Lyle Merrick, 50

Lyle Dean Merrick, 50, of Bruneau, died Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005, of injuries sustained in a work-related accident.

Services were held Saturday, Dec.10, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Grand View. Arrangements were under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel in Mountain Home.

At the time of his death, he was Bishop of the Grand View Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

A longtime resident of Owyhee County, Dean was well known through his friendships, business dealings, and church participation, his family said, adding, "Dean's energy and youthful nature betrayed his age. He loved the outdoors and shared his zeal for camping, hiking, wakeboarding and snowboarding with countless family, friends and youth throughout his life. He was passionate in his pursuit of photography, woodworking and metal fabrication. Above all, his work ethic and resourcefulness inspired, while his quiet spirituality and compassion blessed the lives of those around him."

He was born in Nyssa, Ore., on Nov. 10, 1955, the second of five children. The Merricks moved to the Grand View area in 1960, first farming along the Snake River and then in Little Valley. Dean graduated from Rimrock High School in 1974, and then served in the Minneapolis, Minn., Mission of the Church.

Dean married Karlette Steiner on May 20, 1977, in the Idaho Falls Temple. Their first son, Lee, was born in 1978, followed by Bryce (1981), Rochelle (1983), Cole (1990) and Connor (1992). "Together, Dean and Karlette raised their children in a home full of love, trust, encouragement, and self-sufficiency," his family said.

In 1979, Dean started his trucking business and began renting the farm he would eventually own in Little Valley, near CJ Strike Reservoir. "Those ventures grew in volume and success for more than 25 years, and he pursued them to the very day of his departure," his family noted. "Many of those he met along the way became close friends."

He is survived by: his wife, Karlette; their children, Lee of Menlo Park, Calif., Bryce and his wife, Elaine, of Bliss, Rochelle of Carson City, Nev., Cole and Connor of Bruneau; a grandaughter; his parents, C.A."Pete" and Verna Merrick, and his brothers Joe, Allen, Aaron and Jared.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Sidney.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Grand View Ambulance, c/o Donna Bennett, 573 N. Bennett Rd, Grand View, Id 83624, or the Bruneau Quick Response Unit, c/o Mary Tindall, Bruneau, Id 83604.