Elizabeth Louise “Betty” Merriman, age 94, a lifelong resident of River Falls, Wis., died peacefully on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, at the Kinnic Health and Rehabilitation Home in River Falls, following complications from a recent stroke. Betty was born on April 14, 1930, the daughter of Lyle and Margaret (Matzek) Johnson. Raised in River Falls, she attended Oak Knoll Elementary before graduating from River Falls High School, class of ‘47. She caught the eye of a young sailor, Max Merriman, who had just returned from his service in the Navy, and it didn’t take long for them to know they were meant for each other. On Nov. 27, 1948, they were united in marriage at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church in River Falls. Their marriage was blessed with two daughters, Gwen and Lila.
Early in her life, Betty worked as a receptionist at the River Falls Medical Clinic when it was located downtown. Tragically, in 1980, their lives took a painful turn when their daughter Lila was brutally murdered. Max and Betty took in Lila’s children and raised them in a home filled with love, which had been taken from them. Betty had a love for the outdoors, whether it was tending to a vibrant flower bed or playing softball. She also had fond memories of caring for her horses while growing up and became a member of the South Fork Saddle Club. She and Max were devoted Wisconsin sports fans, always cheering for the Green and Gold, Bucky the Badger, and especially the Brewers. She took great pride in her volunteer work at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church as part of their Parish Council of Catholic Women, as a clerk for Adoray Hospice’s Treasures of the Heart store in River Falls, and with the American Legion Auxiliary of River Falls.
Betty leaves behind her daughter Gwen (Jim) Paulson of Hudson, Wis.; grandchildren Chad Seguin and his children Teagan Seguin and step-daughter Jaelynn, Jess Seguin and his children Jaxson, Michael, Arti, and Brookston Seguin, Travis (Alyssa) Paulson and their children Nadia, and twins Ezra and Ivan Paulson, Rhonda (John) Jensen and their daughter Olivia, Aaron (Shelly) Clay and their children Madisyn and Gavin Clay; step-grandchildren Aaron (Jessica) Paulson and family, Andy (Emilee) Paulson and family, and granddaughter at heart Hope Gerken; her brother Dwayne “Tom” Johnson and his friend Jo, brother-in-law Everal “Bud” Merriman; and several nieces, nephews, friends, and old neighbors. She was preceded in death by her husband of 72 years, Max, her daughter Lila, parents Lyle and Margaret Johnson, and her brothers Norbert “Bud” and Lyle Junior “Hop.”
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, at St. Bridget Catholic Church, 211 E. Division St., River Falls. Visitation will be one hour prior to the start of the Mass at the church. Pallbearers assisting with the service will be her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Interment will take place at St. Bridget Catholic Cemetery following the Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the discretion of the family. A special thank you to the wonderful staff at Kinnic Health and Rehab for the love and dignity they gave Betty during her stay.
Funeral services are entrusted to the O’Connell Family Funeral Home of River Falls, for further details please see www.oconnellfuneralhomes.com, or call 715-425-5644.
