Woodward County Obituary
Moscow Cemetery

HARL EUGENE MERKLIN

7 Mar 1916 - 12 Jul 2010

© Woodward News (OK)
July 14, 2010
Reprinted with permission
Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

Woodward, Okla. — Harl Eugene Merklin, 94, died July 12, 2010, at the same home and near the same room where he was born on March 7, 1916. He was the third child born to James Raymond and Grace Ethel (Riley) Merklin on the family farm in the Moscow Flats Community.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 17, at 10:30 a.m. in the Mooreland United Methodist Church. Burial will be made in Moscow Cemetery with Billings Funeral Home of Mooreland and Woodward in charge of arrangements. Visitation will be held at the Billings Funeral Home in Woodward Thursday, July 15 from l:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. and at the Billings Chapel in Mooreland on Friday, July 16 from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

He attended elementary school at Moscow, Mooreland and Woodward, and attended high school in Mutual, where he graduated in 1935. He also attended the University of Oklahoma, Norman, for a period of time before moving back to Moscow. Harl was united in marriage to Julia Lee Nelson on June 21, 1937, in Woodward. They made their home on the Moscow Flats farm and they were blessed with three children, Eldon, Tom and Marilyn. He was always very supportive to his children, who were active in 4-H, FFA, FHA, music and bearcat sports. He was also a 50-year member of the Woodward Elks Lodge and was a past Exalted Ruler. He was honored in 1998 as a Grand Marshall of the Elks Rodeo Parade. Harl always wanted to try new ideas and promote high quality beef production. He was a long time beef superintendent of the Woodward Livestock Shows and was interested in working with County Agents in their work with agriculture.

He was a member of Woodward Coop Board many years and was active in the Mooreland United Methodist Church.

Harl loved to fish and play bridge, and was a very good cook. In later years he particularly enjoyed camping and fishing with his fishing buddies, Percy Cope of Woodward and the late Leroy Hicks and Omer Schnoebelen who was his brother-in-law.

Starting in 1976, Harl always looked forward to the annual family reunion of the descendents of his grandfather, George Merklin. He especially enjoyed being with his two sisters and families and his first cousins. In his later years, Harl was able to continue to live on the farm due to daily help from family and a special friend, Dee Dennison.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Julia Lee, and sisters, Bonita Allison and Marguerite Schnoebelen.

Those left to mourn his passing include two sons and wives, Eldon and Janet Merklin of Mutual and Tom and Roxy Merklin of Woodward; daughter and husband, Marilyn and Rex Blevins of Tulsa; grandchildren, Tawn and Sean Merrill of Plano, Texas, Troy and Teresa Merklin of Grapevine, Texas, Shea and Jamie Adamson of Edmond, and Mark Blevins, Steve Blevins and Sarah Blevins, all of Tulsa; great grandchildren, Clara and Julia Merklin, Avery Grace Adamson and Annabelle and Wyatt Merrill, and many nephews, nieces and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be to the Mooreland United Methodist Church building fund or the Woodward Senior Citizens Center with Billings Funeral Home accepting the contributions.

Remembrances may be shared online at www.billingsfuneralhomewoodward.com