Asher & Birda serve a mission

Asher and Birda Merkley served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas from 1963-1965.

Photo from the personal albums of Bryce Merkley

Newspaper notice:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1962, Dec 27, p.4

Newspaper notice transcribed:

Missionary Farewell Testimonial Sunday for Asher & Birda Merkley

Asher and Birda Lewis Merkley will be honored at a missionary farewell testimonial at Vernal's 5th Ward Chapel, Sunday at 5 p.m.

Opening prayer will be offered by their son, Douglas L. Merkley.  Speakers will be Harold E. Hullinger, President Wm. B. Wallis and LaMond Tullis.  A response will be given by the missionaries, Asher and Birda Merkley.

Special musical numbers will include a duet by Tamera and Edwin Hacking, and an organ solo will be played by Mable Stagg.  A duet will be sung by Pat Stewart and Virginia Hacking.

Mr. and Mrs. Merkley have worked in the LDS Church for many years.  They both have served stake missions.

Mrs. Merkley has worked with the children in Primary, Sunday School and Mutual.  She has also been in a stake capacity.

Mr. Merkley has worked mainly with the young men in the priesthood.

The Merkleys will enter the Mission Home January 7.  Their mission address will be Texas Mission 5514 Caroline Street, Houston 4, Texas.

Texas mission photo, taken 8 Jan 1963
Asher and Birda are on 3rd row, 7th and 8th from right
Photo from the personal albums of Bryce Merkley

The following are a handful of letters Birda wrote home to her family, from various dates.  I include them here because they may be of interest to her posterity, but because they are personal letters, I am not transcribing them.  Click on the images for a better look at them, and good luck reading them as her writing has faded a bit and scanning could only pick up so much.  You can zoom in a little, but it takes some work to decipher the text.  From these letters I learned that Asher was called to be a Bishop while serving in Texas, something I would not have known otherwise... so preserving these letters has proved valuable, and I'm glad to have them here.
All letters come from the personal albums of Bryce Merkley.

Asher & Birda on 14 Nov 1965
(after their missionary service)
Photo from personal albums of Bryce Merkley