Albert H. Meinke Jr., M.D.

As a compassionate and well-loved physician, Dr. Albert H. Meinke, Jr. cared for the people of the Eaton Rapids area for 38 years. For his patients, he was a vital advocate for community health and patient quality of life. Throughout his life, Albert strove to be the best physician, husband, father and grandfather he knew how to be.

With the end of the Great War, the year 1919 marked a time of change in American history, as young servicemen returned home from Europe to start their families amidst a booming post-war economy. Albert Henry Meinke and his wife, Elsie (Keydel), of Detroit, Michigan were among the many expecting parents, and on September 26, 1919, they were blessed with the birth of their first child, a son they named Albert Henry Jr. He was later joined by his three younger siblings, Richard, Ruth and Paul.

Albert grew up during the time of the Great Depression and war. Families banded together and returned to a simpler style of life in order to get through the hard times. The Meinke’s were no different. They were a very close-knit family, and had many relatives living nearby, who they shared a lot of time with. In the Meinke home, German was the only language spoken, which was quite an obstacle for young Albert when it came to school. On his first day of kindergarten, his father dropped him off, though thereafter he would have to walk to and from school on his own. It wasn’t until some time later when his father took him to school on a rainy day that the teacher declared she did not know who this young boy was he was dropping off. Because school was so hard, Albert had been stopping at the park and playing the entire day until he saw the kids going home from school. After this, his parents started speaking English at home with him to help make school easier.

Albert spent many childhood summers in Petoskey with his grandmother and Aunt Margaret and it was here that he grew to love the outdoors. In early childhood, in Detroit his mother said she would pay 10 cents for every rat that he and his brothers killed around her house. At first, Albert killed 4 rats, but then came up with the ingenious idea of buying rat poison from the hardware store, which would really rake in the dough. The next catch, the boys killed 27 rats and they arranged them all on his grandmother’s front lawn to show her – unfortunately she did not pay them for 27 rats.

Albert put this industrious disposition to good use in school as an excellent student. After graduating from Cooley High School in 1937, he went on to attend Albion College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Then, in 1941, Albert entered the University of Michigan Medical School and was able to earn his Doctor of Medicine degree in 3 years (the program was accelerated due to World War II). Thereafter, he did a 9-month internship at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.

During his time at U of M, Albert met his beautiful wife-to-be, Edmere Lucille Bondesen, at a social function and it wasn’t long before romance blossomed between the two. They were happily married on July 29, 1944, in Detroit, and enjoyed a short honeymoon at the Olds Hotel in Lansing, since Albert was still doing of his internship. After completion of his internship, Albert followed the same patriotic calling of other young men of the time, and entered the U.S. Army. He was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, and commanded the Medical Detachment of the 3rd Battalion of the 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment. From December 1944 to August 1945, Albert was stationed in Italy, during which time he received a Bronze Star, Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster and the Combat Medical Badge.

Albert received an honorable discharge from the Army in 1946. He and his bride, Edmere, then settled into married life together in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, and soon filled their hearts and home with the joy and laughter of four wonderful children: Albert III, William, James and Joanna. Albert was a strong, kind father to his children. By example, he taught them the things that matter in life, like working hard to achieve your goals and treating people with respect and kindness. Albert believed there was great virtue in a good education and he made sure his children had the financial security to go to school, and succeed in life.

Albert started his career in private practice, with particular emphasis on general surgery, emergency medicine and obstetrics. In 1948, he partnered with many of his colleagues in the community to form one of the first group medical practices in Michigan. Albert was also instrumental in the building of the Eaton Rapids Community Hospital (now known as Eaton Rapids Medical Center), which opened in 1957. Aside from his professional life as a clinician, Albert was a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Eaton County Medical Society, and the Eaton Rapids Kiwanis. An advocate of education, Albert served on the Eaton Rapids Board of Education for 12 years, 8 of which as President.

After retiring in 1984, Albert helped design and build a home on the west shore of Torch Lake in Antrim County, Michigan, where he and Edmere would spend their retirement years. While in retirement, Albert maintained his medical license by participating in continuing education programs at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City. In his spare time, he also wrote and published two books: Mountain Troops and Medics (1993), which recounted his experiences in the military, and Hospital History and Medical Practice in My Small Town (2003), a collection of stories from his years in Eaton Rapids.

In his more leisure time, Albert enjoyed being outdoors, hunting, fishing and taking trips north to their cottage, where he loved to water ski, and taught his kids to do the same. Having a strong family was always important to Albert, and while he was dedicated to his patients, he and Edmere, together with their children, created a wonderful family life. Albert especially loved all the family get togethers around the holidays, particularly Christmas. Funny, although Albert was a surgeon, Edmere wouldn’t let him carve the turkey at Thanksgiving, there was just something not right about his carving. When he and Edmere were blessed with grandchildren, the staff at the hospital said they all looked like Albert. With his great sense of humor, Albert replied, “I am bald and have a fat face, so all babies look like me.” Nonetheless, he loved them all dearly.

All who knew Dr. Albert Meinke will miss this strong man with a commitment to helping others.

Albert H. Meinke Jr., M.D., Kewadin, formerly of Eaton Rapids, MI, died on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, in Traverse City, at the age of 89. Dr. Meinke was preceded in death by his parents and his oldest son, Albert H. Meinke III. Surviving is his wife of 64 years, Edmere (Bondesen) Meinke; two sons, William Meinke, M.D. of Johnston, RI and James Meinke of Kewadin, MI; one daughter, Joanna (David) Ballard of Onondaga, MI; daughter-in-law, Connie Meinke of Kewadin, MI; eight grandchildren: Samantha Meinke of Eaton Rapids, MI, Abby Meinke of Sydney, Australia, Patrick Meinke of Eaton Rapids, MI, Eric (Sue) Meinke of Kalamazoo, MI, Alan Meinke of Royal Oak, MI, Laura (Glenn) Steffens of Ypsilanti, MI, Jeff Ballard of Onondaga, MI, and Meri Ballard of Onondaga, MI; one great-grandson, Evan Palmer of Onondaga, MI; two brothers, Richard K. (Joan) Meinke, M.D. of Mason, MI, and Paul H. (Suzanne) Meinke of Rogers City, MI; one sister, Ruth Milliken of Green Valley, AZ; brother-in-law, Ralph Patterson of Walled Lake, MI; and a large extended family who knew him fondly as “Uncle Albert.”

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 28, at 1:00 p.m. at the Eaton Rapids First United Methodist Church, 600 S. Main Street, Eaton Rapids, MI. A time to gather with the family will be held from 12:00 noon until the time of service. Those desiring may make memorial contributions to the Eaton Rapids Medical Center of Eaton Rapids, MI, in memory of Albert H. Meinke Jr., M.D. Please visit Dr. Meinke’s personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory or photo with his family or sign the online guest book before coming to the church. Arrangements are by Life Story Funeral Home, Traverse City (231.941.9034).