Delores Merkley

Delores Richards Merkley, age 97 years, passed away at her home in Vernal, on Thursday, December 11, 2025, after a long and productive life. Delores was born April 17, 1928, in Vernal, Utah, to Lloyd & Bertha Richards. She was the third of four children, and only daughter.

Delores had a wonderful, carefree life with other young girls and boys in Maeser. She loved school and learning. She attended Maeser School until 8th grade and started 9th grade at Uintah High School in 1942. She was known by her high school friends as "Dody" (with long o). When she graduated from Uintah in 1946, she received a $25 full-tuition scholarship to Utah State Agricultural College in Logan. She also attended LDS Business College.

Delores knew Evert all through high school, but it wasn't until after the war that they met at a dance at the Imperial Hall. Thus, began their courtship. They were married on October 29, 1947 in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of five children: David, Clayton, Colleen, Brent, and Kevin. They raised their children in Maeser where they learned to work on the farm, but also enjoyed being in the mountains where they had a cabin. They always had dairy cows to milk and other farm animals. There are many memories of Mom making pink popcorn balls and homemade rootbeer made with yeast.

Delores used and shared the talents she had learned. She sewed her own white satin wedding dress. She learned to make the Colonial Girl Quilt tops with her mother. She took a class on Free-Hand Machine Embroidery and developed that talent. She learned to quilt on her sewing machine, which cut the time down so much from quilting by hand. She taught many, many people how to piece quilts, crochet, knit, tatting, or machine embroidery. For 20 years, she worked at the Bernina store in St. George teaching many quilting classes. She was still piecing quilts and quilting them with the sewing machine until she was 95 years old.

Delores was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has a testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. She loved serving others. She was always asked to serve as Relief Society President in the places they lived (Vernal, Tucson, Arizona, and St. George)---4 times as Relief Society President and once as Stake Relief Society President.

Evert and Delores served three missions to: Manila, Philippines; Cove Fort, Utah; and Nauvoo, Illinois. In Nauvoo, she sewed many pioneer clothes for the missionaries serving there. They also served as Temple Ordinance Workers in the St. George Temple and the Vernal Temple.

Delores was grateful for her heritage and her pioneer ancestors. She had a love for family history work and spent hours and hours gathering and typing histories. Then, she would make copies to hand out to her children and grandchildren during a family reunion.

Delores was grateful for her growing-up years where she learned to be frugal and make do with what she had, to fix it, or mend it. She knew how to work hard--in the home, on the farm, or in a Church calling. She loved taking walks each day from her home down around the temple and back and was still going for short walks with her walker, even at 97 years old.

She was adored by her grandchildren and they have many memories of spending holidays/summer vacations in St. George at Grandma & Grandpa Merkley's. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother and will truly be missed by all who knew her. There is joy on the other side of the veil with people who love her as much as we do.

Evert passed away 7 years ago and she missed him every day. Delores passed from this life on December 11, 2025. The next day, December 12th, was Evert's birthday. He received a wonderful, early birthday present.

Delores is survived by her children: David, of Vernal; Colleen (Mitch) Clark, of Vernal; Brent (Celeste) Merkley, Nampa, Idaho; and Kevin (Valerie), Emmett, Idaho.

26 grandchildren and 52 great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Evert; her parents, Lloyd and Bertha Richards; a son, Clayton Merkley; brothers, Vernon, Shirley, and Laddie Richards; and two great-grandchildren.

A special thanks to those from Rocky Mountain Home Health/Hospice, her caregiver, neighbors, and relatives for their love and support.

Funeral services for Delores will be held, Saturday, December 20, 2025 at 11:00am at the Glines 3rd Ward LDS Church, 475 West 100 South. Visitation for family and friends will be held Friday from 6:00pm ~ 8:00pm at the Phillips Ashley Valley Funeral Home and Saturday from 9:45am ~ 10:45am at the chapel. Interment in the Maeser Fairview Cemetery under the direction of the Phillips Ashley Valley Funeral Home.