Michael John Meissner

 

Michael (Mike) was born on December 17, 1946, to Donald and Genevieve Meissner in Minnesota. Age 78, he passed away at his Somerset, WI home on March 16, 2025.

 

Mike graduated from Mounds View High School in 1964. He started working at the First Bank in St. Paul where he met his first wife, Mary Grape (deceased 12-14-23). They wed in September 1966, had three beautiful daughters and later divorced.

 

Mike had many favorite pastimes, oldies music and fast cars, riding Harley’s, camping, hunting, fishing, gardening, cribbage, and cooking! He spent many years bartending and managing Dick & Mary’s Bar on Rice Street in St. Paul. Mike LOVED cooking and owned a catering company. One of his favorite items was his large cast iron skillet that would cover the entire Weber grill, which is now being used by grandson, Chef Brandon. His children and grandchildren loved his deviled eggs, goulash, and beef tips/gravy and his aunties loved his liver/onions. Mike would say that he never made his meatloaf the same way twice. It all depended on what he had in the cupboard such as crackers, potato chips, breadcrumbs, etc.

 

Early 1980’s, Mike married Jean Nelson, along with her two children Mindy and Brent and later divorced.

 

In 1992, Mike met the love of his life and married Cynthia (Cindi) Murto in January 1997. They lived in Cottage Grove for many years until they settled in Somerset, WI for the past thirteen years.

 

Mike worked for his brother Gary’s fencing company for many years. He was still installing fences using the manual post-hole digger the summer of 2023. He wasn’t the fastest, but he got the job done at a good price.

 

Mike was a jack-of-all-trades kind of guy. One of Cindi’s many passions was refurbishing provincial furniture for sale. Mike would fix any repairs needed and then Cindi would paint it in the ventilated paint booth that Mike made for her in their garage.

 

The home that they purchased in Somerset, WI was a fixer upper. Mike did most of the work himself. In addition, he had fixed/worked on many projects at each of his daughters’ homes. He enjoyed tinkering.

 

Besides cooking and tinkering, Mike loved playing poker and cribbage. He was a hard one to beat (even though it was getting easier). Amy and Mike had a running tally on the drywall at the house.

 

Mike is survived by daughters, Christine (Jason) Afdahl, Amy Randolph, and Rebecca Donahe; stepdaughters, Elisia Ferlaak and Katie (Matt) Schussler; stepson, Corey Murto; 19 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; siblings, Renee (Jon) Gullikson, Lisa McKinnon; in-laws, Bernice (Butch) Meissner, Heidi Wedan, Mike Toth; furry children, Max and Fluffers; and many other family and friends.

 

He was preceded in death by his wife, Cynthia Meissner; parents and in-laws, Donald & Genevieve Meissner, and Al & Inga Toth; siblings, Gary Meissner; and in-laws, David Toth; and furry children, Sadie Rose.

 

Celebration of Life will be at Mermaid Entertainment Center, 2200 Mounds View Blvd, Mounds View, MN 55112 on Friday, April 25th from 4:00 pm – 8:00pm. Please come and share your stories.