Marvella E. Mertins

THE DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM AND HILDA (TOLLEFSON) SANDS, SHE WAS BORN APRIL 9, 1923, IN EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN.

AFTER GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL IN HAYWARD, WISCONSIN, SHE MOVED TO CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. SHE MET JOHN MERTINS AT THE U.S.O. CLUB AT GREAT LAKES NAVAL BASE IN CHICAGO, WHERE HE WAS STATIONED. SHE AND JOHN MERTINS WERE MARRIED ON JUNE 13, 1944, IN FREEPORT, HIS HOME TOWN. THEY WERE MARRIED 45 YEARS WHEN HE PASSED AWAY ON JUNE 10, 1989. AFTER HE DIED SHE RETIRED TO BOCA RATON, FLORIDA.

SHE WAS AN ACTIVE VOLUNTEER AT FREEPORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND SERVED AS THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE RE-ORGANIZED “PINK LADIES”. SHE WAS A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE LADIES ELKS OF BPOE #617 OF FREEPORT AND HELD MANY OFFICES IN THE GROUP. SHE WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE FREEPORT VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS AUXILIARY AND THE ELKETTES OF BOCA RATON, LODGE #2741. SHE WAS AN AVID GOLFER AND A MEMBER OF THE BOCA DUNES COUNTRY CLUB LADIES GOLF LEAGUE, WHERE SHE ALSO HELD MANY POSITIONS.

SHE WAS A MEMBER OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS PARISH IN FREEPORT AND A CURRENT MEMBER OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES PARISH IN BOCA RATON.

SHE IS SURVIVED BY ONE DAUGHTER, SUSAN MERTINS-JONES (RICHARD), OF BOCA RATON, FLORIDA AND THREE SONS, JAMES OF RENO, NEVADA, WILLIAM OF ST. ROSE, LOUISIANA, AND JOHN OF MARRERO, LOUISIANA. SHE HAD THREE GRANDCHILDREN, AMANDA AND ROBERT OF ST. ROSE, LOUISIANA AND ZACHARY OF RENO, NEVADA. SHE HAD ONE GREAT-GRANDSON, AUSTIN, OF ST. ROSE, LOUISIANA.

SHE WAS PRECEEDED IN DEATH BY HER HUSBAND, PARENTS AND TWO SISTERS.

THE BOCA RATON MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD AT 9:30AM ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012, AT OUR LADY OF LOURDES CATHOLIC CHURCH IN BOCA RATON, FLORIDA.

THERE WILL ALSO BE A FUNERAL MASS AT A FUTURE DATE AT ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CATHOLIC CHURCH IN FREEPORT, ILLINOIS. HER FINAL RESTING PLACE WILL BE CALVARY CEMETERY IN FREEPORT, NEXT TO HER BELOVED HUSBAND, JOHN.