Merna Park, 85

Merna Lou May Dyce Park, of St. Maries, died March 13, 2012, of pneumonia. She was born in Oakland, Calif., in 1927, and lived in South Dakota and Colorado, where she met her husband, Jerry Park at the University of Colorado. They raised their family in Wisconsin, Illinois and Colorado before moving to St. Maries in 1961 to join her cousin, Dr. W. Dyce Thurston and his wife, Bobby.

Merna was predeceased by her beloved husband, Jerry, Dyce and Bobby Thurston; and her sister, Georgette Habeger.

She is survived by Sherri Wood and her daughter, Crystal of Rochester, N.Y.; Debra Park (Vincent Schmidt) of Spokane; Ron (Patricia Sweeney) of Santa Cruz, Calif., and their son, Jacob; Crys (Mark) Harpole of St. Maries and their daughter, Lindsey and son Ian; Jill Karber (Vince Martin) of Arlington, Wash., and her son, Avery; Phu and Ahn Cong of St. Maries; extended Thurston family; and countless Park and Cong grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well as neighborhood grandchildren.

Merna served on the Board of the St. Maries Public Library, on the St. Maries Recycling Committee, as an Elder and Deacon of the Community Presbyterian Church, was involved in many other aspects of church and community life and touched more lives than can be mentioned. 

A celebration of her life will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, March 19, 2012, at the Community Presbyterian Church, 1100 College Ave., St. Maries.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Merna’s honor may be designated to the St. Maries Public Library, the St. Maries Foundation for Education or Benewah County Hospice.