November 2025
Reverend Bruce W. Meissner, age 89, of Algonquin, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday evening, November 15, 2025.
Born on March 13, 1936, in East Chicago, Indiana, Pastor Meissner was one of three sons born to the late Edward C., Jr., and Lois E. (née White) Meissner. Thanks be to God for his faithful Christian parents, who understood the importance of Holy Baptism.
Christ claimed Pastor Meissner as His own through the waters of baptism and later confirmed his faith in the Triune God- publicly confessing the hope and truth that would shape his entire life and ministry. Pastor Meissner was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in East Chicago, Indiana, his home congregation.
Answering the Lord’s call to pastoral ministry, Pastor Meissner attended Concordia Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, earning his Master of Divinity degree on December 31, 1963. With unwavering trust in God’s promises, he spent 62 blessed years proclaiming Christ with conviction, compassion, and pastoral tenderness.
Following his vicarage at Apostles Lutheran Church in Franklin Park, Illinois (1961–1962), he was ordained on June 9, 1963, after completing his studies at Concordia Seminary. His early years in ministry were spent serving the saints at Calvary Lutheran Church in Council Grove, Kansas, and Grace Lutheran Church in Strong City, Kansas (1963–1971). In 1971, he accepted a call to Faith Lutheran Church in Barrington Hills, Illinois, where he faithfully shepherded the congregation for more than three decades. His pastoral work continued at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Dundee, Illinois, beginning on October 12, 2002, and continuing until God called him to his eternal home on November 15, 2025.
Beyond his parish work, Pastor Meissner also served the Northern Illinois District with humble dedication as the North Region Secretary and as Pastoral Advisor to the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League.
On August 26, 1961, Bruce entered the Holy Estate of Matrimony with Dorcas Marie Knoblauch at Suburban Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Lord blessed their union for 59 years, until He lovingly called Dorcas to her eternal rest on January 31, 2021. Their marriage was a beautiful testimony of Christian devotion, mutual service, and the steadfast love of Christ.
Pastor Meissner is survived by the three children the Lord entrusted to him and Dorcas: Bruce Carl (Ellen) Meissner, Lois (Kile) Williams, and Tim (Barbara) Meissner. He is lovingly remembered by his grandchildren, Ali (Zahari) Atanassov and Samantha Meissner, and his great-grandson, Hudson, all cherished blessings in his life. He is also survived by members of Dorcas’s extended family, several nieces and nephews, many brother pastors and church workers throughout the Northern Illinois District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and countless dear friends in Christ.
With joyful confidence in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting, Pastor Meissner now joins his parents, his beloved wife Dorcas, and his brothers William and Edward, all of whom entered the glory of Heaven before him. We give heartfelt thanks to God for Pastor Meissner’s decades of faithful service, his gentle heart, and his lifelong proclamation of Christ crucified and risen.
Pastor Meissner’s visitation will be held at Immanuel Lutheran Church (310 E. Main Street, East Dundee, Illinois 60118) on Sunday afternoon, November 23, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the Funeral Service at 4:00 p.m. Rev. William P. Yonker, Senior Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran will officiate. Attending pastors are invited to wear white robes with red stoles. Family and friends will gather at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, November 24, 2025, at the Dundee Township East Cemetery (420 Dundee Ave, East Dundee, IL 60118) for Pastor Meissner’s committal and burial.
Please omit flowers. Memorials may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church or to the Immanuel Lutheran School Scholarship Fund.
“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord… that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.” — Revelation 14:13
Miller Funeral Home in West Dundee is assisting the family with arrangements. For online condolences, please visit www.millerfuneralhomedundee.com. For additional information, please call 847-426-3436