Maimo Meisner Served Red Cross for 29 Years

Maimo Meisner, a resident of Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Oak Bluffs, died Nov. 5. She was 88 years old.

Maimo was born in the small European country of Estonia, on the Baltic Sea, when it was still part of the Russian Empire. She was raised and educated in Estonia during its years as an independent republic. She was the widow of Eerik Meisner, an officer in the Estonian Navy, whom she lost to the war. She never remarried.

In 1944 she was forced to flee her homeland in the face of the advancing Soviet army. Together with her mother and infant son, she became a war refugee in occupied Germany. With her excellent command of English, she was employed by the U.S. Army and then by the International Refugee Organization. After several years in displaced persons camps, the small family was permitted to emigrate to the United States. Maimo spoke fondly of her first welcome to her adopted country when the customs officer waved her through saying, "You look like an honest person!"

Maimo's burden of caring for her family was lessened by the loving sponsorship and care provided by Colonel Milton and Gladys Mapes of New Haven, Conn.; Gordon and Elizabeth Clark of Woodbridge, and the Rev. John Magee and his wife, Faith, recently returned from missionary service in China. These early contacts ripened into lifetime friendships, and were remembered with affection and gratitude by Maimo and her family always.

After some early secretarial positions, Maimo had a 29-year career with the New Haven chapter of the American Red Cross; she retired in 1981. She was the executive secretary and then administrative assistant to a succession of directors of the chapter, several of whom remained lifelong friends. Her work placed her in the forefront of disaster relief operations for the chapter, including all the regions floods, fires and hurricanes of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

Maimo had a green thumb and loved gardening, both indoors and out. She was trained in the Japanese art of bonsai and exhibited her creations at regional shows. She was also an orchid fancier, and her close friend and noted orchid developer, the late William Hull, gave her name to a new variety for which he received recognition from the American Orchid Society: Dendrobium delicatum Maimo.

Maimo's avocations included a zest for travel and adventure which took her skiing in Alaska and hiking in the Swiss Alps, the rainforests of Australia, the American West and Central America.

After retirement, Maimo settled on Martha's Vineyard. She was a volunteer at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and worked from time to time at her daughter in law's bookshop, Book Den East. She was also employed for a season or two at the Edgartown confection shop Chocolate Barn, to the delight of her two grandsons, Eerik and Ian, who were frequent visitors.

She is survived by Ivo and Cynthia Meisner, Eerik and Dee Meisner, Ian Meisner and Erin and Michael Burnett.

In honor of the tender care Maimo received at Windemere, remembrances may be directed to the Resident Council Fund, Windemere Nursing Center, P.O. Box 1747, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home on the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road in Oak Bluffs. Visit www.ccgfuneralhome.com for online guest book and information.