Merle Thomas Brantmeier (74) of Durand, WI died Sunday, September 29, 2013 at his home after a long struggle with cancer. He was born May 21, 1939 in Menasha, WI; son of Urban & Florence (Strebe) Brantmeier. He attended St. Mary's Catholic School and Menasha High School. Merle then joined the United States Army.
On March 13, 1965 he married Myrna Hughes in Minneapolis, MN. They lived in Minneapolis until moving to River Falls, WI in August of 1969. In his younger years Merle drove cab and city bus in Minneapolis. He then started truck driving for Salem Carpet, he continued over the road until the mid-nineties. He then drove for Trimodal in Minneapolis until his retirement. Following his retirement, Merle and Myrna moved to Durand.
He enjoyed bowling, hunting, and fishing and was a big fan of NASCAR. Merle enjoyed reading about trucks and cars and enjoyed spending his spare time visiting the local dealerships around River Falls, drinking coffee and learning what was new in the auto business. Merle especially enjoyed the home cooked food lovingly prepared by his wife, Myrna.
Merle was a member of the United Methodist Church in Durand and a member of the River Falls American Legion.
He is survived by his wife, Myrna Brantmeier of Durand, WI; children, Kimberly (Richard) Sturms of Phoenix, AZ, Tamara (Michael) Dayton- Brantmeier of Menomonie, WI, Jeffrey (Brigette) Brantmeier of Belgrade, MT; grandchildren, Joshua & Sarah Martin, Jessica Sturms, Ruben Dayton-Brantmeier, Sophee & Laurel Brantmeier; great-grandchildren, Carlos & Abraham Ortiz-Martin , Aiden Martin; brother, Russell (Leone) Brantmeier of Menasha, WI; sister-in-law, Ruth Brantmeier of Manasha, WI; many nieces and nephews.
A special Thank-you to the Medical and Radiology Oncology staff at Sacred Heart Hospital and to the Mayo Clinic Health Systems Home Health & Hospice.
Memorial services with military rites will be held 11:00 am on Friday, October 4, 2013 at United Methodist Church in Durand with Pastor Tammy Clausen officiating. Burial will be at a later date at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. A visitation for family & friends will be Thursday from 5:00 - 8:00 pm at Goodrich Funeral Home in Durand and also one hour prior to services at the church on Friday. To express condolences on-line visit obituaries at www.goodrichfh.com
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to: Marshfield Clinic Cancer Care at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire.
Visitation
OCT 3. 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM (CDT)
Goodrich Funeral Home
118 East Madison Street
Durand, WI 54736
Visitation
OCT 4. 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (CDT)
Durand United Metodist Church
509 1st Ave.
Durand, WI 54736
Service
OCT 4. 11:00 AM (CDT)
Durand United Metodist Church
509 1st Ave.
Durand, WI 54736
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Merle Thomas Brantmeier, please visit our floral store.