Carol Ann Meissner

Carol Ann (Ellington) Meissner, 93, went home to her Lord and Savior Sunday, November 30, 2025. Carol was born on October 17, 1932, near Ralston, Oklahoma, to Chesney D. and Esther (Taulman) Ellington. She grew up in and around Maramec, in Pawnee County, Oklahoma. She graduated from Maramec High School in 1950.

Carol was trained as a registered nurse at Hillcrest Nursing School, which was then a part of Columbia Hospital in Tulsa. She met her husband, Louis Meissner, through her sister Lois, and married him in Maramec on October 4, 1953.

Due to her nursing experience, Carol was able to work alongside Louis as part of the Point 4 Program between Oklahoma State University and the government of Ethiopia from 1956 to 1961. The Meissners were recruited as a team because there was a need for both an agricultural specialist and a nurse. Mrs. Meissner took care of the students and faculty in a clinic on campus of the technical school in Jimma, Ethiopia. The medical facilities were sparse compared to what was in the United States, but that did not prevent her from doing her job enthusiastically. She kept vaccinations up to date, dealt with medical emergencies, and cared for many with tuberculosis and malaria. She also cared for the two children who were with them during their 5 year term in Ethiopia. Luann was just 10 months old when the Meissners left the States, and Don was born in Jimma.

After the work in Ethiopia, the Meissners moved back to Stillwater and then to Columbus, Nebraska. Carol stayed busy with the children and numerous ministries with the Redeemer Baptist Church. She was an accomplished seamstress and enjoyed sewing everything from baby layettes for missions to men’s sportcoats and bridal gowns for family members. Occasionally, she would serve as a private nurse. In 1988, Carol and Louis moved to rural Pawnee to be closer to family, then moved to Stillwater in 1996. Carol worked as a home health nurse in Pawnee County, as a floor nurse at Western Care Center, and as an admissions nurse at Senior Perspectives until her retirement in 2008.

She is survived by 2 daughters, Luann (Bill) Menke of Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, and Marilee Meissner of Stillwater; 2 sons, Don Meissner of Arlington, TX, and Eric (Melissa) Meissner of Sioux Falls, SD; 2 granddaughters, Rachel Menke of Mount Pleasant, WI, and Erin Meissner of Sioux Falls, SD; a dear sister-in-law, Nola Ellington, of Glencoe; along with many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Louis in 2016; 3 sisters, Neva Mae Ellington, Mary Ruth Stephens, and Lois Sayre; 4 brothers, Buddy, Joe, John, and Claude; and her grandson, Jordan Meissner.

Services will be held at Stillwater Reformed Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, December 3rd at 5 p.m. with Pastor Bruce Parnell officiating. A private interment will take place at Highland Cemetery, Pawnee, Oklahoma. at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the church.