Merle J. Mccoun

Merle Joseph McCoun, 81 of Wood River, Nebraska, died Friday, October 28, 2016 at CHI St. Francis Health in Grand Island surrounded by his family.



Funeral Services will be 10:30 A.M. Friday, November 4, 2016 at the First United Methodist Church in Wood River. The Reverend Phil Sloat will be officiating. Interment will be in the Westlawn Memorial Park in Grand Island.



Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 3, 2016 at the First United Methodist Church in Wood River. Memorials are suggested to the church and Wood River Fire and Rescue Apfel Funeral Home is assisting the family.



Merle was born on September 5, 1935 in Royal, Nebraska to Bernard and Winifred Willats. He grew up in Grand Island and graduated from Grand Island Senior High School in 1954. He was united in marriage to Gloria Boltz on December 8, 1957. They moved to Wood River in 1965.



He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Wood River and also a member of the Saddle Club. He was a self employed mechanic and owned McCoun Truck Parts. He retired in 1999. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, rebuilding antique cars and tractors, working at the golf course and tinkering on anything he could find that needed fixed. Merle enjoyed spending time with the family at their cabin at Sherman County Reservoir. He built the cabin in the 1967 and spent the next 50 years making memories with children, grandchildren, family and friends.



Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Gloria; sons and daughters-in-law, Mark and Cyndi McCoun of Republican City and Barry and Barb McCoun of Wood River; daughter and son-in-law, Tracey and Doug Roth of Cairo; grandchildren, Jennifer and Joel Blecha, Kristin McCoun, Sydney McCoun, Jack McCoun, Zachary Roth and Madalyn Roth, Bruce and Melissa Williamson, Marc Williamson and Dustin Williamson; great-grandchildren, Jocelyn McNabb, Jericho Blecha.



Merle was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Donald McCoun; and infant daughter, Kimberly McCoun.