Imelda Esther (Binneboese) MERLIN

BINNEBOESE, MERLIN, HELMKE, MCENTAFFER, REIMAN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 8/7/2016 at 16:44:29

August 6, 1917 ----- March 27, 2016

HINTON, Iowa --- Imelda Esther (Binneboese) Merlin, 98, formerly of Hinton passed away on March 27, 2016 at her home in Alameda, Calif. Graveside services will be 9:30 a.m. Saturday in Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery, rural Hinton, with the Rev. Steven Stoll officiating. A time of sharing will follow at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Mauer–Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars, Iowa. A memorial service was held in May at Home of Truth in Alameda.

She was born on Aug. 6, 1917, on the farm in Hinton, the daughter of Albert and Emma (Helmke) Binneboese. Imelda graduated from Sioux City Central High School in 1935. From there she taught in a country school for three years, then went to Valparaiso, Ind., where she graduated in 1943. Imelda taught seventh grade in Eagle Grove, Iowa, for two years before transferring to a seventh grade in Minneapolis. After four years there, she interviewed representatives from Washington, D.C. who were recruiting people to teach overseas. She was hired and told to get a passport. The following September, she boarded a ship for Yokohama, Japan, where she stayed for 11 years. While there, she took French lessons on a weekly basis. The instructor's in-laws in California pronounced her fluent in their language.

In 1951, Imelda married Captain Paul R. Merlin Jr., USN. He passed away aboard ship on Jan. 12, 1961. He was based in Japan. Upon his death, and after finishing the year teaching our servicemen's children for 11 years in Japan, she returned to California. She settled in her home in Alameda, and continued her education. She received her master's degree with thesis from UC Berkeley in 1964. Her teaching career continued in schools in the area. She retired from teaching from Alameda Junior College.

Her thesis paper was published in 1977 as a book, "Alameda, A Geographical History," by the Friends of the Alameda Free Library in Alameda. It has been reprinted several times and is currently in discussions for another reprint.

She was an active member in her community, participating in chorus groups, volunteering for the Alameda Food Bank, and other charitable functions. Since she was an active volunteer for Friends of the Library in Alameda, she gave her manuscript to them. They have published more than 6,000 copies; it has been an important fundraiser for decades. It is known as the first comprehensive history of Alameda.

Imelda loved to travel to other countries where she participated in learning tours to understand the history of the region. She shared rooms with various friends as they roamed through the Middle East, Europe, and mainly England. She also kept fit by walking most days, or using exercise equipment. She believed in conserving and protecting the resources of our earth.

Mrs. Merlin will be awarded a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award on June 26, 2016, for her book, "Alameda: A Geographical History." The Alameda Architectural Preservation Society will be presenting the award. This award is usually only given to buildings. Her book was a very important contribution to Alameda. The book has been used for almost half a century for reference and for "Gee Whiz1" facts.

Survivors include numerous nieces and nephews and their families. Preceding Imelda in death were her parents; husband; three sisters, Eldora McEntaffer, Norma Maxine, and Lucile Reiman; and two brothers, Donald and Eugene Binneboese. She will be greatly missed by her family and numerous friends.

Sioux City Journal ---- Sioux City, Iowa
June 10, 2016