Merlin Sharp

Merlin Sharp age 79 of Decorah, IA passed away on Saturday, April 2, 2022, at Aase Haugen Senior Services in Decorah. A Remembrance Service will be held for Merlin on Saturday May 7, at 1:00 pm at Helms Funeral Home, 604 South Avenue, Decorah, IA. Desserts and beverages will be served after the service. In lieu of flowers, donations in Merlin’s memory can be made to the family, to Russell Cemetery Association, or to Aase Haugen Senior Services. Merlin was born at the old Smith Hospital in Decorah, Iowa. Merlin was the son of Lloyd Hutton and Hazel (Quandahl) Sharp. (William Hutton Smith, our great grand uncle helped fund the building of the old hospital in the early 1900’s.) Merlin was the middle child of five children. He attended Decorah Public School and graduated from Luther College in 1965 with a liberal arts double major in English and German. He took graduate courses at the University of Iowa in 1969. In the late 1940’s he attended country school for 1-1/2 years at Canoe No. 1, Pot Hollow School, the same school our father Lloyd and his siblings Marian Quandahl and Kenneth Sharp attended, and where their sister Myrtle Vine taught. His passion was for model trains, old mills, gardening and clocks. He was a life-long student of history and a member of the Winneshiek County Historical Society. He loved to take a cutting of a plant and root it to full growth, both for his garden and for his houseplants. He loved all kinds of music, especially classical music, including operettas by Gilbert and Sullivan. Of the many hymns he enjoyed his favorite was “Lead, Kindly Light” (The Eternal Life). Merlin cared for cats, up to a dozen outside at the old “Wiest Mill” in Ft. Atkinson where he was an owner, lived at the mill house and was caretaker for it and for the other owners: sisters LaVonne Sharp & Caryl Sharp, friends Sonja Sola and Norm & Jean Witt, all of whom came often on vacation or on special weekends. He was an accomplished bread-maker. Plus, his special coleslaw and five different Thanksgiving dressings were favorites of the family (sausage, mushroom, cornmeal, oyster, and Dad’s favorite sage). Merlin taught English and German at North Winneshiek High School. He also substituted at Spring Valley, MN teaching English and German when a teacher was on maternity leave. When he left teaching, he was employed by DECO Products in Decorah, later becoming a floor supervisor, retiring in 1999. Merlin created Moneek Press, and as proprietor he re-published copies of the out-of-print W. E. Alexander’s “History of Winneshiek County” under the Moneek Press name. Proud of his Norwegian heritage, he taught himself Norwegian so he could translate Norwegian hymns with the help of his grandmother Sara (Nesheim) Quandahl. Following in the footsteps of his grandfathers, John Quandahl and Charlie Sharp who played the fiddle at barn dances, he taught himself how to play the violin. He was also close to his grandmother Stella (Headington) Sharp who baby sat with him and let him play with her pots and pans. Merlin had a dry sense of humor. When we celebrated his 75th birthday he looked at all of us seated around a large table, said with a wry smile “I see a bunch of old people in this room”. “When you come to the edge of all that you know, you must believe in one of two things: there will be earth upon which to stand, or you will be given wings.” – O.R. Melling Merlin was given wings. He is survived by sisters LaVonne Sharp, Caryl Sharp, and Phyllis (Jim) Cutsforth, his brother John (Jo Ann) Sharp, his nieces and nephews Brian (Keitha) Cutsforth, Patrick (Shannon) Cutsforth, Sean Cutsforth, Emily Cutsforth (Justin) Rader, Thomas Cutsforth, Alison Cutsforth, Heather Sharp (Brian) Steele, Andrew Sharp and Lauren Sharp. Merlin was preceded in death by his parents Lloyd Hutton and Hazel (Quandahl) Sharp, baby sister Cheryl Rae Sharp, baby brother Merle Hutton Sharp, baby boy Sharp, and grandniece Kellie Ann Sharp.