Viola "Merle" Smith 90, passed peacefully into her Heavenly Father's care on Sunday, July 21, 2019. Merle was born May 11, 1929 to Walter Henry and Myrtle Coleman Wilcox in Huntington Park, CA. She was the second of three children, an older brother Calvin, and a younger, Dale. She had a happy childhood, full of music and dancing. She loved to talk about memories she had of going to dances and parties where she would catch the boys' eyes because she had a "keen jitterbug". She caught one boy's eye when she was 15 years old and kept it for over 60 years. Merle met her sweetheart, Mahlon Arthur Smith in 1944, while he was on leave from the army. Their courtship continued through heartfelt letters for over two years while he served his country in the South Pacific during WWII. Merle worked as a telephone operator during this time as well as finishing high school. Merle and Mahlon were married on June 18, 1947, and their marriage was later solemnized in the Saint George LDS Temple for time and all eternity. They were blessed with three children: Denise, Don, and Lisa. They spent most of their lives in Orange County, CA where all their children were born and raised. In 2006, they built a home next door to their older daughter, Denise and moved to Nampa, Idaho. Merle loved to travel and see new places. She had an incredible curiosity about life and loved learning new things. She always had many friends wherever they lived and enjoyed social outings and gatherings. She always seemed to have a camera near to capture any moment she felt was worthwhile to keep. Her family has been blessed with pictures, slides and photo albums of many joyful memories kept throughout the years. Merle had a love for arts and crafts and her home was always full of lovely decorations for each season and holiday throughout the year. Merle was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was proud of her pioneer heritage and she had a resolute faith and testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She had a fabulous and sassy sense of humor. She never took life or herself too seriously and she always tried to make the best of any situation. Her wit and strength of character were passed on to her family and will continue for generations to come. Merle was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her loss is deeply felt, but lessened somewhat by the knowledge that she is now back with her eternal sweetheart, Mahlon, and that her passing is just a small part of her eternal journey. Merle was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Myrtle Wilcox; her brothers Calvin and Dale; and her husband, Mahlon. She is survived by her children; Denise Thompson-Peterson of Nampa, Donald Smith of Anaheim, CA, Lisa Price of Stanton, CA and adopted daughter, Deborah Smith Jenkins, of Gilbert, AZ. She is also survived by 12 grandchildren and step-grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Funeral services for Merle will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 27 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 11288 Roosevelt Ave in Nampa with a viewing from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. at The Church prior to the services. Interment and grave dedication will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 30 at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, 10100 Horseshoe Bend Rd in Boise. Arrangements by Zeyer Funeral Chapel, Nampa. 208-467-7300
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