Merle, I have been thinking about you a lot over the past year, as I have been researching your DNA ancestors. You came from some very fine families. I love you, Laurel

Thank you Merle for hours together of John Stuart, irreverent humor, political updates, great stories and continually reminding me not to back down when my fear threatened to silence me. I love you dearly and respect you tremendously. Janet

I'm sad that I didn't get to see her one last time. It has been years and I'm sad that she didn't get to see her great-grand-kids growing up. I'm so grateful that she got us all here though! I'm grateful to have been raised with stories of my bad-assed genes from my mother's side and I'm grateful for the fortitude those genes clearly carry. Lot's of powerful years there! Thanks Granny!

There will be an informal memorial service for Merle on Wednesday, September 8th, from 5 to 7 PM at the Juneau Senior Center, 895 W 12th St in Juneau AK

Merle loved and doted on her grandchildren. She was always there to help take care of Al and Jana. She gave us a place to stay when we were just starting out. I'll always be thankful that she was there for us when we needed that.
The wonderful life I've been lucky to have lived wouldn't have been possible without Merle, the mother of my wife and grandmother of my children.

From my first introduction, I knew this lady had achieved a certain mastery of life and an even greater zeal for life. Not afraid to connect to others while so many of us struggle to just talk with our neighbors. She is a a person of passion and a strong advocate for those around her who needed it! Your wonderful!...df@SAIL

To a woman of intelligence, spunk, and devotion to what she believed was right, my mother, Merle F. Ohlhausen Haas Ritter. I love you.

To honor Merle we ask that you make a donation to the Southeast Alaska Independent Living Program at http://www.sailinc.org/home.php . Thank you.

Grannie as I knew her, was my mother Denise's mother, and I was her first grandchild. Nearly every time we talked or met, she mentioned how wonderful it had been for her when she travelled to Alberta in 1963 to see me shortly after I was born. She was never anything but good to me, and I love her for that.

To a woman who hung in there and lived a long, interesting life. I love you Merle.

Granny visited us in Courtenay (the picture I have of her with mom is dated 1997). I remember she had many opinions on a lot of things. I was so impressed by her views on social mores.. they seemed so liberal and open minded, surprising for someone of Granny's age. I remember thinking how cool Granny was! Now, as I contemplate her passing, I think of her daughters.

Merle loved her pets. During the time Nan and I lived in Juneau together, she had a little red dog with a pronounced underbite named Chops, and a somewhat psychotic cat called Sam. Later on she took in an old white cat Shasha. They were odd little animals that nobody else wanted, but Merle loved and doted on them. She had a soft spot in her heart for lost causes.