Merle Anne Schulz

Merle Anne Schulz (Williams), beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt passed away on August 9, 2024 in Chicago at the age of 82.

Merle Anne was born on February 8, 1942 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Jack Leon Williams and Christine Shirley Williams (Tucker). As a young child, she lived in Leadville, Colorado and in southern and northern California. At the age of six her family moved to Utah and she spent the rest of her growing up years in the Sandy area. Merle Anne was the oldest of seven children and loved her younger brothers and sisters immensely. After graduating from Jordan High School she attended beauty school then took a position at Dugway Proving Grounds Army Base as a beautician. Her pretty smile was noticed by a young serviceman, Ronald Peter Schulz. Their courtship began and they were married on June 16, 1962. They were then sealed as a family in the Salt Lake Temple in 1974.

Merle Anne and Ron began a new life in Chicago. It was a hard adjustment moving to a large city after living in small towns. She grew to love Chicago and raised her family there. She was a devoted wife and mother. Merle Anne was a great cook and loved to bake. Her apple pies were so amazing that at bake sales you couldn’t put a price on them, they were auctioned off to the highest bidder. She loved gardening and was a Master Gardener. Merle Anne was a stay at home mom, then as her children got older she worked at Retina Consultants in downtown Chicago and later at the Pain Clinic at Swedish Covenant hospital. 

Merle Anne’s life was a testament to her deep faith and devotion to her Savior, Jesus Christ. She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and valued serving others. She held numerous church callings over the years, including serving as an ordinance worker in the Chicago Illinois Temple for over twenty years.

For Merle Anne, family came first. She cherished her immediate and extended family. Until recently, Merle Anne regularly traveled to Utah to visit her grandchildren, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, and friends. Merle Anne loved family history; she and Ron served at their local Family History Library for years. She spent over a year reaching out to family members and compiling their life stories and pictures into a family book. These books were published for both sides of her family tree.

Merle Anne is survived by her loving husband Ron, her siblings Lee (Joe), Ed, John, Christy (John), and Carroll; as well as her three children Michael (Alma), Michelle (Bernie), and Melissa (Roy). She has five beautiful grandchildren: Aaron, Joshua, Sam, Max, and Emma. 

She is preceded in death by her parents, her youngest brother Ken and sister-in-law Michelle (Ed), brother-in-laws Darryl (Carroll) and Auggie (Mary).

A viewing will be held at 1:00 p.m., at Memorial Lake Hills Mortuary, 10055 South State Street, Sandy, Utah 84070 with a Graveside Service and Interment to follow at 2:00 p.m. at the same location.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Utah Independent Living Center, a non-profit organization in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her grandson Joshua has benefitted from services at this center. https://uilc.org/about/donate