Memorial

Edithmerle "Em” Merulla, 95, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, entered Heaven on Friday, February 18, 2022. Funeral service will be at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, at the Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories. A visitation will be held one hour prior, beginning at 1:00 PM at the chapel. Burial will follow at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery. 

A livestream of the funeral service may be accessed on the funeral home website under the obituary for Edithmerle Merulla, under the video tab starting at 2:00 on Wednesday, February 23, 2022.

She is survived by her three sons, Anthony; Mike (Mary) Merulla of Iowa City, IA; Jim (Chris) Merulla of Marion, IA; five grandchildren, Sofia, Jenny, Andrew, Samuel, and Nicholas; eight great-grandchildren; step-daughter, Janet (Steve) Hamous; step-son, Jim Schulz; two step grandchildren, Rachael and Michael. 

In lieu of flowers please direct memorials to the Indian Creek Nature Center or your favorite charity.

Reflection on mom,
From the eldest son of Em and Chuck Merulla

Mother earth is poorer today and Heaven is infinitely richer.

A one in a billion mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, niece, wife, and good friend to thousands is in Heaven. 

Em, Mom to her children, lost her election to be senior class president at Waukon High School in 1944 by one vote. She cast her vote for the "other guy".   When asked why she would vote for the other guy, Em replied "Oh, he was a nice guy." This unselfish act of kindness, decency and compassion in a way defined her life from a very young age.

Em nurtured all living things all her life (she kept a plant going for over half a century!), animals (her two Siamese cats lived almost 20 years) of course, the hundreds of lives of all of us that she enriched.

Em lived her life to serve others first, above herself.  It brought her great happiness and much joy.

Born in early 1926 as Edithmerle Evans to humble, hardworking salt-of-the-earth farming parents, she spent her first years of education going to a one room country school. She walked a mile and a half each way, each day to her school accompanied by her younger brother, Rolland.

She went to Waukon High School during the "war years” 1941 to 1944. Because of gas rationing for the war effort, she boarded in town with three other girls in the basement of an elderly couple. Her father drove her into town on Sunday evening and picked her up on Friday afternoon.

After graduation from high school, as salutatorian, of her class, she entered the (then State) University of Iowa.  She arrived in Iowa City on a bus with one suitcase.  She lived and worked as a waitress in an all-women’s dormitory, Currier Hall.  One of the joys of her years at Iowa was marching on Kinnick Field at halftime at football games in the Scottish Highlanders, a (then) all female bagpipe group.  

On November 10, 1945, an event occurred that would ultimately greatly change her life.  Em and another coed encountered two men dressed in "civvies" who announced that they were "looking for two dames for the Big Ball”. The Big Ball was the annual celebration held nationwide to celebrate the birthday of the US Marine Corps. Em and her coed friend tentatively accepted a date to the Ball. Her date was Charles "Chuck” Merulla. It took some time and serious courting by Chuck to bring them to the altar in June of 1947.

Fast forward to 1957.  Chuck graduated from medical school and began a practice in Marion, IA accompanied by his wife Em and their two sons, Anthony (5) and Mike (3).

In October of 1964, Em became an instant single mother of now three young boys when Chuck passed away suddenly.  Youngest son Jim was six.  Mom never faltered. Her sons never went hungry, were never homeless and never dressed in rags. Em had no choice but to carry on.

She returned to the now University of Iowa and obtained advanced degrees in education in a new field called Learning Disabilities.  Em excelled at her career as a Learning Disabilities Teacher and mentor in the Cedar Rapids School District with consummate accolades from superiors, fellow teachers, student and parents.

In April of 1987, she found love again and married Richard (Dick) Schulz. From this marriage Mom gained a beautiful daughter, Janet, and a handsome son Jim (another Jim).  Mom now had the daughter that she thought that she would never have. Em and Janet clicked immediately. Janet was and is a younger version of Em.
  
Mom and Dick had a wonderful twelve years together with lots of outings, dancing and overseas travel to Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In August of 1999, Em suddenly lost her dear Dick.

She remained a widow for several years while cementing her relationship with Janet. A "younger" version of Em and calling Jim every Sunday as her late husband Dick had done.

In April of 2006, Em married Mel Rhodes.

They had a wonderful 14 years together and traveled often.

Em is still unique in America. She is the only woman who in her lifetime married three WWII veterans:  Her husband Chuck, a Marine, her next husband Dick who served in the Army in WWII, and Mel who served in the Navy.  Mel also served on the Battleship Iowa (BB61) which gave Mel and Em an annual adventure, a trip to the Battleship Iowa crew reunion.  One year, it was in California where BB61 is permanently berthed. Mel and mom walked on the deck of BB61 and toured his former duty station, the 16 inch guns, after being away from BB61 for over fifty years. Mel was so happy and proud to have Mom at his side.

Mel entered Heaven in 2017.

Though now a widow three times over in 2017, Em remained very active in the Cedar Rapids community regularly staying in touch with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, her teaching colleagues, and many great friends.

When this son (Anthony "Casey") thinks of his mother, he remembers many things about his dear mother Em. Her brother once referred to his sister this way: "Indispensable".   This son would agree with this description.

To describe Mom as magnanimous, tender, generous, supporting, caring, nurturing, a great listener, a pillar of strength in times of crisis, and very, very loving would be a collective understatement.

If you had coffee on when she arrived for a visit, she would be tickled pink.  Mom loved her coffee and copious cups of it.

All who know Mom have a much richer life just by knowing her.

It gives this son great comfort to know that Mom was greeted at the Gates of Heaven by her loving parents, Horace and Gladys Evans, her brother, Rolland ("Rollie"), her favorite aunt Merle and her husband’s, Chuck (Dad), Dick and Mel, and many, many more family and friends who adored, respected, and loved her.

It you want to honor EM; this son humbly suggests the following: 
 
Find a Friend in Need and make her/him a Friend Indeed as Mom did a thousand times over.
Buy a book for someone.  Mom loved books!  Tell the recipient it is in honor of Em.
Seek out a Learning Disabilities Teacher in the Cedar Rapids School District and beyond and ask her/him how you can help. Print and keep the photo from this obituary in your wallets and purses.  Bring it out to family, friends and strangers and sing her praises. Mom would never ask for it but would be delighted by it.

If you attend the service, please consider wearing something pink, a shirt, a flower, a kerchief, or a lapel.  It is Mom's favorite color.  Again, Mom would never ask for it but would be delighted by it. Please do offer testimonials to her. If you offer these testimonials, we, the extended family of Em Merulla will learn even more of her great works. And the ways that Mom truly touched your lives. You can add them online at the Cedar Memorial web page or leave a written testimonial at the Celebration of Life Service.

Honor Mom. Remember Her now and forever. Always.

Mom leaves her extensive Living Legacy of family and friends to Honor her, Love her and continue to Sing their praises of her.

Respectfully submitted with Great Love, Much Admiration and Great Gratitude for Mom!

Anthony E. "Casey” Merulla
Blessed to be the son of Em and Chuck Merulla

"I do not know what your destiny will be but this much I know
only those of you who have sought and found a way to serve 
will truly be happy".  Albert Schweitzer, MD