Arizona Obituary Archive

Search      Post Obituary


Jean R. (Ransberger) Meersman

Posted 2022-11-18 by mhenderson
Published by The Miner on Nov. 17, 2022 -
Kingman, Arizona -

Jean R. (Ransberger) Meersman, 63, of Kingman, Arizona, passed away
peacefully on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, with her family by her side.

Born on Oct. 21, 1959, in Danville, Illinois, she was the daughter of
the late Daniel D. Ransberger and Joan M. (Phillips) Ransberger of
Kingman, Arizona, who she felt fortunate to live near at every stage of
life.

Jean was the loving wife of her high school sweetheart and lifelong
partner, Michael Meersman, sharing over 44 years of marriage. Jean is
the mother of two sons: Daniel L. Meersman, husband of Carrie (Stolt)
Meersman of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, and Jason P. Meersman,
husband of Lara (Haskins) Meersman of Fairfield, Connecticut.

In addition to them, Jean is survived by four grandchildren (Eliza
Meersman, 14, Ethan Meersman, 12, Malin Meersman, 10, and Luella
Meersman, 8), her sister, Jane Sloan of Bullhead City, Arizona, who she
was especially close with, her brother, Joe Ransberger of Fort
Lauderdale, Forida, and many loving nieces and nephews.

Jean lived her first 32 years in northern Indiana where she attended
Marian High School and became a hard-working young mother who led by
example. She instilled these values in her children having fun mentoring
them during their pre-teen newspaper routes and neighborhood snow-
shoveling businesses.

Upon moving to southwest Michigan, Jean supported her family in their
love for golf. She savored the quality time that car rides between
junior golf tournaments afforded her with her children and their
friends. She frequently served as a willing host to neighborhood pool
parties, which often required her to referee “friendly” teenage water
basketball games. During her time in Michigan, she was a loyal friend,
and maintained lifelong friendships with “The Gang,” her “Ya Ya’s,” and
her brother-in-law, the late Pat Meersman.

Amazingly, Jean committed herself to becoming a teacher at age 37,
graduating from Western Michigan University Summa Cum Laude in 1996,
while simultaneously raising two teenagers. Later, in 2007, Mike and
Jean moved to Kingman, Arizona, where she continued her teaching career.
She was a dedicated and caring high school educator who always held a
special place in her heart for students who she felt were dealt a
difficult hand in life.

She taught Career Technical Education (CTE) in Business Technology,
Accounting, and Economics for three different school districts (Climax-
Scotts, Michigan; Portage Central, Michigan; and Kingman High School in
Arizona. While Jean’s peers awarded her Teacher/Educator of the Year
honors four separate times, she leaves a legacy in every student she
taught and colleague she encouraged.

Throughout life, Jean had a passion for enjoying the outdoors with
friends and family. Whether it was building early family vacations
around the national parks, exploring recent regional hikes that Mike
helped develop for the City of Kingman, or daily dog walks with friends
and family, Jean always relished in life’s simple pleasures of sunrise
mountain views, Western sunsets, or discovering new locations.

Jean glowed in her latest role as “Gigi.” Any available free time was
spent visiting the East Coast to visit her beloved grandchildren. She
excelled in spoiling them with attention and laughter, and will,
forever, “Love them a million times!”

Jean’s wish was to not have a funeral. In that spirit, services will be
private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Jean’s name to
the Kingman Regional Medical Center Foundation. Checks can be made
payable to KRMC Foundation and mailed to Kingman Regional Medical
Center, Attn: KRMC Foundation, 3269 Stockton Hill Rd. Kingman, AZ 86401.
For direct payment, please call Ben McGlothlin, Sr., public relations
specialist, at 928-263-3873.





Note: These obituaries are transcribed as published and are submitted by volunteers who have no connection to the families. They do not write the obituaries and have no further information other than what is posted within the obituaries. We do not do personal research. For this you would have to find a volunteer who does this or hire a professional researcher.

Questions About This Project?