Attorney John Meyer calls it a career after 48 years
Herald photo by bryan zollman
John Meyer, 76, has spent 48 years as an attorney in Sauk Centre. He will officially retire Dec. 1. There will be an open house in his honor at Sassy’s Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
by Bryan Zollman
bryan@saukherald.com
Sauk Centre attorney John "Jack" Meyer has lived by the old standard that if you truly love what you do you will never work a day in your life.But even all great things come to an end as Meyer will retire Dec. 1 after 48 years as a local attorney on Main Street. An open house will be held this Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. at Sassy's Under the Palms Restaurant to celebrate Meyer's career and retirement.Meyer, 76, came to Sauk Centre in 1958 as a 28-year-old directly out of law school. He passed the bar that summer and by August had planted his feet in Sauk Centre. A Melrose native who comes from a family of attorneys (brothers Bill and Mark still have offices in Melrose), Meyer was working as a claims representative for an automobile insurance company in St. Paul while he attended the St. Paul College of Law, now known as William Mitchell College of Law.Meyer said he came to Sauk Centre because he wanted to get out of the metro area. He opened an office in the Otto Building that is now occupied by the 1st State Bank parking lot. When he first opened Meyer still lived with his parents in Melrose. During the fall hunting season instead of taking Highway 52 home, he would often drive the back roads around McCormick Lake and many times would bring home a pheasant or two for dinner.In early 1959 he took over the Laurel Kells law office which was located above 1st State Bank, presently where Legend Insurance is located. He would later serve as Sauk Centre's city attorney for more than 20 years. During his career he served in several capacities in area organizations and commissions. He served as a member of the Sauk Centre Rotary Club for 40 years, including as president. He was secretary of Sauk Centre Industries for eight years and was a board member for 10, during which time he played an active role in recruiting Wiman Manufacturing to locate in Sauk Centre, which created 250 jobs. He also helped encourage Wisconsin Feeder Pig Marketing Cooperative to locate in Sauk Centre. Meyer was also a member of the Sauk Centre Planning Commission for 10 years, and was a charter member of the Sauk Centre Nursing Home Advisory Committee. He assisted in the organizing of Holy Family Parochial School Corporation and was a school board member for three years. An avid golfer, Meyer also served on the board of directors at the Sauk Centre Country Club for six years, two as president. An avid hunter as well, he was a member of the citizens advisory board for the Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Committee and a member of the Sauk Centre Conservation Club for 30 years.Meyer still loves to hunt as trophy kills adorn the walls of his office. He said he has been hunting moose in Canada for the past 43 years and has shot well over 40.During the past three or four years Meyer has taken on a lighter work load, and said he hasn't worked much this past year. He spends his winters in Arizona with his wife JoAnn. The couple has three grown children.Meyer comes from a family of eight, all of whom attended college. He said he is proud that his three children also have gone on to successful careers.He remembered the early days of his practice when he was so active in the community."When our kids were small I'd be gone every night," he said. "But that is how you build a practice."Meyer said having an established law practice in a small town is difficult, especially when you are 45 miles from the county courthouse. Over the years he didn't specialize in one area of law, but instead dabbled in several areas."You get to know a little bit about a lot of phases of law," he said, "but you don't become an expert on any of them."Meyer said he will miss the people he has associated with for the past 48 years and is glad that 48 years ago, he decided on Sauk Centre as a place to work and live. When he bought his house on Sauk Lake in 1960, it was the most expensive house ever sold in town to date. The price was $22,000."Sauk Centre has been very good to me and my family," he said. "And I think we've done some good for Sauk Centre, too."
