NANCY LOU (DETURK) MERRILL, of Kingman, died October 16th, 2024, at Prescott, Arizona. She was born January 1st, 1942, in Reading, Pennsylvania, to Robert Everett DeTurk and Marjorie ‘Jane’ (Blyler) DeTurk. Nancy grew up at 50 Walnut Rd., Reading (Exeter Township). A 1959 graduate of Mt. Penn High School, she joined the U.S. Army after high school and was stationed as a clerk/typist with HQ Battery, 40th Artillery Brigade (Air Defense) at the Presidio Of San Francisco. While there, she met her future husband, John Edward Merrill.
After her Army service, Nancy married John Merrill in Ajo, Arizona, in 1962, and resided in Ajo until 1966. In 1966, Nancy, John, and their son Ted, moved to Kingman, AZ, when John took a job with the Duval Mining Corporation (Mineral Park Mine). Nancy lived at 219 Santa Fe Ave. in Kingman from 1967 until 2019. From 2019 until her death, she was a resident at White Cliffs Senior Living in Kingman.
During her time in Kingman, Nancy was a homemaker, a cafeteria worker for the Kingman Unified School District, and a career soldier with the Arizona Army National Guard.
In 1977, Nancy joined the Arizona Army National Guard as a clerk/typist, and was stationed at the Kingman Armory with Det. 1, 1058th Ordnance Company. She later cross-trained into the cook career field. Nancy reached the rank of Sergeant (E-5) and retired from the Army National Guard in 1995, with a total of 20 years military service. Her military decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and the Arizona National Guard Long Service Medal.
Nancy was a good wife, a good Mom, a good daughter, a good sister, a good friend, and someone who met the difficulties of life with a quiet dignity and a polite smile.
Nancy’s parents and husband are deceased. She is survived by her son Theodore (Ruby) of Kingman, Arizona, brother Michael (Louise) DeTurk of Colorado Springs, Colorado, brother Timothy (Lois) DeTurk of Hamburg, Pennsylvania, nieces, nephews, other family, and friends.
No burial or services. Nancy’s ashes will be spread near her husband’s, in the desert near “the house behind ‘A’ Mountain”, at Ajo, Arizona, at an undetermined date in the future.
A big thank you to those who were kind to her as a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or anyone who briefly passed through her life. A special thank you to any and all of those who assisted her during the last years of her life. You are exceptional human beings…and will be rewarded some way in this life or the next…because of your destiny to be kind to others.
One of Nancy’s great passions were flowers and birds. To honor her memory, you are invited for the rest of your lives, to take the time to stop and admire beautiful flowers and fascinating birds when you see them. The beauty of nature that you see in those few seconds of your busy day, are your ancestors and absent loved ones briefly passing through your life from somewhere else, letting you know that at least for a little while…everything will be all right.
