United States High School Yearbooks by County
MENG
Georgia Pauline Meng
Georgia Pauline Meng died in Woodland Friday, April 26, 2002, at age 79.
Born Aug. 3, 1922, in Colusa, Mrs. Meng had been a Yolo County resident for 60 years.
She was the daughter of Earl and Pauline (Pratt) Tucker. She graduated from Pierce High School in Arbuckle in 1940.
She worked as a medical secretary for years and kept books for the family business.
She was a past president of the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion Post 77.
According to her family members, "she was a long time 49ers fan and loved gardening."
Mrs. Meng is survived by her husband, W.B (Pat) Meng; daughters, Janice Parker and husband Dale of Frisco, Texas; Beverly Wright and husband Don of Woodland; stepchildren, Bill Meng of Woodland, Keith Meng and wife Terry of Old Shasta, Kathy Palmiter and husband Richard of Bodega Bay; sister, Velma (Butch) Pera of San Rafael; 14 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service is scheduled at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, at American Legion Post 77.
The family requests memorials be directed to Yolo Hospice, P.O. Box 1014, Davis, 95616.
Nautilus Society of Sacramento is assisting the family with arrangements.
MENGALI
Douglas Paul Mengali
Douglas Paul Mengali died at his home in Woodland Monday, April 18, 2005 at age 63.
Mr. Mengali was born Dec. 20, 1941 in Sonora.
His family moved to Arbuckle in the early '50s to continue the family agricultural business.
He graduated from Bishop Armstrong High School in Sacramento in 1959.
He graduated from CSU Sacramento in 1963.
He established Mengali's Florist from 1966 and was involved in the business until 1975.
He was a longtime member of the Yolo Fliers Country Club in Woodland and was club champion in 1982 and senior club champion in 2003.
He also volunteered for the Yolo County Can-Tree Organization.
Survivors include Mr. Mengali's wife, Karen Sternes-Mengali; his sons, Anthony Mengali and Brendan Mengali; his stepdaughter, Megan Lebov and his stepsons, Jason Hutchins and Andrew Lebov.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Dorothy Mengali.
Services: A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 2 p.m. today, Thursday at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 301 Walnut St., Woodland with burial to follow at Woodland Cemetery.
McNary's Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.
MERCHANT
George E. Merchant
George E. Merchant, 81, a retired orthodontist from Redwood City and Burlingame died Jan. 20, 2002 of pneumonia due to complications from a multiple hip fracture. He was surrounded by his five children and granddaughter, Shannon Lantis, at the time of his death.
Dr. Merchant was a resident of Atherton from 1950-1964, Woodside from 1964-1986 and Auburn/Sacramento from 1986 until his death. Born in Vacaville on Nov. 10, 1920 he was raised in Winters on a ranch producing apricots, peaches, walnuts, almonds, plums, prunes, grapes, figs and livestock. He graduated from Winters High School in 1938 and from UCSF School of Dentistry in 1943.
In December 1941, Dr. Merchant was drafted into the army and upon graduation sworn in as an officer and ordered to active duty at Carlisle Barracks Pennsylvania, Camp Ellis Illinois, and the Fort Lewis Washington dental clinic, readying troops for overseas duty. He was assigned to the Hawaiian Air Command, the 793rd Anti-Aircraft, Hickam Field and Pearl Harbor. On Oct. 11, 1945 he married Jacqueline Davenport of Dixon. He completed his military service at Fort Ord.
Dr. Merchant started his 40-year orthodontic practice in Redwood City and by 1948 added a second practice in Burlingame two days a week. He was an active participant in the lives of his children and will be greatly missed. While living in Woodside, he spent many hours at Springdown Farm as a devoted Portola Valley Pony Club father and gave uncounted weekends hauling a horse trailer around Northern California for Jackie’s Combined Training Events. After his retirement from dentistry in 1986, he embarked on a new career building and operating car washes with his son Greg. Above all else he was a devoted family man.
Dr. Merchant is survived by his children Greg Merchant of Sacramento, Cathie Peterson of Atherton, Debbie Briggs of Sacramento, Jackie Merchant of Sacramento, Yvette Merchant of San Francisco; sisters, Barbara McMurry of San Rafael, Beverly Leggett of Roseville and Carol Johnson of Roseville; and six grandchildren. A family memorial was held on Saturday, Feb. 2.
MEREDITH
V. W. Meredith
V. W. Meredith died following a short illness Friday, March 1, 2002 in Marshall Hospital in Placerville at age 78.
Born Aug. 19, 1923, in Roscoe, Texas, Mr. Meredith had been a Pollock Pines resident for 20 years. He was raised and educated in Woodland. He graduated from Woodland High School in 1941. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1946. He worked for Marysville Tractor Co., Allis Chalmers Tractor Co., and McCormack-Morgan Equipment Co. He then worked for 17 years for Brown-Bevis Equipment Co. in South San Francisco as the business office manager and a corporate officer. He retired in 1975. He was semi-pro softball player. His team is in the Woodland Softball Hall of Fame. He was very interested in electronics, and he enjoyed fishing.
Mr. Meredith is survived by his wife, Mary Meredith of Pollock Pines; daughter, Karla Garvey of Pittsburg; sons, William Charles Meredith of Woodland, Daniel B. Meredith of Cameron Park, and Mark Alan Meredith of Woodland; stepdaughter, Vonnie Miller of La Quinta; and stepsons, Fred Bailard of Woodland and Rick Bailard of La Quinta.
He is also survived by his sister, Nona Mae Garrison of Capay; 19 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service is scheduled at 11 a.m. Friday, March 8, at Bryan-Braker Funeral Home, 1850 West Texas St., Fairfield, with Pastor Rick Bailard of Southwest Community Church, Indian Well officiating.
Inurnment will be in the Rockville Cemetery, 4219, Suisun Valley Road, Suisun. There will be a military honors at the Cemetery.
The family requests memorials be directed to the charity of the donor's choice.
Bryan-Braker Funeral Home of Fairfield is assisting the family with arrangements.
MERRILL
Nancy (Becket) Merrill
Nancy (Becket) Merrill died Tuesday, May 14, 2002, in Woodland Memorial Hospital, at age 79.
Born Oct. 29, 1922, Mrs. Merrill was a native of Woodland and had been a Yolo County resident for about 39 years. She was a descendant of Yolo County pioneers and the daughter of the late Raymond Nason and Daphne (Hubbard) Becket. Her early years were spent on the family ranch in the foothills west of Dunnigan. She attended the first grade at Wildwood School. After the family moved to their dairy, west of Woodland, she completed elementary school at Dingle Grammar School and graduated from Woodland High School, as an honor student, in 1940. She then attended UC Davis for two years.
During World War II she worked at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, where she met her future husband. She was married after the war ended and lived on the Peninsula, where she and her husband both worked for Pan-American Airways. She was later employed by Fairchild Corporation and Stanford Research Institute as an executive secretary.
After her husband's death, Mrs. Merrill moved back to Yolo County, where she served as a volunteer for numerous organizations, including United Methodist Church, STEAC, CA House, Yolo County Archives, Yolo County Historical Society, United Methodist Women, and Davis Senior Center.
According to her family, "She was accomplished in stitchery and needlework. She enjoyed reading, gardening, traveling, bird watching and photography. Yolo County history was an area of special interest."
Mrs. Merrill is survived by her sister, Jean Becket; brother, Jim Becket and wife Marge, all of Davis; niece, Kathleen Becket of Los Angeles; and nephew, Mark Becket and wife Maria of Grants Pass, Ore.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 36 years, Joe Merrill.
A memorial service is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, at Davis United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road, Davis.
Burial is scheduled to take place next to her husband, at Colma.
Memorials may be directed to STEAC, P.O. Box 1047, Davis, 95617; or Mary's Chapel Cemetery Support Group, P.O. Box 91, Yolo, 95697.
Nautilus Society is assisting the family with arrangements.
MERWIN
Warren Reuben Merwin
Warren Reuben Merwin died Friday, Feb. 28, 2003 from complications of Frontotemporal Dementia.
Warren was born Jan. 9, 1937 in Sacramento, the son of Reuben E. and Mabel B. Merwin of Clarksburg.
He attended Clarksburg schools and the University of California at Davis where he was a member of the Cal Kappa Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and The R.O.T.C.
He graduated with a BS degree in Agricultural Production.
After six months Army duty, he joined the family farm of Merwin and Yelland in Reclamation District 999, Clarksburg, then grew processing tomatoes for Rudy Volz before joining his brother, Darrell as Merwin Farms, Inc.
He was an active Delta farmer for 40 years during which time he served two years as President of The Yolo County Farm Bureau, four years as District 16 Director of The California Farm Bureau Federation and Board member of the California Tomato Growers Association.
He retired in 1999 after farming with his sons as Gaffney Farms, Inc. Community activities included Sunday School teacher, River Ringers (Bells) and Trustee of The Clarksburg Community Church; Clarksburg Library Board and Troop 83, BSA where he received his Eagle Scout Award and earned the Silver Beaver Award for Outstanding Service to Youth in 1980.
Warren was a 30 year member of The South Sacramento Rotary Club and Paul Harris Fellow.
He is survived by his college sweetheart and wife of 43 years, Katherine and his sons, also Eagle Scouts, Robert his wife Elizabeth of Sacramento and David his wife Karlin of Clarksburg and his dear grandchildren, Jordan and Cecily; Jackson and Madeline.
Also survived by his brother Darrell wife Joy Ann and sister Shirley Dana Leiser her husband Andrew and five nieces and nephews: Jeanne Chasko, Gary Merwin, Carolyn Fjord, Jim and Steve Dana. Dear brother-in-law of Stewart Bowers and wife Joyce of Orinda and uncle to Stewart, Barton and Byron.
A memorial service celebrating Warren's life will be held Saturday, March 15, 11 a.m. at the Clarksburg Community Church, 52910 Netherlands Road, Clarksburg. Private interment.
Memorials may be sent to the Golden Empire District, BSA; California Farm Bureau Scholarship Fund; or Rotary Foundation.
Harry A. Nauman & Son of Sacramento is assisting the family with the arrangements.
MESSENGER
Diane H. Messenger
Diane H. Messenger died June 24, 2002, after having battled cancer for 18 months. Her husband of 42 years, Derek Messenger, was by her side. She was 66 years old.
She was born on Nov. 4, 1935, in Manchester, England. She was the youngest of five children born to Harold and Alice Jolly. Her childhood was happy but marked by World War II. She had many stories to tell of constant air raids and dashes to the bomb shelters.
She met her husband when she was 6. Their families were friends so the two saw each other frequently over the years. They were married in an intimate wedding ceremony at St. Marks Church in Dorval, Montreal, on May 25, 1960.
In 1963, the couple immigrated to the United States and settled in Fremont where she gave birth to both of their daughters. The family moved to Davis in 1969.
She was a dedicated mother to her daughters Louise and Victoria. She became active at St. James School, the school her daughters attended. She would often volunteer her secretarial skills to Monsignor Coffey.
When her daughters entered high school, she became an administrative assistant at the summer session department at UC Davis. She would often "mother" the students with whom she dealt. In one instance, she opened her home to a French student who had no place to live for the summer. She worked at UC Davis for four years.
When her first grandchild was born in 1995, she reveled in her role as grandmother or "Nana, " as she was lovingly called. In addition to being a dedicated mother, she was a doting grandmother. The subsequent births of her second and third grandchildren only added to her joy. Her fourth grandchild, Josh, was born three days after her death.
Her first priority was always her family. She took great pride in them and their accomplishments. She enjoyed needlepoint, walking, interior decorating and gardening. She will be dearly missed both in the United States and in the United Kingdom.
Her ashes will be scattered in England, along with those of her brother who also died recently. A service will be held for her in England in July. A memorial service will be held in August at St. Martin's Church in Davis. Please call 672-0252 for information on this service.
Diane is survived by her husband; her daughters, Louise Boyle and Victoria Saha; her sons-in-law, Steven and Atanu; and her grandchildren, Ian, Alexandra, Priyanka and Josh.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society.
