Meta Wiegmann
April 17, 1918 - January 24, 2018

Meta Magdalena Meyer Wiegmann, 99, of Bristow, was born to Arius J. and Anna Meyer on April 17, 1918, at rural Bristow, Iowa. She passed away on January 24, 2018, at the Allison Rehabilitation Center at the age of 99 years, 9 months and 7 days, having lived her entire life in Butler County, Iowa.

Meta attended grade school and high school in Bristow and graduated with the class of 1936. After high school, she worked at Hershey's Grocery Store in Bristow and also at Lutz Grocery Store in Aplington, Iowa, while waiting for her high school sweetheart to come home from the war.

She married Glenn H. Wiegmann on November 22, 1945, in Bristow, Iowa. To this union, six children were born. They lived and farmed together, west of Bristow, their entire married life, while also raising chickens, hogs, and dairy cattle. Meta also always had a large garden.

Meta was baptized and attended catechism at the Bristow Reformed Church. She became an active member of St. John's Lutheran Church at Vilmar after marrying. Meta sang alto in the church choir for many years and was also a member of the women's circle and Bible study.

Sewing quilts was Meta's lifelong passion. She made special quilts for each of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And she sewed many quilt tops for Lutheran World Relief as a member of Vilmar's quilting group.

Meta and Glenn often traveled to or with their children, including trips to Scotland, Virginia, Missouri, Florida, and several times to Germany. On one of those European trips, Meta was able to trace her heritage in Ostfriesland and Bunderhammerich. Meta always documented these travels, often creating scrapbooks of the trip. She also created a lasting treasured legacy of the family's life by keeping a calendar diary from 1945 to the present.

Homemade bread, cinnamon rolls, and vegetable soup with dumplings were family favorites.

She and Glenn served many years as Secretary for the Bristow Telephone Company.

Meta is survived by her children: Phyllis (Dave) Opperman, Carol (Jeff) Seehusen, Janet (Harlan) Stoker, Warren (Noreen) Wiegmann, Larry (Valerie) Wiegmann, Becky (Alvin) Burns; 15 grandchildren: Brad (Desiree) Opperman, Bryan (Christa) Opperman, Brent (Kristen) Seehusen, Clint (Amy) Seehusen, Curt (Susan) Seehusen, Marc (Jennifer) Seehusen, Tyler Seehusen, Chad Stoker, Neil (Carol) Stoker, Traci Wiegmann (Bret) Chinander, Cole (Jenn) Wiegmann, Amanda Wiegmann (Derek) Heyda, Anthony (Tarah) Wiegmann, Jonathan Wiegmann, and Nick Walker; 4 step grandchildren, 33 great grandchildren, 3 step great great grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 59 years, her sister Henrietta, one stillborn great-granddaughter, five brothers-in-law, three sisters-in-law, and three nephews.

Memorials direct to St John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Vilmar in rural Greene.

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