Merlin "Mert" Van Wyk, 68 of Lynnville passed away July 19, 2021 at the Unity Point Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 am on Friday, July 23, 2021 at the Taintor Community Church. Burial will be held in the Highland Cemetery in New Sharon. Visitation will begin after 12:00 pm Thursday, July 22, 2021 at the Taintor Community Church with the family present from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Holland-Coble Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.  Memorials may be directed to the Taintor Community Church or the Lynnville Fire Department.

Merlin "Mert" Dean Van Wyk was born on February 21, 1953  in Mahaska County to Guysbert and Esther Van Gent Van Wyk.  He attended school at Searsboro and Lynnville Sully.  Mert married Linda Van Kooten in 1972 and to this union three children were born, Melissa, Marlo and Marty.  Mert married Deb  Holdsworth on August 6, 1988 and to this union four children were born, Rhonda, Emily, Jess and Jessica.    Mert worked part-time at Kruseman Implement before going full-time at the age of 17.  He worked as a mechanic for 37 years before going to Diamond Life in Montezuma and working in  maintenance retiring in 2019.  All the residents called him Papa.   Mert enjoyed fishing, woodworking, camping, the State Fair, Good Guys, Old Threshers and his 1965 Chevy truck.  His family and grandkids were very important to him.  He was a member of the Taintor Community Church and a long- time member of the Lynnville Fire Department.

Mert is preceded in death by his parents,  his son, Jess Dean Van Wyk, and mother-in-law Grandma B.

He is survived by his wife and solemate,  Deb; his children, Melissa (Greg) Schooley of Solon, Marlo (Stefanie) Van Wyk of Sully, Marty (Daminika Vander Weerdt) Van Wyk of Lynnville,  Rhonda (Paul) Carpenter of Lynnville, Emily (Josh) DeWitt of Lynnville, and Jessica (Austin) Hudson of Newton; 15 grandchildren;  his siblings, Bev (Dale) Flander of Lynnville, Donavon (Ruth) Van Wyk of Sully, Mark (Marylou) Van Wyk of Lynnville and Randy (Jeanie) Van Wyk of Lynnville,  as well as many other relatives and friends.