Michael A. Meseberg

Longtime Grant County resident Michael (Mike) Meseberg, 71, passed away due to complications of his four-year battle with multiple myeloma. 

Mike was born in Miles City, Mont., to Rodney and Alice LaVonne (Anderson) Meseberg on March 13, 1952. The family moved to Seattle when Mike was just 1 week old. He used to quip that he didn’t like Miles City so he hopped a train with his mom and 11-month-old brother, Dave. Mike’s mom carefully put Mike in a basket for the trip. Mike’s first brush with mortality was when the porter, mistaking the basket for a picnic, tossed Mike, basket and all, off the train. Thankfully, another porter caught it, baby Mike intact. They joined their father in Seattle (Des Moines) where Rod had started a job at Boeing. 

Mike had an idyllic youth in the neighborhood, excelled at sports and school and had lots of friends. He graduated from Mount Rainier High School in 1970 with letters from numerous sports but excelled in baseball. In fact, the Des Moines 100 Years History has a section on Mike and named him a local hometown hero for his performance in the 1970 City-State All-Star Game where he won the best hitter award. After being drafted by the Pittsburg Pirates, he opted for education but continued playing baseball at YVC in Yakima and LCSC in Lewiston, Idaho, where he earned his bachelor's degree. This is where he met his wife-to-be, Marilyn Schacher Meseberg. 

Mike and Marilyn married in Grangeville, Idaho, on Flag Day, June 14, 1975. His parents (not realizing that it was Flag Day) thought Marilyn was very important when they drove into town and saw all the flags displayed. Mike and Marilyn moved to MarDon Resort the next week and never looking back, dug into working and building the resort into a beautiful RV park destination. Mike and Marilyn were married for 48 years.

Mike reported daily for his stint in the MarDon Tackle Shop with his goal to teach as many people as possible how to have fun at the resort and on the lake. He made it his business to help his customers catch a fish or bag a duck. He was always very chatty and talked most people out the door. He loved people and he loved his 44 years managing the store and the resort.

Son Michael Levi was born in 1979 and daughter Melannie Alice (Annie) was born in 1984, making for a perfect little family. Mike had a few passions, one of them naturally being baseball. So as soon as Levi and Annie were old enough to play, he dove into a plan to raise money to help with after-school activities and better sports fields for the youth of the Royal School District. Along with a few other folks, the Royal Youth Boosters was created along with a hunting program that provided access to hunters for bird hunting. The Boosters are still an active group and have partnered with the school to enhance their after-school programs. Mike was always proud of his time with the Boosters and made many lifelong friends.

During his time at MarDon Resort, Mike volunteered for over 20 years on the Waterfowl Art Committee for Washington state. This program used dedicated funds from the sale of Duck Stamps to enhance wetland habitat. He also volunteered for the Waterfowl Advisory Group (WAG) and the Inland Fish Advisory Committee (INFAG) all for the WDFW. Mike was always a champion for warmwater species, something he learned from his father and his years of fishing at Potholes. 

All this experience was put to good use as Mike began to fulfill his dream of making fishing on Potholes Reservoir better, even world-class. The 50-year-old lake had lost all its habitat and with it, the nursery stock (perch, crappie, bluegill). The fishing had become difficult with 90% of the fish being caught by 10% of the fishers. He had heard about a rehab project going on at Lake Havasu, so Mike traveled there several times. During his visits, he became best friends with the project’s organizers and came home with a plan. He partnered with Glenn Grette and between the two of them, they accomplished a near-impossible feat. They secured a 20-year permit to build and plant fish habitats on Potholes Reservoir. His dad’s nonprofit, the Central Washington Fish Advisory Committee was lying dormant. Mike dusted it off, revamped its usage and started fundraising. This was in June 2005. The project has been very successful and now beginner fishers can catch fish. The walleye and bass, which were getting a little stressed, are now in very good shape. 

Mike leaves behind his wife, Marilyn; son Levi (Kellee Brown); daughter Annie (Brad Gleich); grandchildren: Levi and Kellee’s children Mason (13), Lillee (11) and Hawkins (7), and Annie and Brad’s children Brenna (20), Brodie (15), Sydney (9) and Blake (7). Mike is also survived by his brother, Dave (Debbie Daniels), and numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom he loved very much. Preceding Mike in death are his parents, Rodney and Alice LaVonne (Anderson) Meseberg, and uncles John Anderson, Royal Meseberg and Harley Meseberg.

Mike never met a stranger and always described everyone as “The nicest guy/lady/kid you will ever meet,” but truth be told, Mike was the nicest guy you would ever meet. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, friend and business owner who will be missed by so many. 

We will celebrate his life at MarDon Resort on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, at noon followed by a luncheon. Dress is business casual or mismatched camo, whatever is best. Please wear warm footwear as we will be in a large, heated tent on grass, and it is January!

In lieu of flowers, Mike’s request was to continue his important work on the fish habitat for Potholes Reservoir. Please donate to PayPal.me/cwfac. For more information please visit www.cwfac.org

Please express your thoughts and memories for the family at www.kayserschapel.com. Arrangements are under the care of Kayser's Chapel of Memories.