Merlyn William Curtis, 77 of Manchester, Iowa, died at the Good Neighbor Home on Tuesday, December 22, 2009. He was born June 21, 1932, in rural Manchester to William E. and Blanche M. (Durey) Curtis. He was raised in the area and attended District #1 Rural School south of Manchester and Manchester High School. In 1949 he joined the Air Force serving in the Korean Conflict.
On November 13, 1954, Merlyn was united in marriage to Shirley Rossow in the United Methodist Church in Manchester. Four children were born to this union. Together they farmed in Delaware County until they moved to Boscobel, Wisconsin, in 1959, to farm. They moved back to Manchester in 1973 and Merlyn managed the International Harvester implement dealership. In 1986, they moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, and he managed a fish store for three years, was a coffee company machine installer and driver, and worked for a pharmaceutical company until he retired in 1994. They moved back to Manchester in 1998, and continued to winter in Florida until 2000.
Merlyn served on the school board in Wisconsin and was a long time member of V.F.W. He enjoyed playing golf, fishing, playing cards, spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife, Shirley; four children, Deborah (Carl) Sager of Gilman, Wisconsin, Elwyn (Linda) Curtis of Manchester, Delwyn (Joyce) Curtis of Manchester, and Vicky Curtis of McFarland, Wisconsin; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Merlyn was preceded in death by his parents, William and Blanche Curtis; one brother, Elwyn D. Curtis; and one sister, Erna Burns.
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