Yvonne Merrill
| Date of Interment or Death | 06/30/2026 |
|---|---|
| Location | Garden of the Christus |
| Block and Lot | 129B |
| Grave | 2 |
Obituary
On the morning of Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019, our mother, Yvonne Lucille Merrill, 75, passed from this world at the Schneidmill Hospice House of North Idaho after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke July 31 in Coeur d’Alene.
She was born in Breckenridge, Minn., on June 26, 1944, to Elmer and Martha Berndt and grew up in Wahpeton, N.D. She went on to become a CNA in Minot, N.D., where she met our father, James W. Merrill, while he was stationed there at the Air Force base. When our dad was transferred to Hawaii, Mom went with him and they were married Dec. 13, 1968.
They proceeded to live the Air Force life, moving to Albuquerque, N.M., back to Minot, N.D., and then eventually moving to the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley in 1980, when James became the local Air Force recruiter. They raised two children along the way and were married almost 51 years.
Yvonne worked for a number of years at ATK before retiring and becoming a home keeper and wife. Her years there were priceless, for she developed many strong, close friendships that she maintained her whole life. Our mother always talked about her Friday morning breakfast meetings with the girls, or meeting her close friends for coffee or a movie. Our parents have many close friends that are considered family. They enjoyed getting together for dinner, numerous bunco parties, visiting local wineries and exploring area restaurants. Mom also enjoyed gardening. Her backyard is always beautiful and her potted flowers are gorgeous.
According to Mom, being a grandparent is the best thing ever. She doted on her two grandsons, who she affectionately called “her boys,” and spending time with them was priceless. Mom also had a special place in her heart for Cassidy Spencer, the granddaughter she never had, and enjoyed watching her grow up. She attended her numerous plays, drama performances and graduation. She always greeted her children and grandchildren with the best hugs, the kind that you can hold on to forever.
Yvonne is survived by her husband and best friend, James Merrill; her daughter, Kimberly Merrill (Rod Taylor); her son, Duane (Kelly) Merrill; grandsons Nolan and Liam Merrill; brothers Larry (Cheryl) Berndt and Ricky Berndt; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles and aunts. She was preceded in death by her parents, Elmer and Martha Berndt; and her brother, Wayne Berndt.
We would like to sincerely thank Dr. Patricia Brady, who took such good care of our mother for so many years, the entire staff at the critical care unit at Kootenai Medical Center and the wonderful staff of the Schneidmill Hospice House of North Idaho, who took such compassionate care of her in her final days.
We are planning a life celebration gathering from noon until 3 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Nest (formerly Daily’s Bakery), 700 Sixth St., Clarkston. Everyone is welcome to stop by and share their memories of our mom — there are so many. We will always love her and miss her dearly.
Location
The Garden of the Christus is located in the Memorial Gardens, which comprises the northern half of the cemetery.