Merle Gatton
Merle Gatton
July 27, 1918 – December 21, 2010
Merle Gatton, 92, of What Cheer, died Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at the Sigourney Care Center. Funeral services will begin at 10:00 AM on Monday, December 27, 2010 at the Harden Funeral Chapel in What Cheer. Burial will be in the Hopewell Cemetery near Rose Hill. Visitation will begin at noon on Sunday, with the family present from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Memorial contributions may be made to the What Cheer Fire and Rescue.
Merle Hay Gatton was born July 27, 1918 near Rose Hill, Iowa the son of Sherman and Carrie Van Heukelom Gatton. In 1942 he enlisted in the U.S. Army where he served as heavy artillery personnel during the Battle of the Bulge. After his honorable discharge in 1946 Merle returned home and continued farming. He was united in marriage to Norma Michaelson Jones on December 29, 1955 at the Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Rake, Iowa. At age seventy-eight he decided in was time to retire and in 2002 he moved to town. Merle was a member of the What Cheer Lions Club and the American Legion. Over the years he demonstrated an excellent work ethic and was a firm believer in honesty and integrity.
He is preceded in death by his wife Norma, a son, Marshall Warren (Mick) Gatton; two daughters: Twila and Carrie Gatton; and four brothers: Marvin, Elmer, Warren and Wilber Gatton.
Merle is survived by his daughter Marvel Ann (Roger) Titone of Cosgrove, IA; three grandchildren: Matt (Mollie) Gatton, Chris Welsh and Gretchen Daniels. His life was also blessed by two great grandchildren, Evan Warren Gatton and Gwyneth Ann Marie Gatton.
Source: Harden Funeral Homes
