GEORGE WILLIAM MERRELL
GEORGE "SONNY" MERRELL OF POTOSI, MISSOURI, WAS BORN AUGUST 24, 1939, IN ARKANSAS, A SON OF THE LATE GEORGE AND DOROTHY (FLOWERS) MERRELL. GEORGE DEPARTED THIS LIFE AT HIS RESIDENCE ON APRIL 27, 1999, HAVING REACHED THE AGE OF FIFTY-NINE YEARS, WIGHT MONTHS AND THREE DAYS.
GEORGE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO ROSEMARY DALTON ON MAY 15, 1977, IN POTOSI, MISSOURI.
GEORGE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE, ROSEMARY MERRELL OF POTOSI, ONE DAUGHTER, JOANN RULO AND HUSBAND DANNY OF POTOSI. SEVEN GRANDCHILDREN, KELLY KNICHEL OF POTOSI, ROSE WOODS OF ST. LOUIS, SHEILA GOUGH OF POTOSI, DANNY RULO, JR., TAMMY CRAWFORD, TINA THURMOND, MICKEY RULO, TEN GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, JUSTIN GOUGH, JENNIFER RULO, SANDY KNICHEL, T.J. CRAWFORD, JEREMY THURMOND, DANNY RULO, III, BRETT WOODS, HALEY MCCONNELL, ABBIE THURMOND AND JALYNN RULO, ONE BROTHER, TOMMY MERRELL AND WIFE DE DE OF FAIRMONT, ILLINOIS, TWO SISTERS, BARBARA DUBOISE OF ARCADIA, FLORIDA, DORIS BLOODWORTH OF GRANITE CITY, ILLINOIS, AND BY MANY OTHER RELATIVES AND FRIENDS. IN ADDITION TO HIS PARENTS HE WAS ALSO PRECEDED IN DEATH BY TWO GRANDSONS, JACK KNICHEL, III AND DEAN KNICHEL.
GEORGE, BETTER KNOWN AS SONNY TO ALL HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS, HAD A GREAT LOVE FOR THE OUTDOORS. HE ALWAYS MADE TIME TO GO HUNTING AND FISHING AND ENJOY THE MANY GIFTS OF MOTHER NATURE.
A KIND AND LOVING HUSBAND, FATHER, GRANDFATHER, BROTHER AND DEAR FRIEND WHO WILL BE SADLY MISSED AND LOVINGLY REMEMBERED.
VISITATION WAS HELD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1999, FROM 4:30 P.M. TO 9:00 P.M. AT THE GUM & SON FUNERAL HOME IN POTOSI.
FUNERAL SERVICES WERE CONDUCTED THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1999, AT 2:00 P.M. AT THE GUM & SON CHAPEL WITH BROTHER JOHN EMILY OFFICIATING. BURIAL WAS IN SUNSET HILL CEMETERY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF GUM & SON FUNERAL HOME, POTOSI.
SERVING AS PALLBEARERS WERE, RODNEY THURMOND, MICKEY RULO, JAMES HENRY, DANNY RULO, JR., PAUL SCHERMESSER AND KEVIN COX. SERVING AS HONORARY PALLBEARERS WERE, LES POLITTE, JR., RYAN HATFIELD AND RAY RULO.