Betty L. Mertens 1922 - 2000

MERTENS, MUNSHOWER, SWAN, ANDERSON, HUMMELL, NEIL, PRICKETT

Posted By: debbie (email)
Date: 2/18/2007 at 19:27:06

The Burlington Hawkeye, October 11, 2000

Betty Mertens

Betty L. Mertens, 78, of Mount Pleasant, died following complications from heart surgery at 1:25 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9, 2000, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.

Born July 12, 1922, in New London, she was the daughter of C. Oscar and Lottie P. Munshower Swan. On Jan. 30, 1947, she married Paul A. Mertens in Mount Pleasant.

Mrs. Mertens was a bookkeeper at Hoaglin's Department Store. During World War II, she worked for the Selective Service in Florida and then in California at Camp Pendleton Marine Base in the payroll section. After the war, she worked at the soda fountain at Panther Rexall Drug store and also worked at the Princess Cafe.

She helped her husband on the farm at the top of the hill south of Oakland Mills.

She was a 1939 graduate of Mount Pleasant High School. She was a life-long member of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Mount Pleasant, the Altar & Rosary Society and Daughters of Isabella.

Survivors include her husband; three daughters, Paula Anderson of Altoona, Patricia Mertens of Cheney, Wash., and Lucy Hummell of Mount Pleasant; four sons, Ed Mertens of Ely, Joseph Mertens and Richard Mertens both of Mount Pleasant and Phillip Mertens of Cedar Rapids; 18 grandchildren; one brother, Lyle Swan of Mount Pleasant; two sisters, Mildred Neil of Mount Pleasant and Helen Prickett of Salem; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by one sister and six brothers.

Visitation will begin at noon today at Weir Funeral Home in Mount Pleasant, where a rosary will be recited at 3 p.m. and a prayer service will be at 7 p.m.

After the prayer service, the family will receive friends until 9 p.m.

The funeral Mass for Mrs. Mertens will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Mount Pleasant, with the Rev. Nick Adam officiating. Burial will be in St. Alphonsus Cemetery.

Memorials have been established for Camp Courageous, the building fund at St. Alphonsus Church and Masses in her memory.