Adelia "Dea" Church

Rites for Mrs. Adelia "Dea" Church - Funeral services were conducted this afternoon at 2 o'clock in the Ruhland-Murdock chapel for Mrs. Adelia "Dea" (Merrick) Church, 84, who died from Pneumonia, Friday in St. Joseph's Hospital in Wichita, Kansas. Mrs. Church had spent the past week there in the hospital. The Rev. Clayton Pittman officiated. Mrs. Beryl Millner was the soloist and accompanist was Mrs. Marjorie Fowler. Burial was in the Old Pleasant View cemetery. Pallbearers were Leonard "Grant", Walter, Percy, Jim and Clark Merrick, Wayne Sullivan and Vernie Marshall, all nephews of Mrs. Church. Mrs. Church was born April 27, 1874, in Lawton, the daughter of pioneering settler, Walter and Lucinda (Bryant) Merrick. Mrs. Church married John Lee Church, June 5, 1892 in the home of her Mother and Father-in-law, Andrew Jackson and Charlotta "Lottie" (Burg) Church. She had spent her entire life in this vicinity and the past 30 years in Columbus, Kansas. She had been making her home with her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Mettia (Dorsey) Church, in Wichita for the last year. Mrs. Church and her husband operated a restaurant and a grocery store in Lawton, Kansas for 20 years before selling out and coming to Columbus in 1929, residing at 305 N. Minnesota. Serving as under-sheriff/constable under sheriff Dick Helman during the mid 1920's, and serving as sheriff from 1923-1927, Part of their job was to transport abandoned and orphan children to the shelter (near Columbus). Mrs. Church had served as Probation Matron since 1924. She was a member of the Methodist Church. Willard "Howard" Church was their only child that lived to adulthood. He preceded Mrs Church in death in June 21, 1939 with a heart ailment. John Lee Church had died at the couples home, December 22, 1943, at the age of 73 years, 4 months and 22 days following several months illness with a heart ailment. Survivors besides the daughter-in-law include two brothers, Orville Vincent Merrick of Columbus Route One and Charles "Frank" Merrick of Weir Route One; two sisters, Mrs. Harriet "Hattie" (Merrick) York and Miss May Merrick both of Columbus Route One, one Granddaughter, Mary Velma (Church) and husband, Wilbur "Lee" Wells, one grandson, Dorsey "Eldon" Church, several nieces and nephews and three great grandchildren. Mrs. Church was preceded in death by two sisters, Almira "Mira" (Merrick) Hall (1949), and two brothers, Albert J. Merrick (1931) and George C. Andrew Merrick (1944)

Adelia and John Lee Church got married June 5, 1892 in Columbus, Kansas