Merlin D. Braun

Sibley, Iowa Merlin Dale Braun, age 79 of Sibley, IA, died Friday, July 6, 2007 at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD. Funeral service will be 1:30 PM, Tuesday, July 10th at Trinity Lutheran Church in Sibley with the Rev. Scott Meyer officiating. Interment will follow at the Pleasant View Cemetery in Little Rock, IA where Merlin will once again be reunited for eternity with Anna. Visitation will be Monday from 2-8 pm with the family present from 6-8 pm at the Walton-Roste Funeral Home in Sibley. Merlin Dale Braun was born January 8, 1928 to Emil and Minnie (Rust) Braun. He was raised on the family farm four and a half miles north of Sibley, IA. Merlin attended Sibley High School and graduated in 1946. On December 3, 1955, he was united in marriage to Anna DeBerg. They resided on the same family farm their entire married life, until Annas death on September 25th, 1987. Merlins life was changed dramatically when Anna died and soon thereafter he became a resident in assisted living homes in Ashton, IA and then in Sibley. For the past two and a half years, he had resided at the Sibley Nursing and Rehab Center. Merlins home-going was on Friday, July 6th, 2007. Merlin greatly enjoyed the outdoors, especially farming, fishing and occasionally hunting. Merlin and Anna loved to go dancing on Saturday nights and fishing on Sunday afternoons. He was also known to be a pretty shrewd Pinochle player. Survivors include one daughter, Crystal (Tom) Straub; four grandchildren, Michael (Kristin) Gaarder, Nathan (Dawn) Gaarder, Kari (Fred) Hartung, and Justin (Jessica) Gaarder; 11 great-grandchildren, Alex, Joshua, Natasha, Garrett, Cole, Carson, Faith, Hope, Tori, Tristin and Hoyt; two step-grandchildren, Harmony Howe and Jeremiah Straub; and two step great-grandchildren, Samantha and Matthew; two brothers, Harold (Luetta) Braun and Ray (Joan) Braun; five sisters-in-law, Cleo and Wava Braun; Ruby Johannes, Netz Doorenbos and Edna DeBerg. Merlin was preceded in death by his parents, Emil and Minnie Braun; his wife, Anna; and three brothers, Carl, Edward, and Albert.