Josie Meekins, born August 18, 1931, was a wife to James Meekins, mom to two children, sister, aunt, grandmother, and great grandmother and beloved my all who had the pleasure of knowing her.

At the young age of eighteen years old, she made the courageous decision of leaving all that was familiar and journey to New York City to build a new life for herself. She settled on a profession as a secretary within a major bank until her retirement.

A well-loved Missionary always helping others in need, Josie was diagnosed with a rare form of Dementia & early onset Alzheimer's at the age of 71. Within a few short years of her diagnosis, her disease had progressed to the point of needing constant supervision and care. Frustration and disappointment were met at every corner in the quest for affordable, quality care. 

It was during that time that the seed was planted within her family to begin formulating the idea of a foundation that would provide help to households dealing with the extreme costs of caregiving for their loved one with this debilitating diagnosis. Together, the vision was brought to life and the Josie L. Meekins Foundation was born.