Theola M. Merrell, age 96, of Lincoln, Nebraska, passed away Friday, May 2, 2025, at Sumner Place.

Theola was born June 20, 1928, to Theodore Alfred and Ruth Elola (Snyder) Trembly in Maxwell, Nebraska.

After graduating high school, Theola entered the workforce as a waitress where she developed her social skills and formed many connections. She then shifted careers to a Nurse's Aide, drawn to the idea of helping others. This line of thought led to her final career before retirement as an In Home Care Provider. During her life, Theola loved freely. She married her first husband Faye Llyod Young on August 9, 1946. To this union was born her beloved children Donald, Charlotte, Cheryll, Robert, Donna, and Rhonda. After separating from Faye, Theola met and fell for her second husband, Robert Verle Merrell, and they were wed on November 26, 1965. With this marriage, her family was complete.

Through her years of care, Theola developed an appreciation for the quiet satisfactions of life. She could often be found tending to her crafts or completing complex jigsaw puzzles. She always loved children, being a dependable babysitter and smothering them with love and attention even in her final years. She was also a key member of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints.

Those left to cherish Theola's memory are her children Charlotte (Rick) Eisenbarth, Cheryll Vogelsburg, Robert Young, Donna (Terry) Cornelious, and Rhonda (Wes) Baldwin; grandchildren Brian (Nicole) Wagnitz, Robert Wagnitz, Benji Hoatson, Ted Bourchert, Kyle Bourchert, and many more grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents Theodore and Ruth; husbands Faye Lloyd Young and Robert Verle Merrell; son Donald Lloyd Young; and brother Robert Alfred Trembly.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, May 9, 2025, at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints with Bishop Jesse Dunn officiating. Burial will follow at Fort McPherson National Cemetery at 2 p.m. Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 8, 2025, from 12-5 p.m. at Carpenter Memorial Chapel, which has been entrusted with arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the family for future designation.