BEN MEYER

BENTON -- Ben F. Meyer, 89, Benton Route 1, died Wednesday, Oct. 2, 1996, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

He was born Nov. 13, 1906, at Ste. Genevieve, son of Henry J. and Regina Guethle Meyer. He and Lorena Christine Essner were married Oct. 23, 1934, at Benton. She died March 15, 1989.

Meyer had been a farmer and custodian at St. Denis Catholic Church and School. He was a member of St. Denis Church and its Men's Sodality, Chamber of Commerce at Benton, and Farm Bureau.

Survivors include four sons, John Meyer of Cape Girardeau, Eugene Meyer of Pittsfield, Ill., Tommy Meyer of Tampa, Fla., Charlie Meyer of Jacksonville, Ill.; nine daughters, Marie Rankin of St. Peters, LaVerne Zuiburi of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Helen Schreckenberg of Cahokia, Ill., Margie Stull and Bernadette Landis of Scott City, Carolyn Schumacher of Matthews, N.C., Jane Ganz of Chesterfield, Eileen Gates of Cape Girardeau, and Denise Brown of St. Louis.

He is also survived by a brother, Henry Meyer of Long Island, N.Y.; two sisters, Hilda Hoog and Leona Herman of Ste. Genevieve; 38 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a daughter, four brothers, a sister, and a great-grandchild.

Friends may call at Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Benton from 4-8 p.m. today. Parish prayers will be at 7.

Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Denis Church, with the Rev. Normand Varone officiating. Burial will be in St. Denis Cemetery.