Wendell Merritt, 76, of Irwin County, Georgia, died Wednesday, June 12, 2013, at Tift Regional Medical Center in Tifton.
Funeral services will be held 11 AM, Saturday, June 15, 2013, at the Paulk Funeral Home Chapel in Fitzgerald with the Rev. Dan Hayes and the Rev. David Ash officiating. Interment will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends Friday evening from 7 to 9 at the funeral home in Fitzgerald.
Mr. Merritt was born October 22, 1936, in Nashville, Georgia to the late Clayton and Ada Paulk Merritt. He lived in the community most of his life and was a former office and plant manager for Elixir Industries in Fitzgerald. He was a member of the Church of the Nazarene and grew up in Brushy Creek Primitive Baptist Church.
He is survived by his wife: Jacquelyn Merritt of Irwin County; three sons: Mark Merritt of Milledgeville, Mike Merritt of Fitzgerald, and Mell and Tonya Merritt of Gray; grandchildren: Montana, Oliver, Katie, Callie, Rylea, Courtney, and Carson, one great-granddaughter: Lacey; brother: Gerald & Nell Merritt of Irwin County; sister: Joyce Merritt Carter of Fernandina Beach, Florida and two sisters-in-law: Wanda Merritt of Brunswick and Bertice Merritt of Gainesville. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by six brothers and two sisters: Don Merritt, Bob Merritt, Ralph Merritt, Winston Merritt, Carroll Merritt, Myrtle Merritt, Dona Merritt and Georgeann Winslow.