Letha Mae (Tatum) Merkle

Letha Mae (Tatum) Merkle age 82 passed away on April 7, 2023 in Saint Maries, Idaho.

Letha was born January 22, 1941 in Abilene, TX to Letha Dorr (Tedford) and Joe Banks Tatum.

She was the youngest of seven children. Letha graduated from Abilene High School in 1958 and on September 12, 1958 she married James William Merkle. Letha and Jim had three children while living in Abilene. In 1967 the family moved to Kirkland, WA. Letha worked for Safeway Stores, INC as a meat wrapper for 30 years before retiring in 1997. She then worked part-time for Weight Watchers for seven years. She and Jim lived in Kirkland, WA; Bellevue, WA; Sand Point, ID and back to Kirkland before moving to Snohomish, WA in 1989 where they retired.

Letha was preceded in death by her husband Jim on January 27, 2010, her daughter Lisa (Merkle) Jones in 1999; two grandsons Cory and James Jones in 2008; one great-grandson Noah Lozano in 2011; her parents Letha and Joe; two sisters, Helen Reeder of Abilene and Marjorie Green of Las Vegas; three brothers, Bob and Jack Tatum both of Abilene and Douglas of Las Vegas.

Letha is survived by two sons, Roger (Nora) Merkle of Plummer, ID and Greg Merkle of Elma,

WA; three granddaughters, Aubree (Troy) Lozano of St. Maries, ID; Carly (Lee) Sinkovic of

Buckley, WA; Katelyn (Brett) Calton of Clarksville, TN; 12 great grandchildren, Tanner Palacios

and Shayden Mabrito, Waylon and Wyatt Sinkovic, Wesley and Brooks Calton, Chad Lozano,

Brandon (Natalia) Liam and Logan Lozano, Lukas Lozano, Ashton Lozano, Ellie and Anna

Lozano; one sister, Mary Ann Soe of Nevada, IA, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Graveside interment will be June 28th at 10 AM at Cypress Memorial Park in Everett. Following

interment there will be a Memorial Service at Evergreen Funeral Home beginning at 11 AM with

reception to follow.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Evergreen-FH.com for the Merkle family.