Wanda Elizabeth Merkel

Wanda Elizabeth (Lewis) Merkel was born May 16, 1925 and left this earth December 16, 2020 due to complications from a stroke. She was born to George Lewis and Cora (Elkins) Lewis in Sesser, Illinois. She attended Hazel Dell School and attended Horse Prairie Baptist Church. She married Harold Merkel on February 12, 1944 in Abilene, Texas before Harold left to serve in World War II. Wanda worked at Sears and Roebuck in Chicago, Illinois during the war.

After her husband Harold came back to the states they lived in Chicago, IL where their first daughter Jeannine (Merkel) Zaiger was born July 27, 1946. They later moved to Wiley, Colorado where their second daughter Mary Kay (Merkel) Livingston was born in Lamar, Colorado on February 2, 1950. Their son Harold Lee Merkel was born in Flagler, Colorado on January 4, 1952. Their third daughter Cheryl Ann (Merkel) Weaver was born on March 7, 1954 in Lamar, CO. The family moved to Colorado Springs in 1957 when Pioneer hired Harold to build the roads at the Air Force Academy. Wanda lived in Widefield until 2006, when she moved to the northern part of Colorado Springs. Wanda worked as an Independent Distributor for Shaklee Vitamins for over 60 years. She enjoyed traveling, sewing, cooking, canning, and spending time with her large family.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 51 years Harold Merkel, her parents George & Cora Lewis, her siblings Vella Blaze, Olen Lewis, Theda Cockrum, Stanley Lewis and her grandson Timothy Ellefson Jr.

She is survived by her four children Jeannine (Dennis) Zaiger of Colorado Springs, Mary Kay Livingston of Mesa, AZ, Harold (Rhonda) Merkel of Gilbert, AZ, and Cheryl Weaver of Colorado Springs. She is survived by her sister Mary Koeber of Walnut Creek, California.

She is also survived by her grandchildren Nickie Livingston, Kimberly Zaiger, Carol Kurkowski, Tera Taylor, Stacey Merkel, Jeff Zaiger, Adam Spence, Kellie Warne, Rachel Merkel, Steve Zaiger, and Mandy Gallegos. She is also survived by 25 Great Grandchildren Torrie (Boyle) Clark, Tanna Boyle, Jessica Milner, Kayla (Kurkowski) Edwards, DeAnn Warne, Sarah Milner, Seff Spence, Corri Zaiger, Gus (AJ) Warne, Jason Kurkowski, Taylor Zaiger, Andrew Milner, Kari Taylor, Katelyn Zaiger, Hagen Ellefson, Brinley Santana, Ellise Spence, Chase Zaiger, Stephanie Taylor, Addison Zaiger,, Hunter Huff, Haley Gallegos, Abigail Gallegos, Cayleb Huff, Jesse Gallegos and 1 Great Great Grandchild Arlo Clark.

Wanda Merkel’s Memorial service will be a private service for the family at Vista Grande Baptist Church, Colorado Springs at 10:30 a.m. on December 28, 2020. She will be laid to rest at Memorial Gardens at 1:00 p.m. on December 28, 2020.

Wanda Merkel’s Memorial will be live streamed at https://www.facebook.com/vgbc.org/ or www.vgbc.org/youtube starting Monday.