Matthew Meester

CLICK HERE TO WATCH CELEBRATION OF LIFE LIVE STREAM

Matthew Meester, age 45 of Rock Rapids, IA died unexpectedly Sunday, May 24, 2026, at his residence in Rock Rapids.

A visitation will be held Thursday, May 28th from 4:00 to 6:00 PM, with the family present, at the Forster Community Center of Rock Rapids.

A Celebration of Life will be at 6:00 PM, Thursday, May 28th at the Forster Community Center of Rock Rapids, with Pastor Travis Remme officiating. 

People are encouraged to wear Hawkeye colors, and Nebraska fans are still welcome as well!

Memorials may be directed to the Meester family for later designation.

Matt was born in Harlan, IA to Randy and Jan Meester. The Meesters built lifelong memories growing up in Ellsworth, MN where they lived until 1994 when they moved to Rock Rapids, IA. Matt loved playing sports – wrestling, golf and especially baseball. He was also a member of the journalism team where he just LOVED being in his mother’s classroom. He graduated from Central Lyon High School in 1999.

After high school, Matt attended Iowa Central Community College and then the University of Northern Iowa, where he made several lifelong friends and memories and enjoyed cheering for the UNI Panthers and the Iowa Hawkeyes. He

graduated from UNI in 2005 with his much - coveted Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies.

After college, Matt moved to Sioux Falls, SD and worked at HSBC where he continued to leave lasting impressions with his quirk and wit. In 2012, he moved to Rock Rapids and worked for Sanford Claims and then began working at Home Warranty.

Matt loved sarcasm, movies, Pearl Jam, re-watching episodes of “The Office” for the “umpteenth” time, the Iowa Hawkeyes, and getting in the occasional (daily) Facebook debate. He also loved hanging out with and teasing his nieces and nephews who could give him grief right back. “Muncle Matt” will be greatly missed, and family gatherings will never be the same without his random trivia questions, extremely far-fetched stories, and heated Scrabble games with his brother, Tom and nephew, Tucker.

Matt was also a great dog dad to his pride and joy - a bulldog named Murdoch.

Grateful for his life are his parents, Randy and Jan Meester of Rock Rapids, IA; his brother, Tom (Rachel) Meester of Brandon, SD and their children, Tucker (11), Tatum (8) and Ronnie (8); his sister, Molly (Derek) Kreutzfeldt of Tea, SD and their children Bo (6), Maci (4), and Chloe (4 months); his aunt, Lori (Kevin) Huisman of Sioux Center, IA and three cousins, Kristin (Andrew) Stimpson, Marc (Lauren) Wermersen, and Kaitlyn (Tony) Stoker.

Preceding him in passing were his Grandpa John and Grandma Mary Poock; Grandpa Kenny and Grandma Lorraine Meester; and two beloved bulldogs – Windsor and Mavis Meester.