Nancy Louise Merkey

Nancy Louise (Pogue) Merkey was born on April 16, 1948 in Jacksonville, Texas and passed away peacefully on February 17, 2026 after a 4-month hospitalization.

She was the first of 9 children born to WJ and Dora Dean (Turnipseed) Pogue. Her early childhood was spent bouncing around from Bethany, Oklahoma to Yellville, Arkansas to Yukon, Oklahoma. In 1967, Nancy graduated from Yukon High School and helped with her younger siblings. She briefly moved to Norfolk, VA in 1971 but was back with her parents and siblings in 1972.

While attending May Avenue Nazarene Church she met Robert Merkey. On June 1, 1973, Robert and Nancy were married and had two daughters, Karen Louise and Lydia Carol. They settled in southwest Oklahoma City until 1987 when Robert got a job in Dallas, Texas and moved the family to Mesquite, Texas until 1990 when they moved back to southwest Oklahoma City. Nancy held various jobs but retired from Newcastle Gaming Center in 2021. 2004 was her best year, becoming a grandma twice within 6 weeks to two little girls.

Nancy enjoyed NASCAR racing, reading her newspapers and People magazines, watching Westerns, Shirley Temple movies and The Young and The Restless. She loved to shop and had a collection of bells, spoons, books, bags, purses and shoes. She hated the words "snot" and "booger." She was a fan of Zsa Zsa Gabor. She loved playing Uno with the family. One of her favorite things to eat was Vienna sausages. When her girls felt ignored and would call her Nancy, she would break her neck to look them dead on, throwing her blue daggers their way and say, "You don't call me that. It's Ma, Mom, Mommy, or Momma to ya'll and when she became a grandma, she was not to be called Granny.

Nancy was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, Robert Merkey; son-in-law, William White; her parents; and three of her brothers, David, Steven and Timothy Pogue.

She is survived by her daughters and granddaughters, Karen and Kenlyn Merkey and Lydia and Samatha White; sisters, Cathy (Kent) Swanson, Kay Neuenschwander, Sharon Alston, and Joy (Darren) Sims; brother, Dennis (Kristi) Pogue; and sisters-in-law, Claretta Merkey and Sandra (Jackie) Brown; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Viewing at Mercer-Adams will be Friday, February 20, 12-8pm with family present from 6-8pm. Funeral services will be Saturday, February 21, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. with interment in Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Wheatland, OK.