Kenneth Hale Merrill Obituary
Kenneth was born on August 28, 1943, in Tooele, Utah, the ninth of ten children of Leonard Mouritsen and Edith Marie Smith Merrill.
The Merrill family moved to Thomas, Idaho, in 1944. Kenneth grew up on the family farm, milking cows and growing potatoes, sugar beets, and hay. He learned carpentry skills while working with his father and older brothers.
He graduated from Snake River High School in 1961. After High School, he enlisted in the Air Force, first stationed at an Air Force base in Texas and later transferred to the Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa. He achieved the rank of E4, Senior Airman, as a mechanic. In 1968, he left the Air Force, returning to the USA, where he married Wendy Mead on June 1, 1968, in Puyallup, WA. They had one child and resided in Puyallup until their divorce on February 26, 1973.
Kenneth entered the truck driving arena, first driving a truck moving military families in and out of Tacoma, WA. He then worked for a couple of trucking companies headquartered in Seattle, WA. With the closing of the Seattle companies, he decided to purchase his big rig and experience the over-the-road long-haul lifestyle. After retirement in 2001, he worked as a security guard and chauffeur.
Kenneth met Betty on her birthday, January 22, 1974, at a restaurant in Puyallup. They did not come together but met while walking to the restrooms. In passing, Kenneth said, "Hi, I'm Ken!". Betty responded, "Hi, I'm Betty!". Then, the rest became history. They were married on July 6, 1974, in Tacoma, WA, and later sealed on July 15, 1977, in the Idaho Falls Temple.
Those who survived him are: Betty's son, David; Wendy's daughter, Denise; two adopted children, Paula (Kenny Martin) and Marcia; 21 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and his siblings: Donna, Willard, and Colleen. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Wendy; Betty's son, Rick; his parents, Leonard and Marie Merrill; and his siblings, Leona, Richard, LeRoi, Dorothy, Wanda, and Nathan.
