Tributes

On March 10, 2024, John Lowell Merrell was welcomed by Jesus to his new home in paradise. What a day!! He was 98 years old. Lowell was born on Christmas Eve, 1925, to Bob and Surviller Merrell in Seminole, Oklahoma. Arriving years after his three older siblings, he was the delight of his thrilled parents. When Lowell was just three years old, the fertile farm ground of west Texas called out, and the Merrells moved to Slaton, Texas, to raise their family. Lowell married his high school sweetheart, Nelda Ward, while still a senior in high school, as he had been drafted and ordered to report for duty immediately after graduation to serve in the U.S. Navy in the south Pacific until the end of WW II. Lowell and Nelda raised five rambunctious, energetic and ornery kids that often tested their patience and kept them on their knees. They dragged those kids all over the place in a tiny camping trailer, and later provided a lake cabin for skiing, sailing, jet skiing, fishing, trot-lining, and chasing snakes, tarantulas and armadillos. After the war, Lowell earned masters degrees from Oklahoma University, taking his last exam the day his youngest son was born. He was the first of his line to attend college. He spent his entire working life serving on the staff of Christian ministries and large churches in Oklahoma and Texas. In retirement, Lowell and Nelda put thousands of miles each year on their Airstream trailer, visiting world fairs and national parks from Canada to Mexico. He and Nelda were married for 75 years before she was called home in 2019. And just a year and a half ago, his heart was broken to lose his sweet daughter, Kathy. Lowell is survived by four of his children: John, Judy, Barry, and Joe Bob, and a whole mob of grand, great-grand, and great-great-grandchildren. These children and their families rise up and call him “Blessed.” He loved them all …… and his boats and his motorcycles and his red convertibles. Family fun was second only to church service and worship. His life will be honored at Hayhurst Funeral Home in Broken Arrow on Monday, March 18, at 2:00. Family visitation and viewing will be held prior to the service at 1:00.

Tributes

Lowell Merrell

December 24, 1925 - March 10, 2024