Geneva Avarilla (Egy) Merryfield
Obituary
Geneva Avarilla (Egy) Merryfield went to be with our Lord on
Saturday (July 24, 2010) at Newton Medical Center. She was 99.
She was born on Nov. 10, 1910, in McMinville, Ore., to Frank
Egy and Blanche (Dibble) Egy.
She was the fourth of seven children born to this union,
three girls and four boys.
Both of her parents died within two months in 1922 in
Clinton, Ark.
Her uncle, Ira Spangler, brought all seven children back to
Hesston, but Geneva soon was sent to live with Carl and Rilla Spangler south of
Peabody. They raised her to adulthood.
She graduated from Newton High School in 1929, with a major
and minor in math.
She received a teaching certificate and taught for a short
time.
She met and married Homer Alexander Merryfield on Sept. 30,
1934, in Peabody.
Homer preceded her in death in February 1959 from a farm
accident.
Homer and Geneva were never blessed with children of their
own, so in 1948, they adopted two daughters of brother Charles Merryfield,
Geneva Rae, 4, and Carolyn Ann, 8.
Geneva enjoyed all aspects of being a farmer's wife and was
a good neighbor and friend.
She was an excellent gardener and loved canning the produce.
Other interests were all sorts of handwork, sewing and
especially cooking.
She was an active member of the Peabody Methodist Church
until moving to a nursing home in 2002.
During her years in Peabody, she worked for several
businesses, mainly after Homer died.
She belonged to several clubs, was a 4-H leader and a member
of the Rebecca Lodge. She was a nurse aide at Peabody Memorial.
She is survived by her two daughters, Carolyn Windsor of
Newton and Geneva Rae of Enterprise; four grandchildren, Randy Taylor and wife
Laura of Valley Center, Rob Taylor and wife Lois of Hopkinton, Iowa, Rene Ensz
and husband Brad of Newton, Rex Jordan and wife Joan of Valley Center; five
great-grandchildren and two step great-grandchildren, Ryan and Logan Taylor of Manhattan,
Heather Taylor of Monticello, Iowa, Sara and Staci Ensz of Newton, Eli and
Brooke Faulhaber of Valley Center; one great-great-grandson, Cristian Ray
Taylor; and many nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors.
She was preceded in death by her siblings, Helen Page,
Loucetta Hoffman, Bill Egy, Cecil Egy, Dale Egy and Edwin "Tote" Egy.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Baker
Funeral Home in Peabody.
Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Baker Funeral
Home in Peabody. Burial will be private.
Memorials may be made to the Methodist Church of Peabody or
to Kansas Christian Home.
