Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Earlene Gladys Merritt

Earlene Gladys Merritt, 75, of Riceville, Iowa., passed away at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minn. Monday, May 24, 1999, due to complications with leukemia.

Mrs. Merritt was born on June 5, 1923, in Hollywood in Clark County to Leonard and Evie Whittlock Presson. She attended local schools and graduated from Gurdon High School in the class of 1941.

On March 2, 1942, she was united in marriage to Marvin Merritt in Gurdon. In March of 1951 they moved to Osage, Iowa, where they were engaged in farming. In 1957, they moved to Riceville, where they purchased a 300-acre farm. She was a homemaker, active in the Riceville Methodist Church and a member of UMW. They retired from farming in 1977 and spent their winters in Tucson, Ariz.

Survivors include her husband, Marvin Merritt of Riceville; two sons, James 'Red' and his wife, Cherie, of Osage and William 'Bill' and his wife, Rita, of Sierra Vista, Ariz.; a daughter, Cathy Merritt of Gastonia, N.C.; 7 grandchildren; 5 great grandchildren; and one brother, Bill Presson of Sherwood.

She was precede in death by her parents and one sister.

A memorial service was held May 29 at Riceville United Methodist Church. The Rev. Edythe Hill officiated. Burial was in Riverside Cemetery in Riceville under the direction of Lindstrom Funeral Home of Riceville.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, that memorials be give to the Leukemia Foundation or the United Methodist Church.