Merlin Harry STOCKSETH

STOCKSETH, FLOY, PAULLUS, PETERSON, KOHLES

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:41

June 26, 1935 ---- February 15, 2018

Merlin "Mort" Harry Stockseth, age 82, passed away February 15, 2018 at his daughter's home in Belmond, Iowa. Funeral services will be Tuesday, February 20, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Belmond with Rev. Leila Blackburn. Visitation will be Monday, February 19, from 5:30 -7:30 p.m. and one-hour prior to the church. Burial will be at Pleasant View Cemetery, Thornton.

Merlin Harry "Mort" Stockseth was born on the family farm in Belmond, IA, on June 26, 1935. He was the fourth child born to Martha and Harry Stockseth. Merlin spent his youth attending country school and helping on the family farm. He often shared stories of the mischief he and his friends caused at school. Merlin graduated from Belmond High School. He participated in football and took great joy in telling his grandsons stories of knocking out the teeth of opposing team players whenever he had the opportunity.

Merlin was adventurous in his youth and had many scars to show from it from many car accidents. He was not one to step away from a good prank and often would tell stories of these activities. One of his favorite stories included picking up all of the stray cats in Meservey and driving them to Thornton. He also was quick to point out he did not think it was right that the police could cross county lines because "in his day" they couldn't and he knew that from experience.

Merlin met his future wife Rose Lee Floy at the roller rink in Clear Lake, IA. He was slow to propose and Rose Lee gave him an ultimatum of getting serious or she was moving to Texas. This was all it took for him to settle down, on his way to stop her he was involved in a serious car accident. Rose Lee stayed and they married. This marriage lasted for 51 years until her death in 2016. At the time of their marriage they became an instant family of four with their son Perry and daughter Shannon. Three more daughters followed, Martie, Chris, and Floy.

Family was important to Merlin and he kept himself busy providing for them. He helped farm the family farm, plus raised and sold livestock for many years. He frequently would take "his girls" with him to the local sale barns and let them run up and down and play in the barns even though from time to time he may have forgotten them and had to go back and pick them up after getting down the road a few miles.

Later in life Merlin helped Rose Lee achieve her goal of running her own business and built a machine shed on their acreage. This became "Second Hand Rose" consignment shop. The store provided Merlin a new hobby of attending auctions. Merlin & Rose eventually moved the store to Belmond's Main street and years after the store closed, Merlin still loved to attend auctions buying more things than they ever needed telling his family "you never know when you might need this".

Family vacations were very important to Merlin and he stressed going somewhere at least every year and Merlin & Rose felt it was essential they took there kids along as well. When the kids were young most early trips included packing the car with kids, snacks, pets and luggage and heading down the road to meet up with extended family to vacation together. These road trips included fishing trips, trips to Walt Disney World, and games at Wrigley Field. In 1978 he purchased a Honey Bee motor home and vacations became long camping trips around the United States. Trips included visits to the Grand Old Opry, Dollywood, Graceland, and many more. The extended trips helped to influence their children to use motels when they became adults. Spending weeks together in a motor home during the summer with six people did create a lot of memories both fun and trying. Family vacations continued after the arrival of grandchildren. Merlin and Rose loved taking the grandchildren to Walt Disney World. When their oldest grandchild graduated from high school, he selected a trip to Alaska as his memory maker. Merlin and Rose went on several cruises, a trip to Alaska, Bahamas, & the Caribbean. Dad loved going to Alaska taking this trip twice.

Merlin cherished his grandchildren and was very active in their lives. He really enjoyed helping with 4-H livestock projects, always striving to have the highest rate of gain in the commercial sheep pen. Merlin was always a faithful Iowa Hawkeye fan, but once Alex & Aaron started attending 4-H trips to ISU football games became a season ticket holder to ISU football. He would at times cheer the Cyclones on as long as they were not playing the Hawkeyes. Enjoying these trips with the boys Merlin & Rose were the primary babysitters for the 1st grandchild Alex who grew up in the consignment shop when he was just a few weeks old. A few years later, Aaron arrived, soon followed by Halie & John. Merlin loved finding treasurers at the auctions for his grandchildren sometimes even a goat or two.

In 2011, Merlin was blessed with his first great grandchild, Brayden, followed by Maddison, Rose, Jaelynn & Summer. He has two step-great-grandchildren, Riley, Alex. Brayden & Maddison had a very close relationship with Merlin and called him "Great Papa". He loved to spoil them with treats and money jobs.

Merlin was never short to give advice to anyone who would listen. If they were within an ear shot he felt they wanted to listen, this included advice on fishing, sports, relationships, hunting, budgeting, and gambling.

He is survived by his daughters, Shannon Paullus, Martie Stockseth, Chris Stockseth, Floy Ann (Buddy) Peterson, Belmond; sister, Lois Stockseth; grandchildren; Alex (Alison) Stockseth, West Des Moines, Aaron (Kiya) Peterson, Alden, IA; Halie Peterson, Belmond; John Kohles, Belmond, IA. Great-grandchildren; Brayden, Maddison, Jaelynn, Summer, Riley, & Alex, plus many nieces and newphews, extended family & friends. Merlin was preceded in death by his wife, Rose Lee, son, Perry, his parents, brothers, Arthur & Richard; sister, Ruth, grandson Peter.

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