Mervyn John Willie passed away September 28,2006 at the Logan Regional Hospital with his family at his side. He was born January 19, 1925 in Mendon, Utah to Allen Leroy and Ethel Almanda Hill Willie.

He was raised in Mendon and graduated from South Cache High School. Mervyn served in the armed forces during World War II as an artillery man in the South Pacific. After his release from the military in 1946, he continued his life long pursuit of learning. He graduated from the Utah Agricultural College with a degree in English. On June 21, 1948 he married Hedda Margene Jensen in the Logan LDS Temple. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mervyn was always a farmer and loved the land. He always had cows on the farm and in the early years of his farming career he also had chickens by the hundreds in every coop on the farm. Mervyn knew the soil and could tell by a touch of the hand when it was time to plant. He enjoyed a good crop of hay or grain and fought a pretty good battle with the sand hill cranes to see who would harvest the crop first.

He and his sons operated the Willie Dairy. When he didn't show up at the barn to milk last Tuesday everyone knew there was something seriously wrong.

Mervyn and his loving wife Margene were married for 58 years and loved to take some time away from the farm and see a new movie and just enjoy each others company. They lived in the same home in Mendon their entire married life.

Mervyn worked as a technical writer at Dugway Proving Grounds, Hill Air Force Base, and Thiokol. He also taught school in Mendon and was pleased to see a school coming back to Mendon. He frequently quoted the saying:
"A town without a school and a store isn't much of a town anymore."

During his technical writing years he always kept the farming operation alive with his children learning to milk the cows and harvest the crops under his direction.

Mervyn loved a good game of checkers, or chess and offered a reward to any of the grandchildren who could beat him at checkers. He was always learning and keeping every one on their toes. If someone came to visit, there was always a trivia question waiting to be answered or a trick game to be played. He loved to play cards and taught the grand children to play Rook and a very competitive game of ping pong. He founded the Willie Family Ping Pong Tournament and claimed the traveling trophy for many years until he reluctantly relinquished it to his children and grandchildren.

Mervyn never traveled far from Mendon except through his books. Probably more than anything, Mervyn loved to read. He was conversant in politics, history, geography and science because of the things he read. Wallace Stegner, Earnest Hemmingway and Robert Frost were some of his favorite authors. At the time of his death he was thoroughly engrossed in Carl Sagan's book Cosmos and felt that it should be required reading for everyone.

When his children were growing up he seldom went out to milk until 9 or 10 p.m. because he so enjoyed doing homework or playing games with his kids.

He was characteristically quiet and reserved and enjoyed simple things. He possessed an incredible set of values. His gentle manner, his sense of humor and love for all things that were good in life will be cherished forever. He loved his family and made it possible for each of his children to receive their college education.

He is survived by his wife Margene, and four children: Mary Jean (Ron) Campbell, Paul (Kim) Willie, Dean Willie, all of Mendon, David (Melanie) Willie of Highland, a sister, Edna Eldredge of Moreland, Idaho, and grandchildren: Kent Campbell, Robert Campbell, Camille Randall, Katherine Child, Kristine Willie, Leslie Soelberg, Janna Willie, Brent Willie, Preston Willie, Connor Willie and seven great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by two infant brothers and his parents.

Funeral services will be held Monday, October 2, 2006 in the Mendon/Petersboro LDS chapel at 12:00 noon. A viewing will be held Sunday, October 1st from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Allen Hall Mortuary. and also prior to the funeral from 10:30 to 11 :30 a.m. at the Mendon/Petersboro church building. Interment will be in the Mendon City Cemetery. Condolences may be extended to the family at Allen Mortuaries.