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Merle Garwood
MERLE W. GARWOOD
Cedar Rapids
Merle W. Garwood, 85, of Cedar Rapids, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016, at Colonial Manor, Amana. Services: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Jude Catholic Church by the Rev. Mark Reasoner. Burial: 1 p.m. at St. Michael Cemetery, Norway. A Scripture service will be held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at Teahen Funeral Home, where friends may visit with the family following until 8 p.m. and after 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the church.
Merle is survived by his wife, Leota; three children, Sheryl (Jeff) Doonan of Cedar Rapids, Lynn (Antoinette) Garwood of Des Moines and Mike (Stephanie) Garwood of Huntley, Ill.; five grandchildren, Renee (Nick), Cody, Trina (Dan), Allie (Joshua) and Alivia; eight great- grandchildren; and a sister, Jane (Rich) Himmelsbach of Norway.
He was preceded in death by his stillborn daughter, Susan; and siblings, George, Marcella, Virgil, Bernadine, Ila and Dennis.
Merle William was born July 18, 1931, in Norway, the son of Delbert and Anna Garwood. He served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954. On April 23, 1956, Merle married Leota Barbara Pickert at St. Michael Catholic Church in Norway. He worked at Rockwell Collins as a maintenance supervisor for 41 years, retiring in 1991.
Merle was a devoted family man and enjoyed every moment with them. He was a people person and enjoyed spending time with those he loved. Every day for the past four years, Merle enjoyed breakfast at the American Skillet.
His family would like to thank all of those who spent time with him there and made it so memorable for him. Merle also enjoyed golfing and his golfing buddies.
The family would like to thank all of the nurses, aids, and staff at Colonial Manor in Amana for the loving care shown toward Merle and his family. They would like to give a special thank-you to his hospice nurse, Molly, for her love. They would also like to thank everyone who came to the care center and the hospital to encourage and pray for him.
Instead of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Merle's name.
Online condolences can be left at www.teahenfuneralhome.com.
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