Obituary of William Merrill Kelso

William Merrill Kelso, 94, of Creston died of congestive heart failure Sept. 16, 2003 at Greater Community Hospital in Creston. Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Monday, September 22, 2003 at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City with the Reverend Robert Sauser, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Creston, officiating. Burial will be in the Lone Tree Cemetery. Visitation with the family receiving friends will be 11:30 a.m. until servicesMondayat the funeral home. Memorials may be directed to the First Baptist Church in Creston. Mr. Kelso, son of Louisa May (Leonard) and Morris W. Kelso, was born July 24, 1909, in Johnson County. He farmed near Iowa City in the Lone Tree area. He married Marguerite C. Barnhart. They moved to Idaho where he worked in the insurance business. They lived in Albuquerque, N.M., 40 years where he worked in the insurance and financial consulting business. After he retired from the insurance business, he was self employed. They moved to Creston 3 1/2 months ago. He was a member of the First Baptist Church, then a Charter member of the First Church of the Nazarene, both in Albquerque, N.M. His family includes his wife, Marguerite Kelso of Creston; three children, Mary Lou (husband Milton) Bates of Oklahoma City, Okla.; Dennis (wife Velma) Kelso and Jane Ann Kelso, all of Iowa City; four stepchildren, Dorothy (husband Fredrick) McGinnis of Iowa City, June (husband Richard) Madsen of Coralville, Richard (wife Stephani) Finley of Creston and Sharon (husband Robert) Viramontes of Summerville, S.C.; 18 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife Nila; a son, Dean William Kelso; and a brother, Leonard John Kelso. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service of Iowa City is caring for William’s family and his services.