Merrill George Conklin, Sr.

Merrill George Conklin, Sr., 90, of South Sioux City died at home on Sunday, October 18, 2009.Funeral services will be at 1:00 P.M. on Friday, October 23, 2009 at the Mohr Funeral Home in South Sioux City, Nebraska with Pastor John Steen of Sioux City Church of Christ officiating. Burial will be in Dakota City Cemetery in Dakota City, Nebraska. Visitation will begin at 5:00 Thursday, October 22, 2009, with the family present at 6:00 P.M. and a prayer service at 7:30 P.M. at the funeral home. Online condolences may be sent at www.mohrfuneralhome.com.Merrill was born September 13, 1919 on the Allen Preston farm near Lyons, Nebraska to George H. and Gladys W. (Campbell) Conklin. He attended schools in Nebraska and high school in South Sioux City, Nebraska. He joined the CCC when he was 16 and spent 18 months in camps at Fairbury, Nebraska and Hill City and Custer, South Dakota. He was honorably discharged and finished school in South Sioux City, Nebraska.He worked at Cudahy's 5 years. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943, trained at Camp Hood, Texas and went to the South Pacific May 4, 1944. He spent 5 months at Luzon, Philippines, mostly with the 43rd Division and spent 11 months in Japan in the 756th Battalion Field Artillery, burning Japanese airplanes, tanks and gunnery equipment. He collected guns, sabers and other equipment from schools and hauled bombs from caves and other areas to Yokohama to be dumped at sea. He was honorably discharged from the service at Salt Lake City, Utah in July, 1946.He married Bonnie Heaton August 25, 1940 in South Sioux City. They had 2 sons, Merrill George, Jr. and Gary Wade before going to the Army, and 2 sons, Warren Barry and Kent Bradley after. This marriage ended in divorce in 1959. He married Yvonne Blare August 18, 1965 at Belle Fourche, South Dakota, and they had one son, Brett Scott in Sioux City, Iowa.After the service he worked at Cudahy's making sausage for 5 years, drove a truck for Kraft Foods in Sioux City, Iowa, Wonder Bread in Denver, Colorado, Robb Ross in Sioux City, IA and as an owner/operator out of Sioux City, retiring in 1981.He was of Methodist faith. He enjoyed gardening, watching wrestling matches on TV and tinkering with handwork for his grandchildren. He enjoyed his grandchildren and visiting with people.Survivors include his wife of 44 years, Yvonne, of South Sioux City; four sons, Gary (Joan) of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, their daughter, Marilyn (John Docherty) and children, Charles and Helen of St. Paul, Minnesota; Warren (Sherry), their sons, Jason and Shawn and daughters, Andrea (her son, Malachi) and Emily of Hayden, Idaho; Kent (Diane), their daughter, Olivia of Comstock, Wisconsin; and Brett (Eva), their daughters, Holly, Amy and Ruby and son, Jacob of Sioux City, Iowa; 4 sisters, Betty King of South Sioux City, Ramona (Vernon) Georgesen of South Sioux City, Mickey (Jarold) Gilson of Kingman, Arizona and Phyllis (Ellis) Shreve of Kingman, Arizona; brother-in-law, Don Struble of Onawa, Iowa; many nieces and nephews; also granddaughter, Mikel Schuttpelz.He was preceded in death by his parents, a son, Merrill, Jr., brother, Donald; sister, Norma Struble; sister and brother-in-law, Marge and Larry Hattig; and brother-in-law, Earl King.