David Merry

David Merry, 87, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was born on May 25, 1938, in Dell Rapids, South Dakota. He grew up on a family farm that had been homesteaded by his great-grandfather, Lyman Swan Merry, in 1873. David raised many animals on that farm, winning multiple 4-H ribbons for his endeavors.

David graduated from Dell Rapids High School in 1956, where he was actively involved in theater productions, musical activities, and 4-H. Those interests continued throughout his years at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. He met his beautiful wife, Annette Shauf, at SDSU, after famously rounding a corner and tripping over her leg at a college dance. Or so the story goes…..

After graduating from SDSU with an Agricultural Journalism degree in 1960, David spent six months in Denmark as part of the International Farm Youth Exchange. He and Annette married on June 10, 1962, in Twin Brooks, South Dakota. For the next three years, David worked at local newspapers in Huron, Arlington, and Harrisburg, all while serving in the South Dakota Air National Guard. David and Annette moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1965, where he took a job as a technical writer at Sperry Univac (which later became Unisys). Throughout his 20+ years there, David became very adept at working with computers, before most of us even knew what they were. In the late 70's and early 80's, his job was to test computer systems onboard nuclear submarines. He was proud of having a "Classified" security clearance and, in later years, would talk about having worked in the very submarine control room he saw featured in the movie, "The Hunt for Red October." David and Annette raised their three children in St. Paul, where they lived for the rest of their lives.

David took early retirement from Unisys in 1990, at which time he embarked on his third career. He went to seminary and became a Diaconal Minister with the United Methodist Church, which later evolved into being a hospice chaplain. David felt he had found his true calling in this profession; his kindness and compassion were known and appreciated by all his clients and their families.

Throughout his life, David enjoyed music and theater, any and all kinds of animals, woodworking projects, building model planes, ships, and rockets, puttering with computers, fishing, talking to everyone he met, and especially, spending time with his children, grandchildren, and great-granddaughter. He was known by everyone he met as a kind, friendly, and interesting man, whose legacy of faith and commitment will not soon be forgotten.

David is survived by his children, Michael Merry of St. Paul, Minnesota, Sharon (Carter) MacFarlane of Bloomington, Minnesota, and Mark (Shannon) Merry of Phoenix, Arizona; his grandchildren Katya, Jessica, Josiah (Daria), Julia, and Ian MacFarlane, Shawn Merry, Ellie and Sophia Merry, and his great-granddaughter Laska MacFarlane, as well as his nieces and nephews Anne Halme, Kay Gollesch, Beth (Darrell) Jerman, Bruce Gollesch, and Tim Akkerman. David was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 58 years, Annette, his parents Lyman and Rosa Merry, his sister and brother-in-law Genevieve and Bill Gollesch, his brother and sister-in-law George and Evie Merry (later Akkerman), and his nephews Alan Akkerman and Bob Gollesch.

A memorial service is being held on Sunday, September 7 at 3:00, in the chapel of the Lyngblomsten-St. Paul campus, located at 1415 Almond Ave., St. Paul, MN, 55108. There will be a reception in the chapel following the service. Memorials are preferred to the Lyngblomsten Foundation. A graveside service will be in the Dell Rapids Cemetery, Dell Rapids, South Dakota, on Tuesday, September 9, at 11:00 AM. Following the ceremony, lunch will be hosted by the family at Pizza Ranch in Dell Rapids.