Merlyn E. Upmeyer

GARNER – Merlyn E. Upmeyer, 86, of Garner died Sunday (July 22, 2007) at Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa in Mason City.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M., Wednesday at Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church in Garner with Rev. David Graham officiating. Burial will be in Concord Township Cemetery in Garner.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 P.M., Tuesday at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel in Garner and will continue one hour prior to services at the church.

Merlyn Ernest Upmeyer, the son of Ralph and Alice (Griffin) Upmeyer, was born December 29, 1920 on a farm southwest of Garner. He attended the rural schools of Liberty Township and graduated from Garner High School in 1940. He continued his education at Iowa State University in Ames. On June 2, 1946 he married Maxine Stokesbary at the Methodist Church in Garner. They lived on the home place southwest of Garner where Merlyn farmed. Merlyn also worked at Iowa Mold Tooling in Garner for 18 years, retiring in 1987. In November of 2005, Merlyn and Maxine moved into Garner. Merlyn loved spending time with his family and grandchildren. He enjoyed photography,singing in church choir, playing his tuba in the Old Timers Band in Garner and working in his shop.

He was a member of Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church, Gideon’s Society and served on the Garner Creamery Board for a number of years.

Merlyn is survived by his wife of 61 years, Maxine, of Garner; four children, Rebecca (Darrell) Lucht of Hulbert, OK, Daniel (Susie) Upmeyer of Alamogordo, NM, Linda (Bob) Wages of Bixby, OK and Jill (Marc) Dean of Mason City; five grandchildren, Heather (Javier) Lopez of Oklahoma City, OK, Dylan (Kristi) Lucht of Tahlequah, OK, Jade (Brian) Winfrey of Orlando, FL, Daniella (Donnie) Williams of Tulsa, OK and David Wages of Corpus Christi, TX; twelve great-grandchildren; and a brother-in-law, L.C. Spencer of Clarion.

He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant brother, Delwyn; and two sisters, Arlene Trail and Ruth Spencer.