Merle Eugene Bertilson

KLEMME - Merle E. Bertilson, 91, of Klemme died Tuesday, November 12, 2013 at his home in Klemme.

Memorial services will be held 2 P.M., Saturday, November 16th at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner with Rev. Scott Kozisek officiating. Graveside services will be held 11 A.M., Saturday at Otis Grove Cemetery near Dows.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 P.M., Friday at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner.

Memorials may be directed to Hospice of North Iowa. Cataldo Funeral Home in Garner is in charge of arrangements.

Merle Eugene Bertilson, the son of Bert and Agnes (Hawe) Bertilson, was born September 12, 1922 on a farm east of Dows. He attended country school in Franklin County and graduated from Dows High School in 1938. Merle was proud to have played on the 1940 Dows High School State Champion - Runner-Up baseball team. Merle farmed in Dows, Thornton and ended up near Klemme, settling in Liberty Township on the Bertilson farm. Merle's legacy is hard work and having fun and he taught his children the value of both. He was married to Charlotte Jean Iseminger on December 17, 1943, Esther Klinge on December 26, 1951 and Sonja Franzen on February 14, 1970. He loved to spend time with family, work on the farm, sing in the church choir and ride his motorcycle. Merle also enjoyed spending time in Florida for six weeks every year with his sister, Alta and daughter Carol and family, going to morning coffee at the Klemme Co-op, pitching horse shoes, watching the Hawkeyes, pitching softball until the age of 62 and teasing everyone, especially, his grandchildren and Grandma.

He was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church where he sang in the choir, Klemme Lions Club and the North Iowa Road Riders.

Merle is survived by his wife, Sonja; children, Mary Jo (Doug) Depping of Thornton, Dennis (Carol) Bertilson of Fithian, IL, Carol (Donald) Saling of Jacksonville, FL, Dean (Janice) Bertilson of Garner, Lori (Dan) Wolf of Klemme, Carolyn (Russ) Clabaugh of Iowa City and Mona Erdahl (Jim) Jones of Britt; twenty grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren; a sister, Alta Noland of Ft. Myers, FL; brother-in-law, Merle (Mary) Klinge of Garner; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Jean; second wife, Esther; a son, Douglas Bertilson; three brothers, Eldon, Maynard and Adrian Bertilson; a sister, Erdene Anderson; a sister-in-law, Lorraine Bertilson; and brothers-in-law, Tory Nodland and Dale Anderson.