MERLE D. WESTER , 92, of Cherokee, Iowa passed away Tuesday evening, January 11, 2022 at The Gardens Assisted Living surrounded by his family.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 15, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at Oakdale Evangelical Free Church.  Pastor Tyler Stauffer will officiate.  Burial will be in the Liberty Township Cemetery at rural Meriden, Iowa. There will be a family prayer service at 10:15 a.m. at the church on Saturday. Visitation will be held on Friday, January 14, 2022, from 3-7 p.m. with the family present from 5-7 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, Iowa.  Online condolences may be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com . The family would appreciate that masks be worn at the visitation and the memorial service.  In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be given to Oakdale EFC missions, designated for Congo.  The service will be livestreamed at https://oakdalechurch.com/ live-stream

Merle was born on March 17, 1929 on the family farm at Cleghorn, Iowa to Elmer and Mabel (Anderson) Wester.  He attended Cleghorn Schools, graduating from Cleghorn High School in 1947.  He went to the Trinity Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois and graduated in 1953.  He was married to Eleda Reimers on August 22, 1953 at the Oakdale Evangelical Free Church in Meriden, Iowa. Merle was ordained with the Evangelical Free Church in 1954.

Merle and Eleda moved to the Congo in Africa where he was a Pastoral Missionary from 1954 until 1997.  He was also a church planter in Fort Dodge, Iowa , from September 1965 – May 1966. They served 10 terms at Ngwenje, Tandala, Libenge, and Kala.  Merle assisted with village evangelism and teaching in Bible Schools.   They were evacuated from the Congo three times.  After returning from the Congo, Merle served as a visitation pastor for the Oakdale Evangelical Free Church until 2018.

Merle was a hard worker, jack of all trades, repairman, builder, mechanic, butcher, and farmer. He was cool, calm, and collected, never getting angry. He was practical and available, and he loved his family and people he worked with, showing care and concern during hard times. Merle loved his mangos and always had a coffee cup in his hand, even when sweating from hard work. Outreach was in his DNA as he helped the church grow in 4 new regions. He loved to play games and attend grandkids events. He began each day with reading the Bible and praying.

Merle was preceded in death by his parents, daughter Sara Ruth Wester in 2021, grandson Paul (PJ) Wester, sister Eleanor (Burton) Lundell and brothers Roy (Elsie) Wester, Dale (Pat) Wester, Vernon (Ruby) Wester, and brother-in-law Robert Mortenson.

Merle will lovingly be remembered by his wife Eleda of 68 years; children Timothy (Ann) Wester of Paullina, Iowa, David (Julie) Wester of Paullina, Iowa, Steven (Fayette) of Phoenix, Arizona, and Paul (Becky) Wester of Primghar, Iowa; 13 grandchildren Amy (Joshua) Douglas, Matthew (Carrie) Wester, Lydia (Ryan) Foo, Trent (Kelley) Wester, Aaron (Michael) Georgen-Wester, Wendy (Eric) Salisbury, Mark (Melinda) Wester, Kari (Cody) Stika, Andrew (Anneliese) Wester, Seth (Monica) Wester, Sara (Micah) Van Zee, Leta (Marcus) Faust, and Daniel Wester; 13 great-grandchildren Jordan, Levi, Ean, Jaxtan, Wyatt, Asher, Phoebe, Keelynn, Kiera, Nolan, Eliza, Charlie, and Coy; siblings Evelyn (Karl) Kludas of Cherokee, Iowa, Lorraine Mortenson of Cherokee, Iowa, and Jeannette (Larry) Johnson of Cherokee, Iowa; several nieces and nephews.