11/27/2025
Horse people are a spread out group. And we tend to be a helpful bunch and appreciate the help of our spouses, siblings, cousins and friends, who while not firmly entrenched in the passion for horses, still help out a lot. We've all applauded horse show moms and dads, or the occasional aunt or uncle that was dragged into service.
However, we often miss giving credit to the non-horse people, who provide the bulk of our support. They may not ever understand our passion for horses, but they love us and help keep us going. My mom, Carol, was not only a horse lover, but an avid competitor, who helped me reach my dreams that culminated in the farm I run today. Perry's mother, Gloria, was not entrenched in the horse world, despite being a farm girl as a child, but without her we would not have been able to accomplish as much as we have, nor dealt with hardships that diminished with her as a solid support system. If my mother, Carol, was the progenitor of this program, then Gloria was the rock that held it steady.
So it is with a very heavy heart that I am posting the passing of my mother in law, Gloria Meisenbach. She was an amazing person, the best mother in law and grandmother you could ever ask for.
Gloria Maxine Ballard Meisenbach was born on June 12th, 1926, in Texas, her father, Hugh, was 36, and her mother, Sallie, was 29. Sadly both parents had passed by the time she was 14 years old.
She married Robert Meisenbach on September 20, 1948, in Harris, Texas. They had twin boys, Perry and Rollin, during their marriage. She had one half brother, Thomas Rodgers and one sister, Johnie Sue Ballard Bright. She was a step-mother to Robert's son from his first marriage, Bobby Meisenbach.
On June 26th, 1992 Gloria was formally appointed as the first woman, and so far ONLY, mayor of Whitewright, Texas. She successfully ran a Ford Dealership after the death of her husband and was very active with the Whitewright Presbyterian Church. She helped build up the Whitewright Library and worked with many community organizations. A lifelong Texan, she has a profound knowledge of the history of her home state. She was an amazing mother, savage bridge player and a true Christian. She will be missed by her sons, Perry and Rollin Meisenbach, step-son Bobby Meisenbach, grandchild Bron Stark and daughter in law Tracy Meisenbach, as well as all who knew and loved her.
Trinity Appaloosa Farms stands as a testament to her common sense, intelligence, moral code and grace. Rest in Peace Gloria.
