Merle David Skinner

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Merle David Skinner was born June 14, 1901 in Peabody, Kansas to Hiram Odle (H.O) Skinner and Carrie Esediah Fost Skinner. He died January 4, 1994 at Bethel Hospital in Newton at age 92. He lived in the Peabody area his entire life. He attended Grandview country school west of Peabody and Peabody schools through the eighth grade when he left school to farm with his father.

On June 6, 1943 he married Frances Laura Graves at her home in Whitewater. He lived on the farm a mile and a half northeast of Peabody for 55 years, from 1936 to 1991 in the house that was begun in 1872 by Peabody founder Col. Duncan McKercher.

Merle and Frances had three children and five grandchildren. Merle loved family gatherings, watching crops grow, working (and playing) with horses, making ice cream, and driving his '49 Plymouth in local parades. He took great pride in keeping a tidy farmstead and in planting arrow-straight corn and milo rows. In retirement he and Frances spent parts of a number of winters in Florida, Texas, and California. They also traveled extensively throughout the rest of the U.S.

He was a member of the Peabody United Methodist Church for most of his life, including serving on its Official Board and in other capacities, and he also participated in activities of the Peabody Senior Center. He and Frances got together frequently for dinner with a group of longtime friends–– Lois and Earl Graham, Russell and Louise Harrison, and Earl and Ruth Robinson. Some of them had attended Grandview school together.

In 92 years Merle never missed a Memorial Day ceremony at Prairie Lawn Cemetery, where four generations of Skinners are buried. He looked forward to the annual Skinner reunion, held every year since 1947. Merle and Frances celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June 1993.

Merle married Frances Laura Graves on 6 Jun 1943 in Whitewater, Butler County, Kansas, USA. Frances (daughter of Frank Willet Graves and Ida Belle Stemmons) was born on 28 Mar 1915 in Coweta, Wagoner County, Oklahoma, USA; died on 20 Aug 2005 in Peabody, Marion County, Kansas, USA; was buried in Peabody, Marion County, Kansas, USA, Prairie Lawn Cemetery. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]