Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: United Methodist
• Education: B.S., New Mexico A&M University, 1949
• Education: M.S., Utah State University, 1950
• Occupation: Boat and Marine Engine Dealer
• Occupation: Engineer
• Occupation: Pecan Grower
• Military: SGT US Army Air Forces - World War II Stuart enlisted on 10 Mar 1944 and entered active service on 7 Apr 1944. He separated from service on 3 Jul 1946.
• Census: 15 Apr 1930, Mesilla Park, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA
• Residence: 1 Apr 1935, Doña Ana County, New Mexico, USA
• Census: 19 Apr 1940, Doña Ana County, New Mexico, USA
• Residence: 31 Jul 1976, Las Cruces, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA
• Residence: 21 Dec 1976, Las Cruces, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA
• Residence: 23 Feb 1985, Las Cruces, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA
• Residence: 17 Aug 2004, Las Cruces, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA
• Residence: 21 Apr 2008, Las Cruces, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA

Notes:

“Stuart’s family moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico, as a small child where he attended school before graduating from New Mexico State Univeristy in 1949 with a degree in Agricultural Engineering. While in college he lettered in basketball and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. In 1950, Stuart received a master’s degree in engineering from Utah State University. After college, Stuart worked for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Smith Machine Company of Texas. He purchased the Las Cruces branch of that company and renamed it Butte Pump Company. He operated the business until selling it in 1960. In 1968, Stuart founded Jornada Water Company, which was a private water utility which he sold in 1982. Stuart became Doña Ana County Roads Superintendent in 1964. He is a former chairman of the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission. From 1968 until 1989 Stuart owned Desert Drydoc, a boat and marine engine dealership. He also operated a 35-acre pecan orchard in Mesilla Valley, New Mexico, which was started by his parents. He retired in 1999. Stuart is a 35-year member and past board member of NMSU Aggie Sports Association and served on the University’s Hall of Fame Selection Committee. In 1998 Stuart was appointed to the Citizens Bank Board of Councilors.”

“In March 1944, while a freshman at New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, Stuart enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces and served as an electrical technician on the C-46 Commando, a twin-engine military transport, in the China-Burma-India theater of World War II. Sgt. Meerscheidt was honorably discharged in July 1946, and used his G.I. Bill benefits to earn a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering at New Mexico A&M and a master's degree in engineering at Utah State University… Stuart, who played varsity basketball at New Mexico A&M from 1947 to 1949, and Betsy were lifelong Aggie fans and supporters, and were fixtures at hundreds of Aggie basketball, football and baseball games for more than a half century. Betsy could usually be seen waving her Aggie flag and a red pair of bloomers at nearly every Aggie game. Besides being longtime donors to Aggie athletics, the couple sponsored the hydrotherapy pool in the Stan Fulton Center at Aggie Memorial Stadium in 2008, and established the Stuart and Betsy Meerscheidt Athletic Training Education Program Endowed Scholarship Fund for NMSU athletics students. More recently, they established the Stuart and Betty Meerscheidt Family Rentfrow Fund in the NMSU Department of Kinesiology and Dance. Stuart was inducted into the NMSU Athletic Hall of Fame on March 7, 2015. While raising his daughters, Stuart raced mini-stock cars at Mesilla Valley Speedway and tunnel-hull boats throughout the Southwest, enlisting his girls as his pit crew. Racing was always a family affair with the Meerscheidts, as were fishing trips to Mexico, weekends at Elephant Butte Lake, elk hunting in the Gila Wilderness and many other adventures. He was active with the Las Cruces chapter of China-Burma-India veterans and other veterans organizations.”

Birth:
at 9:10 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital

Residence:
Precinct 5

Census:
Precinct 5

Stuart married Betty Jean LOOMIS on 19 Nov 1951 in Las Cruces, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA. Betty (daughter of William Jay LOOMIS and Lorraine STONE) was born on 8 Sep 1932 in San Diego, San Diego, California, USA; died on 17 Aug 2004 in Las Cruces, Doña Ana, New Mexico, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]