Elizabeth Sue Merten

Elizabeth S. Merten, age 73, of Storm Lake, Iowa died on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 at the Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Celebration of Life services will be held on August 17, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. Elizabeth loved college football, in honor of that please wear your favorite Buena Vista University, Iowa State, Nebraska, or college team apparel. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Elizabeth S. Merten Scholarship Fund at Buena Vista University. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements. Elizabeth Sue Merten, the daughter of Fred and Masie (Davis) Smith, was born on May 3, 1945 in Mooresville, North Carolina. She attended grade school in North Carolina and graduated from South Rowan High School in China Grove, North Carolina. On June 3, 1963, Elizabeth enlisted in the United States Army to serve her country during the Vietnam War era. She was honorably discharged on October 12, 1964. Elizabeth joined the Catholic Church in August of 1964 in Kannapolis, North Carolina. On October 3, 1964 she was united in marriage to Richard Francis Merten in Kannapolis, North Carolina. The couple was blessed with one daughter, Lisa Ann Merten. Elizabeth believed in life-long learning, she graduated in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Buena Vista College in Storm Lake. She then pursued to earn her master’s degree in Human Resources in 2006 from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City. Elizabeth also attended the University of Kentucky where she received a degree in Business Management. She was invested in her work and held numerous Human Resource Certifications including: Society for Human Resource Management – Senior Certified Professional (SCP), Human Resource Certification Institute - Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Drake University - Employment Law. Elizabeth worked at Buena Vista University for over 39 years. She retired in 2016 as the Vice President of Business Services; the same year that she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business from Buena Vista University. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoyed gardening, restoring antiques, reading, and sitting on the deck by her flower gardens. She loved Australian Shepherd puppies and Mustang cars. She loved to travel in the South and to the beaches of North and South Carolina. Those left to cherish her memory include her husband, Richard Merten of Storm Lake, Iowa; daughter, Lisa Merten (Larry Dietrich) of Ankeny, Iowa; brother, Carl Smith of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; grandchild, Isabella Dietrich of Ankeny, Iowa; grand-puppies: Shelby, Amia, and Ava; and numerous family members in Iowa, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Elizabeth was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Masie (Davis) Smith; brothers, John and James Smith; brother-in-law, Tom Merten; godmother, Martha Stough; and puppies: Sugar, Beau, Brittany, Jessica, Jessie, Emily, and Avery. A private funeral mass and burial will be at a later date.

Elizabeth Sue Merten

May 3, 1945 - July 31, 2018