Three St. Croix Valley nonprofit organizations were near and dear to Harold Meissner’s heart.

When the former president of Andersen Corp. died in November, he left nearly $7.5 million to the St. Croix Valley Foundation on behalf of those organizations: Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute-St. Croix in Stillwater, the Hudson YMCA, and Lakeview Hospital Hospice Program in Stillwater.

The Hudson YMCA plans to use the Meissner funds to “help those who otherwise could not afford YMCA programs and services,” said Chris Kost, executive director.

“We’re not going to use it for operations,” Kost said. “It’s all going to go back into the community.”

Meissner was a key player in the construction of the YMCA in 1995, Kost said, but there are no rooms named after him in the building.

“He wasn’t someone who wanted a lot of attention,” Kost said. “He was a very philanthropic individual who loved to help the community. He loved his cars, loved to play golf and loved to give back.”

Meissner died Nov. 5 at his house in Boutwells Landing in Oak Park Heights. He was 98.

Meissner, who never married or had children, worked at Andersen for 57 years. He became the company’s sixth president and vice chair in 1981 and retired in 1993 at the age of 70.

The St. Croix Valley Foundation will invest and manage the Meissner endowment funds and will provide grants from the funds annually.

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