Merle Acord

Merle Acord, 88, a resident of Solon Retirement Village, formerly of Princeton, Iowa, died on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, at Mercy Iowa City. Memorial Service: 2 p.m. on Thursday, November 3, 2016, at Solon United Methodist Church, by Rev. Scott Keele-Kober. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service at the church. Private family burial: Mount Vernon Memorial Cemetery. Arrangements are with Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Mount Vernon. Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Marilyn; daughter, Marsha (Bob Meeker) Acord of Mount Vernon; daughter-in-law, Deb Acord of Woodland Park, Colorado; four grandchildren, Charlotte (Adam) McDermott, Dan (Caitlyn Wu) Campagna, Tim (Sara) Campagna, and Alexa Acord; and four great grandchildren, A.J. and Cole McDermott and Leighton and Weston Campagna. Merle was born October 9, 1928, in Moline, Illinois, the son of Sherman Acord and Lucille (Sutton) Botkin. Merle worked in factories and foundries eventually becoming an electrician with Alcoa and retiring from John Deere in management. He had many interests and kept finding more to learn. He loved photography and took many pictures of family, nature and wildlife. At age 40 he purchased his first motorcycle which eventually led him to publish the monthly Cycle Press magazine with his pictures and articles about motocross races. Merle was gracious and funny, beloved by his family and a generous friend. He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Mark; and sister, Alene Heston.