Elaine E. Merkley
December 23, 1922 ~ July 29, 2016
Elaine E. Merkley, 93, passed away on Friday, July 29, 2016 at 12:05 pm at Liberty Village/Hawthorne Inn of Princeton. She was surrounded by her loving family. Elaine was born on December 23, 1922 to parents Leroy and Belle (McLaughlin) Hutchinson in Paw Paw, Illinois. She attended one room schoolhouses in Paw Paw and Ohio, Illinois. Elaine worked and retired from Harper-Wyman after 30 years. Elaine along with her husband, Norman owned and operated the Corner Café for several years. Elaine married C. Norman (Orkie) Merkley on October 16, 1943. She is survived by one son, Norman L. (Marie) Merkley and two daughters, Ricki (Denny) Jeffery, and Becky (Alan) Culp. Elaine had eight grandchildren, Cindy (Tim) Price, Christine (Randy) Stroud, Amy (Christian) Nelling, Angie (Joe) Pierce, Jeff Nord, Brandon Jeffery, Andrea (Chris) Noel and Tim Culp. Sixteen Great-Grandchildren: Tiffany (Travis Grawe) Mussche, Meghan Mussche, Jackie (Aaron) Pierce, Ryan Pierce, Derek and Kole Price, Sagan (Noah) Ozburn, Daniel and Zachary Stroud, Laine and Kaden Noel, Jacob, Nick and Abby Nord, and Jackson and Jammison Jeffery. She had five Great Great Grandchildren, Kyla Kiefer, Ava Zak, Eli, Luke, and Gavin Ozburn. Elaine is survived by one sister, June (Carlos) Ramirez of Port Arthur, Texas, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her loving husband of 54 years, C. Norman (Orkie) Merkley in 1997, four brothers, Kenny (Eleanor) Hutchinson, James (Dorothy) Hutchinson, and twin brothers Leo and Leon Hutchinson. Visitation will be Tuesday, August 2, 2016 from 4 to 7 at the Grant-Johnson Funeral Home, in Princeton. Services will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, August 3, 2016 at St. Matthews Lutheran Church on Dover Rd in Princeton with Pastor Scott E. Schmidt officiating. Burial will be in the Elm Lawn Memorial Park. Memorials may be made to St. Matthews Lutheran Church, Princeton or Hawthorne Inn in Princeton for assisted living activities. Online condolences may be sent to www.grant-johnsonfh.com. Pallbearers will be Jeff and Nick Nord, Brandon, Jackson, Jammison Jeffery, Derek Price, Daniel and Zachary Stroud, Ryan Pierce, and Kaden Noel. Honorary Pallbearers are Tim Culp, Kole Price, and Jacob Nord
View current weather.
Memories Timeline
Guestbook
Sign the Guestbook, Light a Candle
I am so sorry for your loss. I knew her when I was very young and later when she and Florence Ellberg used to walk uptown every day, they would always stop and visit for a while.