J. Raymond Meissner

The following scans (which are incomplete and undated at this time) show pertinent information from Mr. Meissner who was at the scene following the explosion.

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FORT WORTH -- J. Raymond Meissner, 87, a retired funeral director, died Saturday, March 8, 1997, at a Fort Worth retirement center.

Funeral: 3 p.m. Tuesday at Thompson's Harveson & Cole Funeral Home. Burial: Rose Hill Memorial Park.

J. Raymond Meissner was born June 15, 1909, in Bellville. He was the son of a pioneer family in the Polytechnic area. As a young man in the 1920s, he obtained his funeral director's and embalmer's licenses and was an associate of Shannon's Funeral Home, first on the north side and later at the funeral home on Nashville and Avenue B in Polytechnic. In 1941, he purchased this funeral home and operated as Meissner Funeral Home for more than 30 years until his retirement.

March 18 is the 60th anniversary of the explosion in New London. Mr. Meissner was one of the morticians who went to New London to assist in the care of the children who were killed in this disaster.

During retirement years, he was an associate of Thompson's Harveson & Cole Funeral Home.

He was a member of Polytechnic United Methodist Church. He was a past president of East Fort Worth Lions Club and past district governor of the Lions International. He was a member of Polytechnic Masonic Lodge No. 925 and member of Moslah Shrine. He was past patron of Polytechnic Order of the Eastern Star No. 420 and member of I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 148.

Survivors: Wife, Martha Ward Meissner of Fort Worth; sisters-in-law, Mrs. Leon (Imogene) Meissner of Granbury, Mrs. Harry (Frances) Meissner of Austin, Mrs. Mack (Bernice) Meissner of Fort Worth and Mrs. Frank (Martha Ruth) Ward of Galveston; and nephews and nieces.