116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Mervin Ketchum
MERVIN "BUTCH" KETCHUM
Cedar Rapids
Mervin D. "Butch" Ketchum, 76, of Cedar Rapids, died Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, at his residence following an extended illness. Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1, at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories. Visitation will be Sunday from 3 until 6 p.m. at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. Interment will take place at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
Butch was born Nov. 1, 1939, in Marengo to Freeman and Goldie (Wilson) Ketchum. He attended McKinley High School. He was united in marriage to Nancy Evelyn Pearson Rink on Aug. 23, 1984, in Cedar Rapids.
Butch worked at Pool Tech from 1992 until his retirement in 2002. He previously worked at Wilson Foods and Farmstead for 30 years.
Butch was a member of First Lutheran Church. He enjoyed woodworking, camping and playing cards, especially Euchre. He was an avid Dallas Cowboys fan. He enjoyed eating cookies (and could eat them by the dozen) and spending time with his beloved family and friends.
He will be dearly missed.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 32 years, Nancy; two daughters, Julie (Dan) Thomson of Stanwood and Mary (Carl) Boeding of Colorado Springs, Colo.; two sons, Steven (Tami) Ketchum of Atkins and Mark (Michelle) Ketchum of Plymouth, Minn.; two stepsons, John (Mary) Rink and Daniel (Christi) Rink, both of Cedar Rapids; sister, Judy Frieden of Newhall; 16 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and his beloved Yorkie, Timmy.
Preceding him in death were his parents; sisters, Kay Smith and Betty Kraemer; brothers, Richard and Dale Ketchum; infant son, Scott; and stepson, Jeffrey Rink.
A memorial has been established in Butch's name.
Online condolences may be conveyed at www.cedarmemorial.com.
Daily Newsletters