Dr. Don Wesley Meinders went to be with Jesus on February 13, 2025 at the age of 85. He was born on January 22, 1940 in Ardmore, Oklahoma to the late Wesley H. Meinders and Hildred McCants Meinders. His family lived in Wynnewood and Yukon during his younger years before moving to Pauls Valley when he was a sophomore in high school.

Don graduated from Pauls Valley High School in 1958, attended Oklahoma State University for his undergraduate degree and graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in 1965. During this time, he married Mary Burnetta James Meinders from Leedey, Oklahoma. He then practiced at Wesley Hospital in Wichita, Kansas for a year while he completed his internship. The U.S. Army then called Don to Vietnam, where he served as a battalion surgeon. Upon leaving Vietnam, he completed his service in Ft. Polk, Louisiana.

Returning to Pauls Valley, Dr. Meinders built the Physicians Surgeon Center with Dr. John Moore and Dr. Andy Graham. He practiced family medicine and helped open the Pauls Valley General Hospital. While practicing medicine, Don delivered many babies in the community. Mrs. Laverne Anderson, his office nurse, was a great asset to his practice.

Don also helped his community by practicing part-time at the Southern Oklahoma Resource Center and at the Garvin County Health Department. He also served as County coroner.

During this time, the couple welcomed five children, James, John, Jeanne, Michael and Mary Anne. Don was a member of Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, the Garvin County Physicians Association, and he was a member of the Pauls Valley United Methodist Church and the Crusaders Sunday School Class.

Don began purchasing ranch land in the 1970s to raise cattle and spent many years improving the land, which he loved. Don enjoyed hunting, fishing, and playing bridge. He cherished his children and grandchildren and the time spent with them, whether it was camping, hunting, playing cards, chess or checkers, or watching movies while drinking "sodee" pop and eating popcorn.

Don loved to make people laugh and always welcomed people in their home.

He is preceded in death by his infant daughter, Mary Anne Meinders, and parents, Wesley and Hildred Meinders.

He is survived by his wife, Mary B. Meinders, of 61 years, his children; James Meinders and wife Cheryl of Bozeman, Montana; John Meinders and wife Ingrid of Woodward, Oklahoma; Jeanne (Meinders) Balcerak and husband Larry of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma; Michael Meinders and wife Chanel of Woodward, Oklahoma; grandchildren Allison (Meinders) Harvey and husband Travis; Mary Beth (Balcerak) Heskett and husband Jacob; Dr. Sarah (Meinders) Taylor and husband Kota;

Dr. Gregory Balcerak and wife Kylie; Grace (Meinders) Aldridge and husband Reed; John-Michael Balcerak, Julie Anna Balcerak, McCants Meinders, Don Wesley Meinders, Miles Meinders, Ben Meinders, Macy Moody, Zoey Martin and J.J. Martin, and one great-grandson, Henry Harvey. He is also survived by his three sisters, Janet Charalampous (Meinders) of Norman, Oklahoma; Anne (Meinders) Heaton and husband John of Edmond, Oklahoma; Mary (Meinders) Johnson and husband Floyd of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma; and many nieces, nephews, other family, and friends.

A special thank you to the staff at The Willows, where Don resided the past year.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on February 22, 2025 at the Pauls Valley United Methodist Church in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Pauls Valley United Methodist Church, 401 N. Willow Street. P.O. Box 385, Pauls Valley, Oklahoma 73075.