Merle South

Merle South, 95, of Winterset, formerly of Afton, died peacefully Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, at Madison County Memorial Hospital in Winterset. A visitation for family and friends will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, at Graceland Cemetery Chapel, south of Creston. This will be followed by a Celebration of Life service at 2 p.m. in the same location. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery.

Merle South was born Jan. 25, 1926, in Ellston, to Park Meredith Ellison and Grace Leona (Thompson) Ellison. She graduated from Beaconsfield High School in 1944 and started teaching in a small schoolhouse a few years later. She soon met her future husband while teaching his sister and on June 17, 1947, Merle married Howard Isaac South in Creston. Later they were blessed with two sons, Steven Meredith and Phillip Linn.

Merle was a homemaker and farm wife, helping Howard around their farm near Arispe for many years, but when she wasn’t doing that, she was furthering her education. She graduated from Drake University with a Bachelor’s Degree in education and later earned her Masters from Northwest Missouri. Merle and Howard were members of the Arispe Methodist Church. The family also enjoyed traveling together; Merle and Howard especially after retiring. Merle enjoyed taking pictures of all the landmarks and interesting things they saw. In 1986 they purchased their retirement home in Afton where they spent more time with their children and grandchildren. Then in 2012, they moved to Madison Square Assisted Living in Winterset.

Some of Merle’s favorite hobbies were genealogy, thrifting and quilting. She spent much time invested in these passions — even creating her own family history books and sewing countless quilts. In fact she was still making quilt blocks up until the very day she became ill. Sometimes she thought she should stop making them, but her family told her if it gave her joy to keep doing it!

Merle is survived by her daughters-in-law, Barbara South (Steven) of West Des Moines and Nancy South (Phillip) of Omaha; two grandchildren, Meredith South and Matthew South of West Des Moines; her brother, Cecil Ellison; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Howard in 2015, her son Steven in 2020 and her son Phillip in 2021.

The family has asked that flowers and memorial donations be directed to Powers Funeral Home. Online condolences may be made at www.powersfh.com.