Merle M. Schoenthal

Merle Marion Schoenthal, age 91, of the Schaller and Lake View areas, passed away on October 14, 2009 at the Methodist Manor Retirement Community in Storm Lake, Iowa. Merle Marion Schoenthal was born May 29, 1918 to Emil Schoenthal and Bessie Bunker Schoenthal. He was baptized in the Christian church in Sac City, Iowa and graduated in 1940 from Sac City High School. He married Ruth Peters on March 20, 1952 at Ruthâ€™s family farm near Ulmer where they farmed for 30 years. They had two children Nadine and Merle LeRoy. Ruth passed away on April 7, 1982. Merle married Florence Edgington-King July 10, 1983. Merle was a link trainer in World War II, stationed in Alamgardo, New Mexico. He was a witness to the first atomic bomb testing. He ran the movie projector in the Casino Theater in Sac City when he was in high school. He also had Merleâ€™s Electric and Sound System in the 1930â€™s. He was a volunteer fireman in the Sac City Fire Department. In 1948, Merle had a partnership with Les Zeman which was called L&M Electronics in Sac City. He was President of Ulmer Telephone Company. He farmed by Ulmer in the 1950â€™s until 1982. He worked as security cop and parked cars at Lakewood Ballroom in Lake View from 1970â€™s to 1985. He was Sunday School Teacher, Trustee, Elder and Sunday School Superintendant at the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Carnarvon. Then he moved to Schaller and was the town handyman. He was in the Schaller Jolley Time Popcorn commercial in the 1990â€™s. Merle is survived by his wife, Florence of Storm Lake; his children, Nadine (Eugene) Meeks of Ft. Washakie, WY and Merle LeRoy (Kathy Jergens) Schoenthal of Lake View, Iowa; his step-Son, Bob (Sharon) King of Des Moines, Iowa; his brother, Irvin (Dorothy) Schoenthal of Davenport, Iowa; his three grandchildren: Jedadiah (Cody) Meeks of Riverton, WY, Erica (Jhonnathan Cuartas) Meeks of Casper, WY, and Shiloh (Juan) Stevens-Plascencia of Ft. Washakie, WY; his two step-grandchildren, Timothy (Joan) King of Chicago, IL, and Pattie (Darryl) Dalen of Andover, MN; six great-grand children: Leona Meeks-Lindgren of Big Piney, WY; Nathen Meeks of Riverton, WY; Taj Tillman and Nuvia Cuartas of Casper, WY; Joaquin and Anexi Stevens-Plascencia of Ft.Washakie, WY; and five step-grandchildren: Nick; Stephanie and Kyle Dalen of Andover, MN; Hannah and Heather King of Chicago, IL; and many nieces and nephews. Merle was preceded in death by his parents, Bessie and Emil Schoenthal; one brother, Donald Schoenthal; one sister, Verna Alice Schoenthal (infant); and his first wife, Ruth Peters Schoenthal.

Merle M. Schoenthal

May 29, 1918 - October 14, 2009