Lauren Boger Meiswinkel

Lauren Boger Meiswinkel husband of Carol Krebs Meiswinkel died December 20, 2024.

Born and raised in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Lauren was the son of the late Joseph W. and Edythe Boger Meiswinkel.

Lauren attended Pottsville High where be played varsity football. His senior year team had ten wins, one loss and a tie. He graduated in the class of 1949.  During high school, Lauren captained a YMCA basketball team – the Archers – which won the league title 1946-1949.  Lauren held a league record of 49 points in one game.  After a two-year employment at Bohoards Men’s Store, Pottsville, Lauren enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving from 1951-1955, during the Korean War, aboard the USS Carter Hall LSD 3.  His late brother, William, after recommissioning the USS Wisconsin in 1950, for a tour of duty to Korea, came aboard Lauren’s ship for four months to finish his reserve responsibility. Among his shipboard highlights was the filming of a World War Two film “Battle Cry” off the coast of Cuba in1952.  More than 300 marines left the ship to make amphibious landings on a “Pacific” island.  Another “highlight” was a trip to Thule Greenland, 500 miles from the North Pole. After a work party on shore, Lauren and a few shipmates missed the last “launch”. A special boat took them back to the ship!  As an “M” Division machinist mate, Lauren worked in the port engine room and port pump room.  In 1955, the ship left the east coast through the Panama Canal, where Lauren was discharged in San Diego.

In 1955 Lauren enrolled at the Penn State University campus in Pottsville.  After transferring to the main campus in State College in 1957, he completed his major in business management in 1959.  While on campus (1957-1959) he became a member of the Acacia Fraternity. A group from the fraternity has held annual New Year’s Eve reunions for fifty years at the home of Charles and Susan King.  While on the main campus, Lauren was an officer with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and active in the Wesley Foundation.  It was during his senior year that Lauren “felt” the call to ministry. During 1957-1959, Lauren preached several sermons at the Milesburg Presbyterian Church.  On Sundays, he led a group from the “house” to the large Methodist church to hear Senior Pastor, Dr. Nelson Frank.  After graduation, Lauren served as assistant to the minister at the Pottsville Methodist Church under Rev. James M. Haney & Rev. Kenneth Boohar.  In the fall of 1959, he enrolled at Drew Theological School, graduating in 1963 with a BD (MA).   During his time at Drew, Lauren served as pastor of the Port Carbon Methodist Church (1960-1963). From 1963-1966 he was pastor of St. Paul’s in Geigertown and Harmony in Johanna. Both churches underwent building programs during his tenure. The Geigertown church tripled its size. Immediately after Lauren’s tenure, both churches were able to sustain their own pastors. 

During the years 1964-1968, Lauren completed two master’s degrees at Temple University, one in Religion (1966) and one in Rhetoric and Public Address (1968).

In 1966, Lauren became pastor of the Cochranville Methodist Church.  In 1967 he accepted a position as assistant professor of Speech at West Chester State College.  He completed PhD course work at Penn State (1968-1970) and then enrolled in a Doctor of Ministry at Drew Theological Seminary completing the degree in 1975.  During his tenure, he developed a course; Business and Professional Speech. He wrote a classroom text: Communication Skills For Ethical Leadership Development.  During the years 1980-1989, Dr Meiswinkel developed eight Ethics Forums, based on his sabbatical research (1981).   During the sabbatical, and in subsequent years, Meiswinkel interviewed more than 75 prominent leaders in the four fields - including Stephen Muller, President, Johns Hopkins University; Irving Shapiro, Chairman, Du Pont; Senator Hugh Scott; and actor Jack Palance. (Lauren interviewed 11 of the 14 State College Presidents)  Prominent persons from the above four areas, education, business, government and entertainment, were invited to give “Ethical Leadership” lectures at West Chester University. Lauren was also a charter member of the honorary forensic fraternity Pi Kappa Delta. Dr. Meiswinkel retired from West Chester University in 1990.       

From 1970-1975 Lauren served, as an educational consultant at the West Chester United Methodist Church, at the invitation of Senior Pastor, Dr. Harold Flood.  He was a volunteer Pastor of Visitation from 1998, having accepted a call from Dr. John Schol, to visit the senior members of the church.

In 1971, Lauren married Carol and her two daughters, Lori and Elaine. In 1975, Lauren and Carol founded a nonprofit retreat ministry – Laurel of the Cove.   With the help of a Coatesville Vocational instructor, Charles Weaver (a summer school student in Dr. Meiswinkel’s class at the College), they built the first phase of the retreat structure, which houses the center.  Groups began attending Laurel, near Hazleton, PA in 1979.  In 1986 a new wing was added to the Laurel facility and a third unit was added in 1990.  More than 75 churches and groups have used the non-denominational Laurel facility.

In the summer of 1986, Dr. Walter Hipple, Professor of Philosophy, and his wife Kay, Dr. Meiswinkel and his wife, Carol, lectured at a Russian Foreign Language Institute in Luoyang.  Thus began a series of six trips to China, where Lauren lectured to some 22 colleges, universities, and foreign language institutes (1986-1992).   Both Lauren and Carol were on the campus of Peking University during the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989 – and were fortunate enough to get the last two seats on a plane to Hong Kong.   Interviews of their experience were held in Beijing, Hong Kong, and upon their return home.  In 1992, Lauren and Carol led a group of 16 Chester County Lions Club members to China using Bon Vivant Travel.

Lauren and Carol’s daughter Elaine, now engaged to John Doulis, gave them their first grandchild, Jessica (b. 1986). Their other daughter, Lori, and husband David Williams gave them two more grandchildren, Amanda (b. 1995) and Joshua (b. 1998).  Two great-grandsons, Charles (b. 2010) and Cody (b. 2011) were born to Jessica and Tom Moore.  

Lauren was an avid tennis player, playing in 11 state and 5 national senior tennis events as well as county games. He also played in the Downingtown Kerr Park Senior League.

Lauren served as past president and Chaplain of the West Chester Lions Club and District Chaplain to five district governors.  He had received the Melvin Jones award by District Gov. Charles Lobb for his service to District Lionism. He was also the recipient of several International Presidents awards for his service to Lionism. He and his wife, Lion Carol developed a West Chester Bicentennial afghan, as a fund raiser for the West Chester Lions and other clubs and service agencies. The project raised more than $33,000 for the afghan sponsors (Rotary, Leos, Business & Professional Women, American Legion, West Chester Fire Company, Elks, New Century Club, Exchange Club, Optimists and Moose.

Lauren was also Chaplain of Post # 134, American Legion, of West Chester.  He also served as Chaplain of the USS Carter Hall LSD 3 for the annual reunions of his former ship.  He has received honors from the Chapel of the Four Chaplains and many Voice of Democracy awards for judging Veterans of Foreign War speech contests for 20 years.  He served as visitation pastor at the West Chester United Methodist Church for more than 12 years, visiting in the hospitals with his wife, Carol, attending the homebound.  An annual West Chester UMC event was Lauren’s organization of a “Recognizing Fifty-Year Members” service. The West Chester Church has more than 95 members who have attended that specific church fifty or more consecutive years.      

In 1986, Lauren and Carol began a slideshow ministry of their world travels to retirement area assisted living homes, and nursing facilities.  They compiled some 70 programs on their travels to China, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Europe, Great Britain, Baltic and Mediterranean countries, Mexico, the Caribbean etc.  They also traveled extensively in the U.S. from Maine to California. 

His older brother William and younger sister Marian preceded him in death.

A private service and burial will be held at the Geigertown United Methodist Church, Geigertown, PA.

A service of Celebration and Praise will be held at the West Chester United Methodist Church 129 S High St, West Chester, PA 19382 on January 11, 2025. Visitation 10-11am followed by a service at 11am 

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the West Chester United Methodist Church for discretionary use at the above address.

Arrangements by DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. West Chester, PA 610-696-1181, www.DellaFH.com