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"Greater love has no one than this:
to lay down one's life for one's friends."
John 15:13
"Tell them of us and say, For their tomorrow,
we gave our today."
-Author Unknown
 
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Welcome Family, Friends and Visitors,
This memorial website was created with love, in honor and memory of,
William (Bill) Meeuwsen,
who was born February 10, 1981 and passed away on November 23, 2005
at the age of 24. He was a SGT in the US Army and lost his life in Iraq while saving
lives of his fellow comrades. He remains in the hearts and minds of his family,
friends and grateful Americans, NEVER to be forgotten!<3
*Please feel free to Light a candle, leave a message of your memories, thoughts,
or add pictures, videos, etc... I would like all the special people in Bill's life
(and visitors) to add as much as they wish!
Thanks to everyone who helps make this page a loving tribute to Bill!!
Couldn't do it without you!!*
God Bless and Thanks for coming to the site!
~Lauren
 
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*Scholarship in Bill's name*
We are friends of Mike, Thresa, Christine and Lauren Meeuwsen.
We call ourselves the “Friends of Bill”. We have been looking for
just the right way to honor Bill’s memory. Now that we have marked
the first anniversary of Bill’s death, we have found what we feel
is an appropriate and meaningful way to remember Bill’s life and
the very special person he was.
We have the Meeuwsen family’s permission to establish a scholarship
in Bill’s name at Kingwood High School. We chose Kingwood High not
only because Bill attended school there but also because Kingwood
is the community where Bill grew up, it’s where his parents live and
the people of Kingwood have been very supportive of Bill’s family.
Helping other young people follow their dreams seems to be such a
fitting way to commemorate Bill’s life. A scholarship account has
been opened at the Humble Independent School District. It is the
SGT Bill Meeuwsen Memorial Scholarship fund. Our goal is to raise
$25,000 to establish an endowment which will provide an annual scholarship
in perpetuity to a graduating senior. We are writing to invite you to join
us in our endeavor. We are confident we can reach our goal and would like
for you to be a part of it.
Checks should be made out to Humble ISD and mailed to Humble ISD, P.O. Box 2000,
Humble, TX 77347-2000, attention to Donna Boyd, Finance Dept. Please note the
name of the scholarship on the check.
Thank you,
The Friends of Bill
Dave and Diane Brosten
Tom and Mary Oaster
Jack and Marie Trykoski
Bill and Patty Teufel
Don and Amaryllis Weatherington
David and Judy Wittig
P.S. We are finding that many of our employers have “Matching Funds”
opportunities which are helping the fund grow.
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Bill's Cross, a peace offering on the day he was laid to rest.
Bill Meeuwsen
1981-2005
**See all the wonderful tributes for Bill in the
Dedication/Memorial section in the Photo Albums.**
 
"I think of a hero as someone who
understands the degree of responsibility
that comes with his freedom."
- Bob Dylan
**Courtesy of http://www.give-a-graphic.com **
Our Bill
"Your hearts will remain crowded
with those you love and who love you.
Those walking beside you.
And those walking ahead,
around the final bend,
in the foothills of Heaven. "
-Billy Sprague-
*Courtesy of http://www.untilthengraphics.com
**Made with kindness by Sherry Hartley, Thank you!!!**
 
 
Letters from Heaven
(Written by Lauren with inspiration from Bill)
I'm writing to you from Heaven, filled with love from the start;
I'm not using a pen & paper, but sending it to your heart.
I know my time on Earth was brief, but wonderful just the same;
I love you all so dearly, I hold no regrets & feel no pain.
Amazing people in my life & some good-byes were over the phone;
I was called to fight for freedom, until God welcomed me home.
Heaven is a glorious place, with wonderous lands to view;
I'm with angels of our past & we all watch over you.
God has shown me his plan, of what your futures hold;
Know that I'm always with you, as God's plan unfolds.
I'm there in the sunsets, in the brightness of the stars;
Even on the cloudier days, no distance is too far.
So if you should shed tears, I'll comfort you from above;
Send letters to your heart, filled with my unending love.
**Made by Donna Medeiros, Thank you Donna!
Check out her tribute page for her mother, Ruth.
http://ruth-hobbs.memory-of.com **
BILL'S HEROIC MEDALS
 
Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart
SGT William Meeuwsen and SSG Aram Bass
with grateful Iraqi Children.(Nov. '05)
I believe this picture to be a God intervention
...he knew these two heroes would be
entering heaven together!
 
"Always With You"
The best experience you ever had is still part of you.
The most beautiful day you have ever enjoyed still lives within your heart.
All the love you've ever known is yours in this very moment.
Though it arose from specific conditions, it's value now goes far beyond
them and continues long after those conditions have faded.
What's even better is that you can take that value and expand on it,
at any time, in any place. The love, the beauty, the experiences
you treasure can serve as the basis for even more richness.
People, places, events and things pass in and out of your life.
What you're left with is whatever you choose to keep.
And what you choose to keep, what you truly value, appreciate and treasure,
sets the stage for what will be. The more you choose to see the
good and positive aspects of each experience, the more fulfilling life will grow.
You never have to struggle to regain what you think is lost. The best is always
with you and can grow into much, much more.
--Ralph Marston
(GRAPHICS by: http://geckocountry.com/milgraphics.htm and
http://foxtrotters.tripod.com and http://www.gifs.net and
http://www.freeanimations.co.uk)
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 Tributes and Condolences |
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Happy Birthday, Bill / Jody Dunn (friend of the family )
I remember the day of your birth so well. Chrissy came to preschool to announce she had a baby brother named Billy. You were born on the same day as my Godfather so I will always remember your birthday. Thanks for making the world a...
 Continue >>
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Happy Birthday Bill / Lauren
Happy Birthday to a beautiful person whose precious memory will live on forever in my heart.
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Thoughts of you / Lauren
I've been thinking of you a lot lately...your passing always seems like yesterday when the season of fall approaches each year. I can not believe it will be three years in November; such a strange feeling. Some of the memories o...
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Memorial Day / Jody Dunn (family friend )
Yet another Memorial Day to remember my heroes, my Dad and Bill. My daughters and I talk about Bill, our hero, often and not just on Memorial Day. My granddaughter told her first grade classmates about Bill. When I take pi...
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Thank you / Sarah Roy Pringle
You visited me in my dreams last night. Oh to see your smile...I didn't want to wake up. Thank you...
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thought of you / Sarah Pringle Read >> |
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Merry Christmas William / Rhonda Rhodes Craig Sehon's Mom/Joe Rhodes's Wife (visitor) Read >> |
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You still live in my heart / Sarah Roy (Friend) Read >> |
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Happy Thanksgiving to William and his family / Rhonda Craig Sehon's Mom Joe Rhodes's Wife (visitor) Read >> |
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Happy Veteran's Day in Heaven / Lauren (<3) Read >> |
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Willamette National Cemetery / Jody Dunn (family friend ) Read >> |
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Thinking of you... / Lauren (Always loves you ) Read >> |
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Our Son / Nathan &. Celena Ohley (Friend) Read >> |
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DAILY REMINDER / Jody Dunn (family friend ) Read >> |
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Memorial Day... / Sarah Read >> |
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| His legacy |
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A Truly Loved American Hero
This site is in dedication to honor and memorialize a wonderful soldier, son, brother, husband and friend. William (Bill) Meeuwsen was loved by many; people and animals alike. His animated, caring personality touched and brightened lives. He attained the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known. He held no prejudice and treated everyone with respect and kindness. To have known Bill, is to have known his heart. He loved life and capturing it through photography. His smile and laugh were contagious; his height and humor were adored. He has changed my life and I'm a better person for knowing and loving him. He lost his life while saving lives of fellow soldiers ("his friends", as he called them) in Iraq. Bill is the true definition of a hero and his spirit remains forever in grateful hearts, colorful sunsets and happy animals.
Enjoy the site, express your thoughts and pay tribute to this tall, lovable, heroic man.
The United States House of Representative
December 8, 2005
Rep. Ted Poe [R-TX]: Mr. Speaker, the three words from the official seal of the United States Army states: "This we'll defend." Sergeant Bill Meeuwsen was a member of the Army and he died carrying out this motto, defending the United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Sergeant Bill Meeuwsen. He was truly a remarkable person. Bill was born in Mount Vernon, Washington, on February 10, 1981, and when he was 10 years old, he and his family found their way to southeast Texas and moved to Kingwood, Texas. He attended Kingwood High School, one of the finest high schools in this country, and he graduated in 1999.
He went on to Texas A&M University, and he and some of his friends enlisted in the United States Army as a result of the attacks of September 11, 2001. His father Mike said "Bill strongly believed that we all share a responsibility to serve on behalf of God and country, to protect freedoms we all cherish so deeply." It was that sense of patriotism that led him to enter the United States Army.
Bill was initially deployed with the renowned Band of Brothers to Camp Giant, near the Korean demilitarized zone in March of 2003. A year later, he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. It was there he married his wife, Lauren Lynn, on August 18, this year, 2005. She was the daughter of a Colonel who was also serving in Iraq.
Bill was then deployed to Iraq just 3 months later, in October of 2005. Two months after that, on the day before Thanksgiving this year, Sergeant Bill Meeuwsen was one of two soldiers killed in action when his unit came under direct fire near Baghdad. He was the 186th Texan killed in Iraq since the war began. One out of every ten people serving in the United States military today is from the State of Texas.
Mr. Speaker, Bill is remembered as a person who loved his friends and family. He enjoyed playing basketball with his buddies, and he had compassion for animals. When he was growing up, he used to hide animals in his home. His friends and family will never forget his friendly and ever-present smile.
He had a great sense of humor and a way of making anyone around him feel comfortable. His father, Mike, spoke of his sense of adventure and interest in exploring other countries and cultures, which he was doing by fulfilling his Army experience.
While in Iraq, Bill spoke with his wife, Lauren, and parents, Mike and Thresa frequently. In one of his most recent conversations, he was upbeat and excited about his unit's recent success in the field in Iraq. He felt strongly they were accomplishing their mission and goal, making a difference in Iraq for those people. A week before he died, he sent home this photograph of him taking a break in Iraq enjoying tea in the Iraqi custom.
Mr. Speaker, here is a photograph of Bill shortly before he was killed in active duty in Iraq. It shows this big man, this big son of America, taking a break while on duty in Iraq for his country and for the people of Iraq.
During another conversation with his mother Thresa, she was crying when she spoke with her son because Bill's platoon had recently suffered four casualties, and she was worried how he was handling this. But Bill was very clear in his response to his mother. He told his mother, "Mom, you do not need to cry for the soldiers who were killed. They are all in heaven. They were good men. They died doing what they wanted to do. Cry for their families." Wise words from one of America's sons.
His clear and matter-of-fact responses have been a tremendous source of comfort to his wife and to his parents since his death.
While Bill was stationed in Korea before he went to Iraq, he met a man named Ahn. Ahn was a sergeant in the South Korean Army. He and Bill made quick friends. They made an odd pair since Ahn was relatively short and Bill was 6 foot 4 inches tall. On numerous weekends the two of them would catch the train to Seoul, South Korea, where they explored the city, and Ahn helped Bill learn the customs of the Korean people. Bill even got to go to Ahn's parents' home.
After he learned of Bill's passage, Ahn sent a heartfelt letter in broken English to the Meeuwsen family in Texas. It reads in part: "There is an old Korean saying that `too nice and good person tends to be taken by God earlier than usual.' I strongly sure that Holy Father have special plan to brighten the heaven with Mr. Meeuwsen."
Mr. Speaker, I am sure that heaven is already brighter with Bill up there, and I would like to extend my prayers and our condolences to his parents, Mike and Thresa, to his relatives, his friends, the community of Kingwood, Texas, his wife, Lauren Lynn. Sergeant Meeuwsen touched so many lives in his 24 years. He was a freedom fighter, he was an Aggie, a son of proud parents, a member of the band of brothers, an American warrior, and an inspiration to all patriots. His patriotism and heroism and his life will not be forgotten. He paid for freedom with his life. He paid for our safety with his blood, and he paid for our future years with his youth.
When I talked to Sergeant Meeuwsen's father, Mike, about what his son believed in and his reasons for his personal involvement in Iraq, he said this: "I am here for God, country, and freedom."
Mr. Speaker, that says it all.
God bless Bill and God bless our troops and God bless America. That is just the way it is.
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| William's Photo Album |
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