Jean C. Phillips Mertz, 76, Wilson, N.C.: Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice

Daily Item, The (Sunbury, PA) - Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Deceased Name: Jean Carolyn Phillips Mertz, 76, of Wilson, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010, of emphysema.
She was born July 3, 1934, a daughter of the late John Robert Phillips and Rubelle Abbott Phillips, of Grifton, N.C., and was raised on the family tobacco farm.
Mrs. Mertz graduated from Contentnea High School in 1951 and obtained a certificate in commercial practices from Atlantic Christian College, now Barton College.
While employed as a mail girl at the DuPont Dacron-polyester plant in Kinston, she met Herbert A. Mertz, of Northumberland, Pa. He was one of four engineers who shared a house. Mrs. Mertz noted that "those young men didn't have a chance (of getting away." They all married local girls. Mr. and Mrs. Mertz married at Bethel Christian Church on April 17, 1954, and remained so until Mr. Mertz's death in October 2003. Mr. Mertz often said his worst mistake in marriage was advising Mrs. Mertz early on that to live with him she would have to learn to stand up for herself when they argued. She did. As a couple, the Mertzes thrived on responsibility, practicality and thrift, but they still knew how to have a good time.
Shortly after marrying, the Mertzes returned to Mr. Mertz's home in Pennsylvania, where their daughters, Patricia Jean and Allison, were born in Lock Haven. In 1960, the family moved to Grand Rapids, Minn., 80 miles from Duluth and 100 miles from the Canadian border. Mrs. Mertz's mother thought Jean had moved to the end of the earth. During their 16 years in Minnesota, Mrs. Mertz learned to live with cold and snow, but never loved it. Acquaintances found her Southern accent "exotic" and thought her a "belle." A good sport, she tried ice skating, tobogganing and ice fishing. Throughout the Minnesota years, the Mertzes drove "home" to Pennsylvania and North Carolina every June to visit their families, creating family ties for their daughters that remain unbroken.
As Mr. Mertz progressed in his career in the paper industry, the Mertzes moved on to Appleton, Wis., and Columbus, Miss. In their retirement, Mrs. Mertz wanted to return home, and the couple settled in Wilson. They made fast friends wherever they went.
For many years, Mrs. Mertz was a homemaker. In 1970, she worked as a census taker for the U.S. Census. She also worked as a bookkeeper with the Itasca County, Minn., Public Health Nursing Service. In 1977, Mrs. Mertz obtained her real estate license and partnered with Realco Inc. in Appleton. In Columbus, she was co-owner of a Help-U-Sell franchise and worked with West Realty and Robinson Real Estate. Mrs. Mertz earned the professional credentials of GRI, for Graduate Realtor Institute, and CRS, for Certified Residential Specialist. In 1994, she served as president of the Golden Triangle Association of Realtors in Columbus. In a recommendation for Realtor of the Year in 1995, Mrs. Mertz was said to exemplify professionalism and knowledge of her industry and "going the extra mile." Mrs. Mertz said her goal always was to help people.
Wherever she lived, Mrs. Mertz was active in her community. In Grand Rapids, she served as a deacon at Community Presbyterian Church; in Appleton, she volunteered as a "pink lady" at a local hospital and served as president of the Newcomers Club; in Columbus, she was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church and served as a hostess dressed in period attire during the annual tour of antebellum homes, "Pilgrimage;" and in Wilson, she joined the Contentnea Girls group and a local Alzheimer's support group and served as a member of the St. Francis Guild at St. Timothy's Church, where she was a member.
Mrs. Mertz enjoyed many travels with her husband and family. She believed in a well-given dinner party, a well-kept Lent and a well-celebrated Christmas. She was famous for her Christmas baking, which included about 10 kinds of Christmas cookies that she heaped on a platter and shared with family and friends. In her last years, she committed herself to viewing the American Film Institute's top 100 films and read the Bible every day.
Mrs. Mertz was a devoted, loving and loyal wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and neighbor. She "never met a stranger." She loved to talk and laugh, and to the end, her generous smile invited many to know her. As her disease ran its course and breath to live and speak became shorter, so did her daily to-do list. But she never stopped caring about people.
Mrs. Mertz is survived by two daughters and sons by marriage, Patricia J. Mertz Esswein and Mark D. Esswein, of Vienna, Va., and Allison Mertz Smith and Dale R. Smith, of Jackson, Wis.; two grandchildren, William Herbert Mertz Esswein and Jean Marie Mertz Esswein; one brother, David M. Phillips Sr., of Grifton, N.C.; and two sisters, Lenore P. Smith, of Wilson, and Barbara P. Beeson, of Hickory, N.C.; brothers and sisters by marriage; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, Joe O. Phillips, of Grifton, and R. Derring Phillips, of Wilson.
Burial will follow in Maplewood Cemetery.

Enlisted 16 Jun 1945 Medical Administrative Corp

All of my information about Herbert Altmann Mertz, his wife and their descendants comes from their daughter Patricia Jean (Mertz) Esswein.