Beulah "Bobbie" Merrell

The youngest of seven children, Bobbie was born in Irondale, Mo., four months after her father, Walter Coleman, was killed in a train accident near there. Before Bobbie was seven years old, she lost her mother Bertha (Tullock) Coleman to cancer. Bobbie grew up at Missouri Baptist Children’s Home in Bridgeton, which she often praised as a warm, caring atmosphere that nurtured her life-long Christian faith.

On March 30, 1946, she married a returning WWII sailor, William Donald “Don” Merrell, in St. Louis. They raised four children in the house Don built in O’Fallon. The Merrells were active in several area Baptist congregations over the years: First Baptist of O’Fallon, Shiloh Baptist, Sterling Heights, Lakeview and Towerview. Bobbie became well known for her flaky pie crusts and fragrant crescent rolls. For many years she packed dozens of shoe boxes every Christmas to donate to children around the world through Samaritan’s Purse. Even in her final years she sorted through mountains of donation requests each day, favoring hungry children and hurting animals.

Don and Bobbie were married 63 years before he died in 2009. Bobbie is survived by their four children; Sue Merrell of Grand Rapids, MI; Tom (Dee) Merrell of Spring, TX; Bruce (Janet) Merrell of Walnut Hill, IL and John (Kelly) Merrell of St. Charles, MO. Beloved grandchildren include Ryan Wallace of Grand Rapids, MI; Luke (Poppy) Merrell of Arlington, VA; Shelby Merrell of Belleville and Lauren (Dalton) Edwards of Troy, Mo. Bobbie also enjoyed her three great-grandchildren: Lily and Haylie Hurst and Kyler Zaring.

Although orphaned at an early age, Bobbie was very close to her siblings, especially her sister Lena (Carl) Baker who lived in O’Fallon; sister Opal (Charlie) Smith and brother Rolla (Vi) Coleman of the St. Louis area. She kept up a long-distance bond with siblings who moved to California: Hazel (Dixon)Tharp, Larry (Pat) Coleman and Floyd (Kathryn) Coleman. All are deceased.

A great listener and cheerful encourager, Bobbie became second mom and adopted grandma to many as a leader of the girl’s auxiliary at her church, a cub scout den mother and the favorite aunt of many nieces and nephews. Among this adopted family are Gaila Young of Fairview and her sons Jake and Gabriel.

A visitation will be held on Monday, April 8, 2024 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Towerview Baptist Church, 2401 Lebanon Ave., Belleville, IL 62221. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 11:00am at Towerview Baptist Church. Interment will follow in Lake View Memorial Gardens.