Joan Merrill

My Darling Don,
“I have received my mission call to join you. I’ve really missed you these last 9 ½ years. I’m glad we will finally be together again laboring in the Lord’s vineyard. You wrote of preparing our eternal home, with a finished basement and a dining room large enough to accommodate our entire family. How is it coming? The dining room needs to be quite large as our family has continued to grow since you left. We have our eight children and their spouses, 34 grandchildren and their spouses and currently 79 great-grandchildren.”

Joan Bird Merrill passed away peacefully July 9, 2022 surrounded by her loving family. Joan was born May 17, 1932 in Erda, Utah to Rexford Harry Bird and Mary Ellen Bryan Bird. She attended schools in Tooele until her family moved to Salt Lake City. She graduated from Granite High in 1949. She then graduated from Holy Cross School of Nursing in 1953. Shortly afterwards, she married her sweetheart, Don Robertson Merrill in the Salt Lake Temple. She supported her husband in his construction career, moving a family of eight around the country six times in six years. They returned to the unfinished home with a small dining room in 1971.

Joan and Don served a couple’s mission to Argentina from 1989-1991 followed by 15 years serving in the Jordan River and Salt Lake Temples. Joan’s life was dedicated to serving the Lord. She served wherever she was asked.

Joan is survived by seven of her eight children, Leslie Arbuckle, Jolene Merrill, Shauna (Francis) Longstaff, Carolyn (Joel) Bishop, Ruth Merrill, David (Susan) Merrill, Russell (Nancy) Merrill, 34 grandchildren, 77 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, her daughter Diane Gremlich and 2 great-grandchildren, 6 brothers and 1 sister.

A Viewing will be held Friday, July 15, 2022 at Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary, located at 4760 South State Street, Murray, Utah from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 16, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at the Hyland Lake Ward, 981 Revere Circle, Murray, Utah. With a viewing prior to the funeral service from 10:00 - 10:45 a.m.

Internment will be at Redwood Memorial Estates.

Family and friends are invited to share memories of Joan, at www.jenkins-soffe.com.

To view the live webcast of the funeral services please go to www.jenkins-soffe.com.