Obituary of Dixie Joyce Meisner

Dixie Joyce (Geib) Meisner

Dixie Joyce (Geib) Meisner of Arvada, Colo. passed away at her home on Tuesday, July 18 at the age of 86. Dixie was born in Grand Junction, Colo. on March 2, 1937, as the second of three children born to Melvin and Evelyn (Batman) Geib. 

Dixie’s earliest memories were of her and older brother Mel playing and exploring the hills around Leadville, Colo., where the family lived while her father, Melvin, worked first at a gold mine in the area and later on the construction of Camp Hale, which the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division used for training during World War II. Following the war, the family lived for a short time in Denver, then settled in Pierce, Colo. in 1946, where Dixie graduated as her high school class valedictorian in 1954. Dixie then spent two years at Colorado Women’s College in Denver, where she was on the dean’s list both years and graduated with honors. She followed that with two years at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, from where she graduated in 1958 with a degree in dietetics and a minor in chemistry. While in high school, she began keeping the books for her  father’s construction business and continued to perform those duties off and on until 2018.

On July 13, 1958, Dixie married Robert Meisner in Fort Collins. Together, they had three children, Russell of Poulsbo, Wash., Kelly Watson (Mitch) of McKinney, Tex., and Randle (Brooke) of Arvada. Following her divorce from Robert in 1982, Dixie went to work for KN Energy at its office in Lakewood and held the position of vice-president at the time of her retirement in 2000. Dixie spent her remaining years with longtime companion, Larry Person, traveling around the US and Europe, particularly enjoying their trips to New England to see the fall colors.

Dixie especially enjoyed spending time in her sewing room and was constantly working on various sewing projects for family and friends. Dixie’s passion for sewing led to the creation of her own business for a short time, creating skating dresses for figure skaters at North Jeffco Ice Arena in Arvada under the name of Dixie’s Designs. Her primary joy, though, was spending time with her grandchildren, whether it was attending their sporting events or teaching them skills in the kitchen.

Along with her own children and Larry, Dixie is survived by her older brother, Melvin Lee Geib of Ault, Colo. and younger sister, Evelyn Barnes (Kent) of Austin, Tex; granddaughters Kaylin Lorona (Sam) of Savannah, Tex. and Nicole Watson of Churchville, NY; grandsons Alex of Arvada and Ryan Meisner, attending school in Grand Junction; and great grandchildren Arya and Lincoln Lorona of Texas; as well as multiple cousins, nephews, and other relatives.