June 26, 2019

Roland Meidinger

Roland passed away June 19, 2019, at his home in Arnegard.
Roland Harold Meidinger was born the fourth child to Harold and Ilene Zinsli Meidinger on July 23, 1955. He was raised on an irrigated farm west of Terry, Mont., along with his five sisters and older brother. His younger childhood was spent doing what youngsters love doing on a farm - driving tractors, working livestock, swimming in the canal on a hot, summer day while irrigating row crops; hoeing sugar beets until he was ready to run the cultivator, weed sprayer, or hay swather. During the winter months, he helped with feeding the sheep and cattle, moving snow piles, and taking the snowmobile for a spin or pulling a sled load of kiddos with a tractor! Throughout his growing up years, Roland loved to hunt four-legged varmints, deer, antelope, and enjoyed boating and fishing. He enjoyed driving the big John Deere equipment, and loved participating in the tractor pull contests in the nearby communities. He was often a winner using his dad’s farm tractors and these seemed to be his favorite stories to tell friends and family members!
On a hot summer day, Roland enjoyed a good fresh beer, tasty watermelons (that led to spitting contests with anybody willing to), afternoon snoozes, and a tasty barbecue meal! Roland was much like his dad in that they both liked to visit and tell stories, sometimes for hours and hours. He liked his tractors, pickups and most anything that could move, and in his younger years, that had speed!
Roland attended Terry Elementary and Junior High Schools and then went to Glendive, Mont., for high school where he graduated from Dawson County High School in 1973. He wasn’t too fond of school or academics as he wasn’t the traditional seatwork student, raised on the Meidinger farm where he learned at a very young age to do all his work with his hands. He did participate and play on the varsity team for the Glendive Red Devils during high school, as he was very athletic even though he was a six foot tall and very slim farmboy!
After graduation, Roland worked on the Meidinger farm and for neighbors Bill Feickert and Steve Tibbetts. He was an active member with the Terry Jaycee organization, was involved in their annual derby competitions, and bowled on the Terry bowling team in the Glendive Men’s Bowling League.
He married Cindy Ware in 1982 and to this union of marriage, had a son, Donal James (DJ) Meidinger born in 1983. After the couple divorced in 1990, Roland drove truck for a few years, then moved to Alexander, N.D., where he found employment with Tim Dwyer Sr. and continued to work for his sons. During his 26-year employment with the Dwyer family, Roland worked as a truck and tractor operator on their farming operation.
Roland was preceded in death by his grandparents, Joe and Mae (Hammond) Zinsli of Beach, N.D., and August and Magdalena (Keck) Meidinger of Miles City, Mont.; father, Harold (Terry, Mont., 1999); mother, Ilene (Terry, Mont., 1984); nephew, Harold Ernest Meidinger (Terry, Mont., 2013); and step-sister, Kathy Meidinger Nunn (Miles City, Mont., 2013).
He is survived by his son, Darol James (DJ) Meidinger of Dickinson, N.D.;  brother, Preston Joseph Meidinger of Havre, Mont.; sisters, Charlene Meidinger of Clyde Park, Mont., Iva (Gary) Kirkpatrick of Terry, Mont., Doris Meidinger of Terry, Mont., Dora Meidinger Huckins of Terry, Mont., Linda (Fred) Finke of Big Sandy, Mont.; step-sisters, Debbie (Bill) Turner of Miles City, Mont., Sandy Meidinger of Miles City, Mont.; and grandchildren, Tanner Nickolas Clifford and Noah Shawn Meidinger.

 

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