Funeral services for Fern Merkel age 82 of Mobridge will be at 10:30 AM, Thursday, January 19, 2017 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will be at 2 PM Wednesday at the funeral home with a prayer service at 7:30 PM. Fern passed away Thursday, January 12, 2017 at Mobridge Regional Hospital.

Tabetha Fern Merkel was born on February 4, 1934 at home in Pollock, South Dakota to Emanuel and Orvilla (Freeman) Geigle. She grew up and attended school in Pollock and attended Solomson Country School when her family moved to a farm in 1941.
Fern married Robert Bader in Pollock on April 11, 1955. To this union three sons were born; Dean, Lydell and Ryan. Following their marriage, they made their home in Cloquet, MN. In 1975 Fern moved to Mobridge. South Dakota.

On November 28, 1980, she married Bernie Merkel in Mobridge. They made their home on Bernie's farm near McLaughlin, South Dakota until 1986 when they moved into Mobridge where she has since resided. While in Mobridge, Fern worked at her home doing Daycare for 11 years.

Fern was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and the Moose Club. She was the co-chair of Guys and Gals Dance Club, and loved working in her yard and garden.

Fern is survived by two sons; Dean (Evelyn) Bader of Wrenshall, MN, and Ryan (Janet) Bader of Cloquet, MN, three granddaughters; Jennifer (Keith) Nyblom, Jill (Chad) Bailey, and Ahnna Bader, four great grandchildren; two sisters; Marlene Ritter of Mobridge, SD, Donna Backhaus of Vermillion, SD, three brothers; Lyle (Aggie) Geigle of Checotah, OK, Sherman (Carolyn) Geigle of Everett, WA, and Merle Geigle of Pierre, SD, nine step-children, numerous step- grandchildren step great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, Bernie in 2000, son, Lydell, sister, Janet Mowder, brothers-in-law, LeRoy Backhaus and Herb Ritter, step-daughter, and step son-in-law.