On June 12, 1955 she married Robert Ocken at Staplehurst. They were blessed with 59½ years together. Merna ironed and cleaned houses for many people in the York area. She was a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in York since 1957. Merna enjoyed the short trips around town just to get out of the house. She loved spending time with her family and many friends.
Merna is survived by her husband, Robert Ocken of York; sister, Evelyn Brandenburg of Seward and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and great-great nieces and nephews; sisters-in-law, Esther Ocken of Centralia, Wash. and Opal Neujahr of Mesa, Ariz.
She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Elvira Boucher, Dorathy Winkelmann, Lavina Reiling and twin sister Verna Eikenhorst; brothers, William Neujahr, Norman Neujahr, Delbert Neujahr and Leo Neujahr; brothers-in-law, Lemuel Brandenburg, Mervin Winkelmann and Glenn Reiling; two sisters-in-law, Corinne Neujahr, and Eunice Neujahr; niece, Vickie Kufeldt and great-great niece, Skylar Elznic.
She is also preceded in death by her parents-in-law, William and Elsa Ocken; two brothers-in-law, Lorenz Ocken and his wife Virginia and Dale Ocken and nephew Doug Ocken.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27, 2014 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in York. Interment will follow in York’s Greenwood Cemetery. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Friday at the mortuary with the family greeting friends from 7 – 8:30 p.m. that evening.
Memorials may be directed to the church or Lutheran Hour.