Obituary: Anita Jean (Gwinner) Merrill

Published 9:30 am Sunday, January 22, 2023

Anita Jean (Gwinner) Merrill

Seaside

Aug. 29, 1928 — Jan. 4, 2023

Anita Jean (Gwinner) Merrill, 94, passed peacefully while sleeping on Jan. 4 in the comfort of her home, with family by her side.

Born on Aug. 29, 1928 at the family’s farm in Parkrose, she was the youngest of eight children of Lydia (Wolfe) Gwinner and Frederick Gwinner, who were from a strict fundamental Christian German church. She attended Parkrose High School until the farm sold. They moved to Portland, where she transferred to Grant High School. Once settled on Division Street, her mother posted the sign “Lydia’s Antiques,” and sold items from home.

In the summer of 1945, Anita’s Parkrose friend offered her a double date to meet her boyfriend’s brother, home on leave from the U.S. Navy while recuperating from serious active duty injuries. She met 21-year-old A.C. “Del” Merrill. Lying about her age (she was 16, turning 17 late August), she told him she was 18. They fell in love and married in December. Del received a medical honorable discharge and worked in Portland’s insurance industry.

In 1950, with two young sons, they moved to Tiburon, California, for Del’s job in San Francisco. Anita’s primary job was as a homemaker, wife and mother. She always had side work, baking and selling fudge, food demonstrating at grocery stores, sales at the Tiburon Thrift Store and being a teacher’s kindergarten aide.

In 1959, the family, now six, with two daughters, moved to Phoenix. Anita worked at Goldwater’s Department Store, and became a Cub Scout den mother.

In 1969, the family moved back to the Northwest, finally building their dream home on a hill overlooking Seaside. She opened Anita’s Corner antiques on Main Street in the 1980s and 1990s.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years; her parents; and all of her brothers and sisters. She said before passing she was looking forward to being with them all again in heaven.

Anita’s faith in Jesus and her family were the most important parts of her life. Along with that, she was exceptionally literate, and she excelled at word games ĺike Scrabble, crosswords and Bananagrams. She shall be remembered by all remaining family and friends as bright, loving and generous, with a clever sense of humor and a gift for having fun!

She is survived by her sons, Del (Eileen) and Michael (Kathy); daughters, Melinda and Kimberly (Sasha); 17 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. on Jan. 29 at Lighthouse Christian Church in Warrenton.