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Merritt C. Long
Merritt C. Long, 71, a longtime
MatSu Valley businessman, died May 29 of Lou Gehrig's Disease while visiting
friends in Sandstone, Minn. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at
the Palmer Elks Lodge. The Rev. Elliott Hull, chaplain of the Palmer Volunteer
Fire Association, will officiate. A reception will follow.
Mr. Long was born April 1, 1918, in Forest Lake, Minn. He was a 1938 graduate of
Lincoln Town High School in Mahtomedi, Minn. Mr. Long was en route to his 51st
high school class reunion when he died. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in
1941, and served in the European Theater. He was stationed in England, North
Africa, Italy and southern France. He received a medical discharge in 1945 at
the rank of lieutenant. Mr. Long attended the University of Minnesota and in
1950 drove to Alaska to visit his brother. He was employed by the Alaska Road
Commission until 1952, when he went to the work at the Jonesville Coal Mine
north of Palmer. He was employed there until the mine closed in the mid'60s. He
also worked for Central Alaska Utilities in Anchorage and as a surveyor during
the construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline.
In 1961, he opened the Matanuska Valley Credit Bureau and Collection Service
which he continued to operate until his death. Mr. Long was a past president of
the Palmer Kiwanis Club and recently received the Lifetime Member Award. He was
a member and past president of the Valley Hospital Board and the Private
Industry Council, and a longtime active member of the Democratic party. He
served as treasurer of Northland Pioneer Grange 1 and was a 20year member of the
Palmer Volunteer Fire Department. He was also a previous member of the Palmer
Ambulance Service. He was on the Palmer City Council and served on the Palmer
Planning and Zoning Commission, most recently from 1984 until his resignation as
chairman in 1988.
He was recently presented with the
Mayor's Distinguished Service Award. He served on the MatSu Borough Board of
Equalization and was a charter member and past president of the Alaska
Collectors Association. He was also a member of the Elks and Moose lodges in
Palmer.
He leaves his wife of 37 years, Phyllis, of Palmer; his children, Diana Long,
Laurie Thomas and Kirke Long, all of Palmer, Jo Weller, of Big Sky, Mont., and
Grace Long, of Columbus, Ind.; his brothers, Erwin, of Anchorage, Bruce, of
Cottage Grove, Minn., and Orville, of Las Vegas, Nev.; and eight grandchildren.
Source: Anchorage Daily News 3 June 1989 |
