Reverend Theodore “Pastor Ted” Meter, beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and friend passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 2, 2023, at 88 years of age. His funeral service will be held at 10:30am on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at Zion Evangelical Church in Scottsbluff with Pastor Andy Griess officiating. Services will be livestreamed on Bridgman Funeral Home Facebook Page. Interment will follow at Bayard Cemetery in Bayard, Nebraska at 2pm. Visitation will be on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at Bridgman Funeral Home in Scottsbluff, Nebraska from 4-7pm. It is respectfully requested that in lieu of flowers, memorials in dad’s honor be made in care of the family to be designated later. Online condolences may be made by viewing dad’s memorial page at www.bridgmanfuneralhome.com. Bridgman Funeral Home in Scottsbluff is entrusted with arrangements.
Dad was born on August 15, 1934, to Henry Meter and Lena Roth Meter in Minatare, Nebraska. He was raised along with his four brothers and seven sisters on the family’s farm near Minatare. Upon his high school graduation, he married the love of his life, Elizabeth Louise (Betty Lou) Speer on October 4, 1954. They began their life together farming the fertile ground northeast of Minatare growing corn, sugar beets, beans and alfalfa.
While out on his tractor one day, dad received his calling from the Lord to become a minister of the Gospel. On a cold January day in 1968, they sold all the farming equipment, packed up the kids and headed for Portland, Oregon so dad could attend Multnomah School of the Bible from which he graduated in 1971.
Over the span of his 48-year career, the Lord led dad to minister in the following churches: Ebenezer Congregational Church – Paul, Idaho; St. Paul’s Congregational Church – Greeley, Colorado; Hope Congregational Church – Elgin, North Dakota; Hope Congregational Church – Burlington, Colorado; and Hope Congregational Church – Bayard, Nebraska
When not participating in church activities, dad loved to spend time with his family. He particularly enjoyed fishing, woodworking, gardening, auto mechanics and the occasional pheasant hunt. He was a big fan of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and could fix or build just about anything he set his mind upon. He was truly a remarkable man. He shall be greatly missed.
Dad is survived by his three children – Lynette (husband Randy), Steve (wife Lori), and Scott (wife Lisa), three sisters (Pauline Langhofer, Betty Rupp and Darlene Robertus) and three brothers (Robert, Henry and Richard), brother-in-law Jerry Rupp and many, many nieces and nephews. He was a proud grandfather of eight and great-grandfather of thirteen. He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife and five siblings (Reiny Meter, Marie Miller, Elsie Harimon, Lydia Bangert and Minnie Carter), four sisters-in-law (Ruth Meter, Emma Meter, Evelin Meter, Fran Meter) six brothers-in-law (George Miller, George Harimon, Fred Bangert, Wes Carter, Bob Langhofer, Roby Robertus)
The family wishes to extend their sincere gratitude to the social workers, nurses, and caregivers of Heritage Estates in Gering Nebraska for making dad’s final months so comfortable.