Sally Lee Merryman

Sally Lee Burk Merryman went to her heavenly home on January 10, 2018. Sally was born on September 28, 1933 to Mabel Emma Kiggins Burk and George Dewey Burk in Tonkawa, OK. She is survived by her husband, James Ronald Merryman; sons James David Merryman of Atlanta, GA and Kenneth Mark Merryman (Shelley) of Austin, TX; grandchildren Sarah, John Burk, Julie, Josiah and Karen; and brother George Dewey Burk Jr. (Evon) of Oklahoma City, OK.

Sally graduated from Midwest City High School in Midwest City, OK with honors in 1951 and went on to attend Oklahoma A&M (now OSU). She married her college sweetheart, and loved her role as a homemaker raising their boys during multiple moves around the country, finally settling in Dallas, TX in the neighborhood they called home for many years. They attended East Dallas Christian Church and later, Lake Highlands Christian Church, where Sally coordinated the Youth Group. She worked in several venues as the boys got older, including the communications department of the CIA, where she had a high level of clearance. Her favorite position came after the boys left home, when she worked for the Census Bureau as a Data Specialist, traveling to colleges and universities to train them in how to access and use Census data. When Jim retired they moved to the suburb of Rockwall, where Sally founded the Christian Women’s Fellowship (CWF) at the First Christian Church, volunteered with the Rockwall Historical Society, and joined the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was thrilled to become a Grandma, delighting in each developmental stage as the children grew and learned, and in giving gifts that would make them smile and laugh.

We will always remember Sally for her ability to negotiate the best price anywhere, her willingness to roll up her sleeves and work hard to help wherever she could, and her love of beautiful antiques. Sally is buried in the City Cemetery of Tahlequah, OK. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made to Alzheimer’s Texas, 3520 Executive Center Dr., Ste. 140, Austin, TX 78731 or 800-367-2132.