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Merle Griffith
MERLE GRIFFITH
Monticello
Merle Griffith, 64, died Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, at the Anamosa Care Center following an illness of several months. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Monticello, with interment in the Oakwood Cemetery. Friends may call beginning at 9:30 Tuesday at the church. The Rev. Daryl Larson will officiate at the services. Merle's care and services have been entrusted to Goettsch Funeral Home, Monticello.
Thoughts, memories and condolences may be left at www.goettschonline.com.
Memorials may be made to Jones County Special Olympics or St. Matthew Lutheran Church.
Survivors include his mother, Rachel of Monticello; eight siblings, Robert (Sherry) of Anamosa, Rodger (Mary) of Marion, Diana (Jim) Peterson, David (Jean Robison), Cynthia Griffith and Sharon Grams, all of Monticello, John (Deb) of Oak Hills, Calif., and Joann (Jim) Field of Cedar Rapids; many nieces and nephews; and his cat, Tagar.
He was preceded in death by his father; a brother-in-law, John Grams; three nieces; and one nephew.
Merle L. Griffith was born July 26, 1951, in Anamosa, Iowa. He was the son of William and Rachel Oltmanns Griffith. Merle graduated from the Monticello Community Schools in 1969. He was employed at Advancement Services in Monticello for 31 years. Merle retired in 2008. In his spare time, he mowed lawns for many people.
He was a lifelong member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church where he was baptized on Aug. 26, 1951, and confirmed his faith on April 28, 1968.
Merle had participated in the Special Olympics. He loved to go bowling and shoot pool, ride his bike to go get ice cream or a candy bar, go to the Great Jones County Fair, go fishing and camping and decorate for his two favorite holidays, Halloween and Christmas. He loved to travel and always was ready to go on a new adventure. Merle also loved to sit and try to put puzzles together. He loved to look through food magazines to find new recipes to make or look at cake decorating books to find a cake to make to share with family and friends. He also loved to feed and watch the squirrels and the birds.
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