Merlin M. Behlers

SIOUX CITY -- Merlin M. Behlers of Sioux City died Saturday, December 17, 2011, surrounded by his family at a Sioux City hospital due to complications with cancer. Services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Sioux City, with the Rev. Kathryn H. Wicks officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m., followed by a Masonic service, at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel, 6200 Morningside Ave. Condolences may be posted online at www.meyerbroschapels.com. Merlin M. Behlers was born March 31, 1935, on a farm near Pender, Neb., the son of Dale and Irene (Roth) Behlers. Merlin was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran church. He grew up in northeast Nebraska the oldest of seven children. He graduated from Walthill (Neb.) High School in 1952. He was All Conference in basketball and participated in the state track meet. He was a member of 4-H, had several grand champions at the Thurston County Fair and showed calves at AK-SAR-BEN. He was joined in marriage to Geraldine Havekost on August 4, 1957 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Rosalie, Neb. He worked for the Sioux City Stockyard Co. for 34 years and the Sioux City Journal for 19 years. He coached youth flag football, basketball and baseball. He was a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church, where he was chair of the endowment committee. He was a member of the Morningside Lodge 615, where he was Master in 1998. He belonged to the Abu Bekr Shrine, Scottish Rite, the Shrine Hospital Dads, Vintage Wheels, Keystone Kops, and Campers, and Order of the Eastern Star. He is survived by his wife, Geri; four children, Deb Angerman of Sioux City, Steve (Tammie) of Pella, Iowa, Bob (Tricia) of Sioux City, and Jim of Phoenix, Ariz.; seven grandchildren, Noah Angerman, Seth (Crystal) Angerman, Mallory and Quinton Behlers, Mackenzie, Mitchell, and Megan VanZante; two great-grandsons, Kellen Angerman and Payton Angerman; two sisters, Marlene (Pat) Nelson of Lyons, Neb., and Bev (Roy) Kai of Pender, Neb.; a brother, Charlie Behlers of Marshalltown, Iowa; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dale and Irene (Roth) Behlers; three brothers, Dallas, Warren, and Doug; father and mother-in-law, Gerald and Edith Havekost; and grandson, Nathaniel Angerman.