Russell Mertz

1937 - 2014

1937 ~ 2014
Salt Lake City, Utah-Russell Mertz passed away February 20, 2014, at St. Mark's Hospital in Salt Lake City, following multiple hospitalizations for long term heart disease. He was 76 years old. Russ was born March 31, 1937, in Sunbury, Pennsylvania to Glenn and Lucille Mertz. He treasured memories of the time he spent at Lithia Springs, a family owned resort. He talked of playing in the woods, of selling the bottled spring water and of eating chicken and waffles prepared by his grandmother for Sunday dinners. During his teen years he worked for a men's clothing store. After graduating from the Sunbury Area Joint High School, Russ attended Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he joined the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity and majored in philosophy. He graduated in 1959, with a bachelor of the arts degree and continued his education at the Lancaster Theological Seminary of the United Church of Christ. After completing a pastoral internship at Foster United Church of Christ in Cincinnati, Russ graduated in 1963, with a Masters of Divinity degree and was officially ordained a minister in the United Church of Christ. Russ married his younger sister Susan's good friend, Carol Riegel. In August of 1963, he was called to serve as pastor at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, where he and Carol made their home. Russ later accepted the pastorate at St. Luke's UCC church in Columbus, Nebraska. His daughters Jennifer and Stephanie were born during his years in Nebraska. After several years serving congregations, Russ decided he wanted a more specialized ministry. He trained in hospital chaplaincy in Iowa and Minnesota. He qualified and was admitted to the American College of Chaplains. The next five years were spent working on a chemical dependency treatment unit in Des Moines, Iowa. Russ loved this type of work; it allowed him to learn and grow. Following his divorce in 1976, Russ decided to move west and accepted a position as chaplain at the Wyoming State Hospital. He enjoyed conducting Sunday services for the patients. He became a skilled group therapist and provided many hours of spiritual counseling and support to individuals. In 1987, he married Helen Ronne and became a stepfather to her son Rob. He retired from the Wyoming State Hospital in the early 1990's. In his late middle years, Russ became a new father. He was delighted to be able to provide a level of care with son Christopher that he had missed with his daughters because of his intense work schedule as a younger man. Russ became an interim minister, serving churches in Nebraska and Wyoming. After a divorce in 1998, Russ then moved to Hemingford, Nebraska. In 2005 he decided to settle in Salt Lake City and he remained actively engaged with his son through the years to come. Throughout his life, Russ loved baseball. He continued to play on an intramural team in college, even after a fastball knocked out his front teeth. He shared his passion for the game with all of his children. He was very proud of his daughter Jennifer's achievements throughout her softball career, which lead her to play at the collegiate level. He coached a women's softball team in Evanston and in his later years volunteered as a base coach for his son's softball team. He never missed a Salt Lake Bees Sunday afternoon home game because he said that baseball should be played during the day. Russ loved to fish and hunt, whether it was for pheasants in Nebraska and Pennsylvania or for deer in Wyoming. In his down time he thoroughly enjoyed reading detective and spy novels, which translated into him watching Law and Order and CSI on a regular bases. Russ was preceded in death by his parents, Glenn and Lucille Mertz and by his first wife, Carol Nystrom. He is survived by his sister Susan Ziegfinger of South Royalton, Vermont; daughter Jennifer Mertz of Dallas, Texas; daughter Stephanie Mertz of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, and son Christopher Mertz of Laramie, Wyoming. A short time before his death, Russ said, "I'm not a afraid to die, but I am afraid of missing a good time." Don't be afraid anymore, the good times we shared will be held onto forever. We hope you are having a good time somewhere and that you're doing it with a smile on your face. We love and miss you dearly. A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 1, at 11:00 A.M., at Zion Lutheran Church in Salt Lake City.