Friday, December 14, 2018

Merle Searles



          Onita Merle Searles, 89, recently of Morgantown, WV and formerly of Cameron, OK, passed away on Friday, December 14, 2018 at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown after a brief illness.
      Merle was born on August 9, 1929 in Lodi, OK to the late Newton Oscar and Myrtle (Midgley) Hill.  She grew up in Poteau, OK and went to work at Central National Bank in Poteau as a teller.  While working there, she met the love of her life, Clarence Patrick “Pat” Searles. They married in 1951 and Merle followed Pat all over the world, living in Venezuela; Tripoli, Libya; Singapore; Bossier City, LA; and Bay City, TX.  After Pat retired from Dow Chemical in 1983, they moved to his farm near Cameron where they lived together until his death in 2017.  Merle continued living on their farm in Cameron until moving to Morgantown over Thanksgiving 2018.
        Merle was preceded in death by her loving husband of over 65 years, Clarence Patrick “Pat” Searles of Cameron, and by her brothers Jerry Thomas Hill and Charley Neal Hill.  She is survived by two daughters, Deborah Louise Spencer of Coventry, RI, and Patti Bradbury and husband John of Morgantown; two granddaughters, Kelly Spencer of Coventry, RI and Sirena Spencer of Tulsa, OK; one brother, Joe Hill and wife Sandra of Oklahoma City, OK; two sisters, Nona Carmack and husband Roy Don of Poteau, and Letha Pope and husband Buddy of Pocola, OK; and many other relatives, loved ones, and friends.
         Merle loved to cook wonderful meals and desserts for family and friends, who loved to eat them, as she was an excellent cook.  She also loved to make beautiful quilts and to play Uno, taking great delight in playing the “Wild Draw 4” card on her son-in-law John who she always managed to sit next to at the card table.  In her younger days she was an avid bridge player, photographer, and golfer.  She always took excellent care of her family as they lived in and travelled the world for many years before settling onto the farm in Cameron.  She nurtured many pet dogs (especially her border collie mix Perra), cats, and other animals (some exotic) over the years, including naming many of the cows that Pat raised on the farm for slaughter. Merle was especially devoted to her husband, Pat, and she missed him tremendously after he passed away last year.
           Merle’s family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses, aides, and staff at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown for their compassionate care of Merle.  Funeral services will be provided by Evans and Miller Funeral Home in Poteau. 
               Services will be 10 AM, Thursday, December 20, 2018 at First Baptist Church, Poteau.  The family will be at the funeral home on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 from 5-7 PM to visit with relatives and friends.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of choice.

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