6 Jun 1936 – 14 Nov 2020
Former wife of Douglas Cardon Merrill
Colleen Bowden Merrill Obituary
Colleen “Mom Mom” was our beloved Mother, Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother. She was strong, independent, intelligent, beautiful, loving and giving. She was born June 6, 1936 in Roosevelt, Utah to Clarence and Thelma Bowden. She was born at home on the farm and Grandpa rode the plow horse to fetch the town doctor that day. She went home to her Father in Heaven on November 14, 2020 in her sleep at her home.
She married Douglas C. Merrill and had 2 stepsons: Scott and Doug Merrill, along with 3 children of her own. They later divorced.
She was an artist and loved oil painting landscapes with mountains, cabins, trees and lakes, animals and people. She loved sharing stories about life, Heaven, paintings, and animals. She loves all animals and plans a great reunion with all of them in Heaven. She loved playing games, cards, puzzles and we all knew she would win most of them. She loved to go to the mountains, lakes, boating, riding 4-wheelers, working on her house, gardening, roses, playing with her dogs and plans with the family, especially on holidays.
She enjoyed construction and spent most of her life working to building her own home and doing many remodeling projects. We used to laugh together and say, “We seem to work like pilgrims”, doing all the hard work by hand. Colleen worked with her husband on a 5-year mission to build LDS Churches on Native American reservations. In 1967, she helped build her home in Millcreek, Utah, then became a Realtor for 30 years. She also took many part time jobs to support her children and became the Sales Manager for Fernwood’s Candy Co. until her retirement at age 71.
She always prayed to her Father in heaven and taught us children that Prayer is the path to God and that prayers and love were the most important things we have on earth.
Colleen is survived by her son Rodney Bowden Merrill, and her daughters, Susan Dierdra Merrill Carhart and Cynthia Merrill Clubb. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Christopher, James, and Rachel Merrill, Scott Z. Carhart (Cheryse W. Carhart), Eric Carhart, and Aubree Billings (Randy Newman), Kevin, Brent, Danny Clubb, her great-grandchildren: Sawyer and Peyton Carhart, Skye and Maximus Newman, Adrik, Aarajlyn, Audrey, and Alec Merrill. She was preceded in death by her parents and sisters.
A viewing will be held on Sunday, November 22, 2020 from 5:00-7:00 pm at Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary, 4760 S. State Street, Murray, Utah. A graveside service will be held on Monday, November 23, 2020 at 2:00 pm at Elysian Burial Gardens. Masks and social distancing are required.
In lieu of flowers, friends may send money to help her family take care of “Billy”, her companion dog, and her final expenses. In her own words: “I’ll be waiting for you in Heaven, and I’ll be watching helping you all I can. Please listen for me. I love you all so very much! It has been a good life with you. We’ll be together again.”
-Published online at https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/19023058