Orville Dean Merritt, the son of Ira Curtis and Anna Christina (Anderson) Merritt, was born February 21, 1930 in Haddam,   Kansas and died Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at Griswold Care   Center in Griswold, Iowa at the age of 89 years, 1 month and 13 days.

Dean was educated in Washington, Kansas where he played     football then the family moved to Walnut, Iowa. Dean worked construction mostly until 1951 when he entered the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged from     active duty in 1953. He worked in sales for Coca-Cola until 1960 when he left and started to work for Wonder Bread as a route salesman for 27 years, retiring in 1987. Dean married Donna   Perdue in 1954 and the marriage ended in 1997. Dean was a member of Legion Post #508 in Griswold, the National Rifle   Association, and the Iowa Trappers Association and a former member of BPOE Elks Lodge #445 of Atlantic. Dean could be found fishing, hunting or trapping on any given day and made   several trips to lakes and rivers all over the Midwest including many trips to Lake Erie and summers at East Okoboji.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Ira and Anna, brothers Merlin and Willis, half-sister Doris Kaufman, son-in-law Byron Jones, and brothers-in-law Raymond Selders and Roy Cupples.

Dean was a very loving father and grandfather and is survived by his children, Renee Jones of Atlantic, Iowa, Sherri Merritt of   Bandon, Oregon, and Kevin (Laura) Merritt of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, grandchildren, Tressa (Jeff) Hackwell of     Atlantic, Iowa, Shauna (Bryce) Casey of Atlantic, Iowa, Joshua Merritt of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Great-Grandchildren, Michael Hotze and Lilly Casey, of Atlantic, Iowa, his brother, Curtis (Nancy) Merritt of Council Bluffs, Iowa, his sisters, Wilma Selders of Griswold, Iowa and Fran Cupples of Fullerton,         Nebraska and numerous nieces, nephews.

Funeral services will be on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at 11:00 AM at the Central Church of Christ in Griswold.  Visitation with the family will be one hour prior to the funeral.  A private family interment will take place at Griswold Cemetery following the funeral.  Rieken Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold is in charge of arrangements.