Winona Merrell

In Loving Memory of Winona Merrell (1936–2025)

Winona Merrell, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away on October 28, 2025, in El Paso, Texas. She was 89 years old.

Winona was born on March 3, 1936, on a farm near Milford, Texas, to Pete and Jodie Varner. She attended school in Italy, Texas, and graduated from Italy High School, where she lettered in basketball. Athletics remained a constant in her life through her love of tennis and bowling, as well as her passion for following all the major sports—especially the Boston Celtics.

In addition to her love of sports, Winona was an avid reader and a devoted crossword puzzler. She found great joy in challenging her mind daily and could often be found with a good book or a puzzle in hand.

In 1955, Winona married Marvin Edwin Merrell. They met by happenstance on Main Street in Frost, Texas, and remained together for the next 58 years. They traveled and worked in multiple locations across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East—all while raising three boys in a home, wherever it was, filled with unconditional love. Winona will be remembered for her devotion to family and friends and for her love of traveling with Marvin, their children, and grandchildren.

Her kindness, strength, and laughter will live on in every heart she touched proof that a life filled with love never truly ends.

She is survived by her three children Joseph, Bryan, and Richard six grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin, in 2013.

A celebration of Winona’s life will be held on Friday, November 14, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso, Texas. Friends and family are invited to share memories and stories.