Merrill Dean

Merrill Charles Dean, 86, of Thayer died Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015, at Clarke County Hospital in Osceola.

Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Kale Funeral Home, 301 S. Main St., in Osceola with the Rev. Dwayne Henrichs officiating. Family will be present at the funeral home one hour prior to the services for visitation. Interment will follow in the Murray Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Hopeville United Methodist Church or HCI Care Services in Osceola. Online condolences may be left at www.kalefuneralhome.com.

Merrill Charles Dean, son of Charles Dean and Beulah Carder Dean, was born June 14, 1929, on the family farm in Clarke County.

Merrill attended country school at the Hopeville Country School and graduated in 1947 from Murray High School.

On Nov. 11, 1950, Merrill married Lottie Amilliann McClarey. Merrill lived and farmed on the land near Hopeville that his parents owned before him.

Merrill is survived by his daughters, Joyce (Jim) Driscoll of Sedalia, Missouri and Ronda (Dan) Blair of Cincinnati, Ohio; grandchildren, Dana (Drew) Patterson of Charlotte, North Carolina and Kelly (Chris) Brown of Cincinnati, Ohio; great-grandchildren, Aiden and Averly Brown of Cincinnati, Ohio; sister Marie Johnson of Santa Clara, California; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws and many friends.

Merrill was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years Lottie Dean and his parents, Charles and Beulah Dean.