Wilma Barnes Merrell

If God's business in our life is to turn us, his children into something worth keeping, then Wilma Merrell was about her Father's business for the past 91 years. Wilma lifted, edified, comforted, trained, encouraged, educated and loved everyone that knew her. Not just the 7 children she gave birth to but the countless other children of our Heavenly Father she helped Him raise.

Now after 41 and a half years being apart from her dear sweet Arthur (who was killed in an airplane accident in 1973) Wilma has returned to his embrace. Sweetly and tenderly she passed from mortality to immortality and eternal life at her home Monday August 18th, 2014.

What a reunion it is. Wilma is the last of 7 children and their spouses to leave this life. All she leaves behind are her 7 children and their gloriously wonderful families, Kerry and Richard Fussell, Galen and Liz Merrell, Loraine and Tom White, Kevin and DeAnne Merrell, Kent and Marca Merrell, Wendy and Ron VanTienderen and Chris and Liz Merrell. From these 7 are 29 Grandchildren and 48 Great Grandchildren.

Raised as a farm girl in Rockford, Idaho Wilma grew up surrounded by work, fun and love with her brothers Myron (Marge) Barnes and Eldon (Donna) Barnes and her sisters Ruth (Wilburt Atwood), Elna (Stuart Turner), Hannah (Donald Gale), and Glenda (Bob Lanza).

Graduating from Ricks College, Wilma taught school and served as the principle of Thomas School until she met, fell in love and married Arthur Loraine Merrell in 1946. Art and Wilma moved to Provo where Arthur finished his schooling at BYU. After finishing school the couple moved to Salt Lake City and raised their family in the Millcreek area.

Funeral services will be held Saturday August 23, 2014 at Noon at the Canyon Rim Stake Center, 3051 South 2900 East. Friends and family are invited to visit Friday evening 6:00-8:00pm at the Holbrook Mortuary, 3251 South 2300 East, and at the church Saturday morning 10:30-11:30am prior to the service. Interment will follow at the Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.

Messages to the family can be posted at: www.HolbrookMortuary.com