Merlyn J. Martinson

Merlyn J. Martinson, age 99, of Marengo, passed away Monday, June 10, 2024, with his family by his side, at Colonial Manor of Amana. Funeral service: 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 15, 2024, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Marengo with Rev. Andrew Gray officiating. Burial with military honors conducted by the Marengo American Legion Post #76 and the U.S. Army Honor Guard will be at Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Conroy. Visitation: 4-7 p.m., Friday, June 14, 2024, at Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo. A memorial fund has been established.

Merlyn is survived by his children Cheryl (Ron) Kirkpatrick of Cedar Rapids, Gary (Sheryl) Martinson of Marion, Lois (Oz) Hinrichs of Amana, and Barbara (Dale) Thomas of Marion; 11 grandchildren Justin Kirkpatrick, Jodi Knebel, Joanna Godbey, Branden Martinson, Josie Hester, Dathan Hinrichs, Seth Hinrichs, Sarah Gates, Michelle Hamm, Malinda Wade, and Melissa Wade; 20 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Sylvia in 1965; and Edith in 2009; brothers Irvin and Milford; sisters Norma Siems, Joyce Mumm, Leona Loyd, and Anna Marie Martinson in infancy.

Merlyn John Martinson was born June 4, 1925, in Williamsburg, the son of Carl and Mathilda Hunzelman Martinson. He attended Conroy High School then was drafted into the U.S. Army during WWII, stationed in Italy and Greece. He was a Tech 5 and was awarded three overseas service bars. He was united in marriage to Sylvia Folkman on September 26, 1948, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Conroy. To this union he had four children. After Sylvia’s passing, Merlyn married Edith Hughes on August 12, 1972, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Marengo. He worked for Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids, and later farmed outside of Conroy and also drove the school bus for Iowa Valley. Merlyn later moved north of Marengo where he continued to farm and worked for Leo Kelly Company and Brown’s Hardware. He was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Marengo, Farm Bureau, and NFO- National Farmers Organization. Merlyn enjoyed bowling, word searches, jigsaw puzzles and tinkering with his farm machinery.