Dawn Meng

Dawn Marie Cass Meng was born on August 6, 1965 and passed away on December 26, 2021. Dawn is survived by her husband Mark Emerson Meng, her mother Sylvia Anne Cass, her sister Diana Lynn Marsh with her sons John and Vincent, and her brother Scott Douglas Cass with his wife Jodi and daughter Allison. Dawn was born to Gregg Forest and Sylvia Anne Cass in Capitola, California. It was not an easy birth. Dawn was born with multiple birth defects that forced her father and mother to make life decisions. They chose to fight for her life and what a wonderful life it turned out to be. After living in Capitola for 10 years, the family moved to southern California in the city of Walnut. There she attended Suzanne Middle School and Walnut High School. She made many friends because of her involvement in Girl Scouts, in cross country, and in track and field. Because of the physical limitations Dawn struggled with, she had to work harder than her peers, and she thrived. Dawn went on to attend Cal Poly Pomona University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree. She then received a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Counseling and a Master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling from Trinity School of Graduate Studies. Later in life she received her Doctorate of Ministry degree from Antioch International Bible College. Dawn married Mark Emerson Meng in February 1990. Together they graduated in 1991 from Ministers Training Institute in Baker, Louisiana, and moved to Japan that year. Dawn and Mark founded a home church and led several to Christ. They also opened their home to pregnant unmarried women who desired to keep their babies. After the Kobe Japan earthquake in 1995, Dawn spent hours each day traveling in order to serve the Japanese in trauma counseling. They returned home after four years. In 2003, Dawn and her husband took over a Vineyard church in Zachary, Louisiana, and pastored it for four years after which they turned it over to another couple. They moved their church involvement to the Baton Rouge Vineyard Church where they have been since. Years later, in December 2018, after the death of her father Gregg, Dawn made the tough decision to leave Mark to move to Copperopolis, California, to help take care of her ailing mother with dementia until the summer of 2019. During that time, Dawn took up golfing after falling in love with the hobby in Copperopolis. She loved golf as much as her dad and he would have been proud. Dawn volunteered at several local entities, specifically Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge. With Mark her husband, who had just retired last December 15, Dawn planned on spending her days playing golf together and traveling together in their camper. Dawn was a child of God. Dawn had the gift of giving and continually gave to others throughout her life. Her ambition was to give her life away in ministry to others. She will be missed beyond words by all who knew her. Family and friends are invited to join in a celebration of Dawn’s life on Saturday, January 8, at Vineyard Church, 16761 Tiger Bend Road, Baton Rouge. Visitation is at 10 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m., and thereafter please join the family in a time of food, fellowship and gratitude for Dawn’s life and her faithfulness.