Willard Merrill (1955)

MERRILL, KIRKWOOD, OAKS, MOSER, TYLER

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 12/7/2015 at 07:50:08

Earlham Echo
Earlham, Iowa
Thursday, September 15, 1955

Willard Merrill, the first son of George W. and the late Mary Elizabeth Kirkwood Merrill, was born December 11, 1900 on the parental farm west of Guthrie Center, Iowa. Having completed his elementary education at the nearby rural school still known as Bear Grove No. 7, he entered the Guthrie Center high school from which he was graduated in 1919. Thereafter, he attended Iowa State College at Ames, Iowa. On August 4, 1921 he was married to Nora Oaks of Adair, Iowa, and to them were born three children: Mickey (Mrs. Ben Moser), Norma, and Dan.

During the quarter century that he farmed the old homestead with his father and brother, Ross Merrill, he found time to provide active leadership in the local 4-H club, to participate wholeheartedly in school and community undertakings, and to willingly lend a helping hand and a helping word to those in need. In October 1948 Mr. and Mrs. Merrill moved to Winterset where he had accepted the position of instructor in the Veterans On-Farm Training program and remained there until the time of his death on September 7, 1955. He was a member of several fraternal organizations and the Friends church at Earlham.

In addition to his wife, children, father, and brother previously mentioned, he is survived by two grandchildren, Patricia and Bill Merrill of Guthrie Center, a sister, Mrs. Samuel Tyler of Glenwood, his many colleagues, friends, and neighbors as well as the members of his immediate family sincerely mourn his death.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, September 10, at the Richards Funeral Home in Winterset and at the graveside in the Bear Grove cemetery west of Guthrie Center, Iowa. Rev. L. Willard Reynolds, pastor of the Earlham Friends church, was in charge of the services.

Link to Gravestone Photo
 

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