Merlin “Mert” Van Wyk, 68, of Lynnville, passed away July 19, 2021, at Unity Point Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines. Funeral services were at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 23, at Taintor Community Church. Burial was in the Highland Cemetery in New Sharon. Memorials may be directed to Taintor Community Church or Lynnville Fire Department.
Merlin “Mert” Dean Van Wyk was born Feb. 21, 1953, in Mahaska County to Guysbert and Esther (Van Gent) Van Wyk. He attended school at Searsboro and Lynnville-Sully. Mert married Linda Van Kooten in 1972 and to this union three children were born: Melissa, Marlo, and Marty. Mert married Deb Holdsworth on Aug. 6, 1988, and to this union four children were born: Rhonda, Emily, Jess, and Jessica. Mert worked part-time at Kruseman Implement before going full-time at the age of 17. He worked as a mechanic for 37 years before going to Diamond Life in Montezuma and working in maintenance, retiring in 2019. All the residents called him Papa. Mert enjoyed fishing, woodworking, camping, the Iowa State Fair, Good Guys, Old Threshers, and his 1965 Chevy truck. His family and grandkids were very important to him. He was a member of Taintor Community Church and a long-time member of the Lynnville Fire Department.
Mert was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Jess Dean Van Wyk; and his mother-in-law, Grandma B.
He is survived by his wife and soulmate, Deb; his children, Melissa (Greg) Schooley of Solon, Marlo (Stefanie) Van Wyk of Sully, Marty (Daminika Vander Weerdt) Van Wyk of Lynnville, Rhonda (Paul) Carpenter of Lynnville, Emily (Josh) DeWitt of Lynnville, and Jessica (Austin) Hudson of Newton; 15 grandchildren; his siblings, Bev (Dale) Flander of Lynnville, Donavan (Ruth) Van Wyk of Sully, Mark (Marylou) Van Wyk of Lynnville, and Randy (Jeanie) Van Wyk of Lynnville; as well as many other relatives and friends.
