Herman Charles Meyer, 97, of Crystal City died Feb. 18, 2025, at Mercy Hospice South-de Greeff Hospice House in St. Louis County. In his youth, Mr. Meyer was a standout baseball player and became a well-known cyclist in his later years. While serving in the Army, he survived an attempted drowning in Korea. There, he also obtained questionable marksmanship skills, for example, he once put a bullet through his wallet lodged in a tree at 50 paces and has proudly carried that wounded driver’s license ever since. He was a loyal Cardinal baseball fan and a moderate Cardinal football fan. He was a glassworker at Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. and a driver and attendant for Vinyard Funeral Home and Ambulance Service. He retired in 1990 to become a full-time grandpa. He was a Red Cross blood donor for more than 60 years, a Meals-on-Wheels delivery volunteer for more than 25 years and a life-long member of Sacred Heart Church in Crystal City where he was an usher and supporter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Born Jan. 8, 1928, in Festus, he was the son of the late Ida (Wucher) and Benjamin Meyer.
He is survived by his wife of 72 years: Betty (Wedde) Meyer; a sister: Shirley (the late Donald) Fults of Herculaneum; two sons: Jeffrey (Dori) Meyer of Springfield and Eric (Victoria) Meyer of Chesterfield; a daughter: Denise (Larry Cooseman) Overberg of Festus; 11 grandchildren: Bradley Meyer, Jamie (Mike) Stief, Bethany (RJ) Thompson, Janelle (Derek) Wyatt, Michelle (Lance) Portell, Ashley (Nick) Atkins, Wittney (Kyndra) Gaddis, Alyssa (Taylor) McConnell, Chelsea Meyer, Jenna (Michael) Schonhoff and Kylie (Stephen) Milburn; and 16 great-grandchildren: Zoey and Quintin Stief, Red Thompson, Brenna Wyatt, Christian, Camryn, and Chloe Portell, Jayden, Chase, and Camden Atkins, Oliver and Leila McConnell, Fletcher and Alden Krotzmeyer and Tighe and Remley Schonhoff.
He was preceded in death by 10 siblings; Hubert “Hup” (the late Irma) Meyer, Chalmer “Diney” (the late Christine) Meyer, Edgar (the late Rose) Meyer, Raymond “Hugo” (the late Maybelle) Meyer, Cletus (the late Billie) Meyer, Wilma (the late Donald “Bud”) Edwards, Robert Meyer, Gloria “Tootsie” (the late Jerry) Beck, Thelma (the late Valle) Besand and Leroy (the late Floyd) Bohnert.
Visitation is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. until a funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 555 Bailey Road, in Crystal City, officiated by Father Michael Boehm. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Crystal City. Memorials may be made to the local chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society or the de Greeff Hospice House. Arrangements are under the direction of Vinyard Funeral Home.