Obituaries

Captain Willliam Merker, the veteran fire fighter and whole-souled, jolly citizen, is no more upon this earth...He was respected and loved for his genial manner, his kindly disposition and his even and amiable temperament...He died at his home, 318 Lower Washington street, Friday morning, aged 70 years. He had been ill of grip for some time, and the immediate cause of his death was heart failure, produced by grip. ..Mr. Merker, ever since his boyhood days, had been a member of a fire company. When the volunteer companies were organized in New Albany 50 years ago he became a member. When the paid department was organized he was elected chief, and served for nineteen years in that capacity...Mr. Merker was also one of the oldest undertakers in New Albany and for over forty-five years had been engaged in that business under the firm name of Merker & Gwin and at the time of his death he and Mr. Newland Gwin, son of the late J. M. Gwin, were engaged in the business under the firm name of Merker & Gwin...Capt. Merker was born and always resided in this city. Early in life he was an apprentice under the late Col. Sanderson and learned the cabinet makers' trade and assisted in the undertaking business of his employer. And Capt. Merker was a fine wood worker and there were few if any better cabinet makers in this vicinity...he was president of the Veteran Volunteer Firemen's Association of the state at the time of his death...It was principally through his efforts that the firemen's monument in Fairview cemetery, which was unveiled about two years ago, was erected.