Brown, Merlyn W. (1919 – 2010)

BROWN, SMITHERS, BEST, LAVELY, RANSOM, MILLER, SCHMITZ, WOOLSONCROFT, WADE, HOLLOWAY, BLOK, DEGROTE, HARTIGAN, BERGSMA, GUZINSKI, BUCHAN

Posted By: Denise Wurner (email)
Date: 8/4/2013 at 18:23:02

Name of deceased: Merlyn Walter Brown

Aged: 90 yrs, 11 mo, 2 days

Residence: Salem Lutheran Home; Elk Horn, IA

Born: Dec. 16, 1919, Dunlap, IA

Died: Nov. 18, 2010, Elk Horn, IA

Funeral service: Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010, First United Methodist Church, Harlan, IA; Rev. Dave Swinton officiated; burial at Rose Hill Cemetery, Kirkman, IA.

Survived by: Wife of 69 years, Viola Brown; children, Sandra Brown (friend, Tyrone Scheffler) of Harlan, IA, Linda Wade of Bellevue, NE, Janis (spouse, Bill) Holloway of Kirkman, IA, Joyce (spouse, Jim) Blok of Charles Town, WV, and Gary Brown of Kirkman, IA; grandchildren, Cheri (spouse, Ron) Degrote, Bill (spouse, Michelle) Lavely, Patrick (spouse, Kari) Holloway, Mark Holloway (friend, Dani Ritchey), Andria Wade (friend, Caleb Snyder), Erin (spouse, Ben) Hartigan, and Ryan Brown; step-granddaughters, Jennifer (spouse, Matt) Bergsma, Michelle (spouse, Lenny) Guzinski, and Jackie (spouse, Matt) Buchan; 16 great-grandchildren; other relatives and friends

Predeceased by: parents, George Louis and Gertrude (nee Smithers) Brown; daughter Cheryl Lavely; brothers, Fred Brown, Louie Brown, Otto Brown, and Ervin Brown; sisters, Annette Ransom, Hazel Miller, Beulah Miller, Lualia Schmitz, Lorrean Woolsoncroft, and Lucille Brown, in infancy

Education: Country School #4 in Galland’s Grove Township through Grade 8

Marriage: Viola May Best, June 1, 1941, Denison, IA

Employment: farmed with his father, then others after marriage, in Shelby, Crawford and Harrison Counties, IA; 1969, purchased a farm west of Kirkman; also worked part-time for Ahrenholtz and Sons Fertilizer and Farmers Coop in Defiance, IA, until retirement in 2001

Hobbies/Interests: member, First United Methodist Church, Harlan, IA; loved spending time with family; enjoyed traveling and attending fairs; loved farming and taking care of livestock and crops

Source: burmeisterjohannsen.com