Glenn Hershal Merrill passed away peacefully on March 24, 2021 at the age of 94. He was born on November 24. 1926 in Enterprise, Mississippi. He served in the navy in World War II. It was then that he met and gave his life to Jesus Christ, kneeling and praying to a God he would know for the rest of his life.
After the war, he attended and graduated from Mississippi College with a major in sociology, then got his Master of Religious Education degree at Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. While there, he met and married Perla Hudson Dudley. They were deeply in love with each other and with their Lord. Perhaps
the signature of their home was that they loved to make music, always singing and playing the piano. Glenn served on staff in numerous churches in the states of Texas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Florida, and eventually became a district manager at the Mobile Press-Register.
Glenn and Perla had three sons, Glenn Elliott Merrill, Lee Merrill, and Randall Merrill. Perla passed away in 1987 after a long illness. More recently, in June of 2019, Glenn Elliott also passed away. Glenn’s brother, Wallace Merrill and sister, Emma Claire Whitten, both preceded him in death, as well. He is survived by his two remaining sons, two daughters-in-law, Linn Merrill and Mary Merrill, six grandchildren, one great-granddaughter and one great-great-granddaughter.
Glenn was a very affirming man, and a very affectionate husband and father. He taught his three sons the Bible regularly at the breakfast table, with the result that many of the Bible stories they grew up knowing, they heard first in the familiar voice of their own father. He was good with his hands, so he made many of his sons’ toys himself, including a huge spring horse toy they called Bobbin, a brightly painted marble slide, and triple bunk beds. Perhaps his crowning achievement in this area was making Play Planks—plywood cut into strips with notched ends that worked like large but thin Lincoln logs when joined at the notches, resulting in hours of play as his sons made forts, houses, stores, and even a train engine. He put his sons to bed every night at 6:30 so that they could talk to each other in their beds as long as they wanted, which helped them learn the art of conversation— talking, listening, and lots of laughing.
We all leave an imprint on others, but his imprint was deep and certainly one of a kind. He will be deeply missed.
Condolences may be offered at www.radneyfuneralhome-mobile.com.
Please join us in celebrating Glenn’s life at Radney Funeral Home at 1200 Industrial Parkway in
Saraland. Visitation will be on Monday, April 5, 2021 from 9 a.m. until time of service at 10 a.m.
The funeral service will be on Monday, April 5, 2021 at 10 a.m. Interment will follow in
Enterprise Cemetery in Enterprise, Mississippi at 3 p.m. Condolences may be offered at
www.radneyfuneralhome-mobile.com.
