Obituary: Merle Evelyn Snyder Brenton

Merle Evelyn Snyder Brenton was the youngest daughter of Parker Lindley and Grace Minnie Shugart Snyder. She was born in Independence, Montgomery County, Kan., on May 10, 1910. She passed away on Oct. 19, 2013, at the age of 103 years, five months and nine days.
Merle went to school in Independence until she was 12-years-old. Her mother got sick, and her doctor advised that the family move West, slowly. The family moved to Rifle, Colo., and then on to the Dudley Place on Piceance Creek, where she and her nephew, Jim McKay, rode horses to the Rock School five days a week.
While Merle and her family lived on Piceance Creek, her uncle Ralph Shugart came for a visit. Before he went back to Columbus, Ohio, he talked Merle’s family into letting her return with him, so he could put her in a finishing school.
While Merle was living in Ohio, her folks bought and ran the Rio Blanco Store and Post Office, (her Mom being the post mistress) at Rio Blanco, Colo. Merle’s sister, May, and brother-in-law Don McKay ran the hotel at Rio Blanco, which was across the road from the store.
Merle got very sick while in Ohio and came home to be with her family.
She attended school at the Rock School, Rifle High and Meeker High until her father passed away in 1932. Merle quit school in her junior year of high school at the time of her father’s death to help her mother with the Rio Blanco Store and Post Office.
On July 5, 1934, she married the “love of her life,” Everett J. Brenton. They celebrated 44 years of marriage. They had two children, Goldia Marie Brenton (Moomey) and Everett Frank Brenton.
Everett and Merle made their home in Rio Blanco most of their lives. In her 103 years she saw many changes, from horse and buggy, to men walking on the moon, automobiles, electricity, television, computers and so many more items.
Merle leaves to mourn her passing one daughter, Goldia, and her husband, Jerry Moomey; eight grandchildren, Carl and Kelly Moomey, Theresa Moomey, Judy Simon, Jere (Toby) and Time Hagen, Rusty and Ann Moomey, Darrell and Peggy Moomey and Karen and Eddie Elliott, and Billy James and Keri Brenton; 26 great-grandchildren; 16 great-great-grandchildren; and lots of nephews and nieces.
Merle was preceded in death by her parents, P.L. and Grace M. Snyder; three brothers, Clarence, Darrell (Kelly) and Norvel; one sister, Halley May; her beloved husband, Everett James “Ev”; and her son, Everett Frank Brenton; and almost all her friends.
Funeral services took place from the Christian Church on Oct. 28, 2013, at 11 a.m. Interment took place in Highland Cemetery in Meeker, Colo.