. His second marraige was to Miss Anna C. Millerin 1927, in St. Petersburg, Florida, which was the family home for five years following. He was a past chancellor commander of Ogden lodge No. 2, Knights of Pythias and held membership in Unity lodge No. 18 F. and A. M., and Ogden chapter No. 2, Royal Arch Masons.

Surviving are the widow, two sons, George F. of the United States railway mail service, Ogden, and Herman S. of the United States reclamation service, Denver; one brother Christian Meissner, Dillenberg, Germany, one sister, Mrs. Helena Reitz, Witten-in Ruhr, Germany and four grandchildren.

Recollections from grandson Fred

Fred Franke Meissner has vague recollections of his Grandfather, for whom he was named. At the age of 2 or 3 his family met the Grandfather somewhere in Wyoming at a point about half-way between Ogden and Denver. Grandfather had some kind of a coupe car, and Fred was impressed by the rumble seat in its back. He also remembers being frightened by the old man because of his large mustache. He thought he looked like a walrus. Fred F. also remembers traveling by train from Denver to Ogden with his Father for Grandfather's funeral in Ogden. They took an overnight Pullman sleeper coach. Fred F. (age 5) went to sleep before the evening train left and woke up in Ogden, not realizing that the train had gone anywhere.

Grandson Fred has numerous portrait photos and snapshots of his namesake Grandfather. There is one heroic picture of him as a handsome young uniformed Ogden policeman and a good family portrait with wife Mary and children Ellen, George and Harmon. (Both on this page)

Fred has several snapshots with his sons and young grandsons Fred and John (Ike) and many unidentified pictures from the scrapbook (see unidentified pictures on this site). Grandson Fred F. has an old scrapbook filled with faded newspaper clippings in German and English that belonged to his Grandfather. Most of the ones in English are from turn-of-the-century and World War I Utah newspapers. Why he kept them is not known, although many of them deal with criminal activities and may relate to people he knew. There is also an old newspaper clipping from the 1930's (in English) concerning one Otto Meissner, who was one of Adolph Hitler's government officials. Family tradition has it that Otto was a relative, possibly an uncle or cousin of Fred.

Thanks to Fred Meissner for providing this information and for sharing his family pictures and stories with all of us. Please take a look at his unknown pictures on this site and see if you can identify anyone or match up to pictures you may have. All are from the scrapbook of Mary (Stimbert) Meissner.

Fred Meissner & Mary Stimbert

1867-1936 & 1867-1925