Obituary: Merelyn Harberts

Merelyn Lucile Harberts, 98, of Hudson, died on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at  MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center.  

She was born on October 17, 1926, in Lynnville, Iowa, the daughter of Harvey and  Dorothy (White) Carter. On August 28, 1945, she was united in marriage to Russell Harberts in  Holland, Iowa. She received her LPN from the Allen School of Nursing and worked in Dr.  Hansen’s and Mitchell’s offices in Waterloo, as well as Medical Associates in Cedar Falls.  

She and Russell loved to travel and once she got interested in genealogy, they traveled  to Germany to trace Russell’s family and put together a great presentation for his family. In later  years, she and Lee Ann went to Ireland where she followed her own family and gathered some  great history on her own kin. (She ALWAYS looked forward to Saint Patrick’s Day... Erin Go  Bragh!)  

Merelyn spent her spare time knitting, crocheting, reading (James Patterson), and loved  doing Celebrity Cipher and Cryptoquip puzzles... ever interested in keeping her mind engaged.  Merelyn is survived by her daughter, Lee Ann (Donald) Gutknecht of Grimes and their  children, Jeffrey (Janice), Kevin, Elizabeth (Daran), and Stephanie; granddaughter, Shelley (Ken)  Fogt, Bruce’s daughter, of Reinbeck; daughter Jean (Mark Pinkerton) Polk of Kerrville, TX, and  her daughter, Jamie (Mario); son, Mark (Rose) Harberts) of Elgin, IA, and their children,  Jeremiah (Bethany) and Jenny (Daren); twenty great-grandchildren, and seventeen great-great grandchildren.  

She was preceded in death by her husband, Russel; daughter, Rosemary; son, Bruce;  two great-grandsons, Noah and Riley; her siblings, Colleen, Jack, and Roberta.  Funeral services were held on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at Trinity Bible Church in  Cedar Falls with burial at Colfax Center Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Holland.  Memorials may be directed to Trinity Bible Church.