Lori Ann Merrill, 63, of Le Mars, passed away on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at her home in Le Mars. A graveside service will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at the Hillside Cemetery in Merrill, Iowa. There will be a reception following at St. John's Lutheran Church in Merrill.

Lori Ann Boehm was born on February 9, 1961, in Le Mars, Iowa, the daughter of Donald and Harriett (Monk) Boehm. She attended Le Mars Community High School, graduating in 1979. She furthered her education at Western Iowa Technical Community College in Sioux City where she majored in accounting.

Through the years, you could find Lori and her beautiful smile serving tables at several area restaurants including the Family Table, Pizza Hut, Hungrys Far North, Midway and also at a café in Guthrie Center, Iowa.

Following school, Lori took a position with Aalfs Manufacturing in Sioux City as a seamstress which encouraged her love of sewing and crafting. She later worked at MidAmerican Energy for a local cleaning service. After her father passed away, Lori moved in with her mother, to take care of and provide relief from the loneliness her mother was experiencing. They enjoyed traveling and spending time with family.

Lori enjoyed being a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Merrill, Iowa. She was proud to serve as the president of the church council for several years. She also taught Sunday School and assisted with the church confirmation classes. Strong in her faith, Lori also participated in the Thursday Morning Women’s Bible Study at Sunrise Villa Apartments. In recent years, Lori’s passion and skills for crafting, diamond painting, embroidering, and crocheting helped establish and build her sister Cindy’s business, Lloyd’s Creations. She enjoyed traveling extensively with Cindy to craft shows throughout the Midwest.

Having a mother who enjoys playing cards, Lori held a deck shortly after she learned how to walk. She learned to play competitively while sitting on a stock pot on a kitchen chair. Lori always enjoyed a good game of cards and was so proud that she dealt her mother the perfect Prunce hand. Lori also enjoyed playing and teaching her sisters the game of Cribbage.

Lori inherited her love of animals from her father who had a soft heart for them. Not having children of her own, she always considered all the pets she had as her kids. For many years, Lori volunteered for the Wildlife Lodge & Clinic, an animal rescue located in Woodbury County. She cared for many types of baby animals as well as rehabilitating injured adult animals, preparing all to be released into their natural environment.

She will be lovingly remembered by her mother, Harriett Boehm of Remsen, (formerly of Merrill); sisters, Cindy (Mike) Lloyd of Westfield, Lisa Boehm of Le Mars, Beth Young of Council Bluffs, and Brenda (Jeff) De Lance of Le Mars, seven nieces, two nephews, eleven great nieces and fourteen great nephews.

Lori was preceded in death by her father, Donald on November 1, 2012; and the love of her life, Tim “Tac” Crowe on August 29, 2015.