Merle Laut

Lillian Merle Laut was born August 21, 1919, to Fred and Mary Box on the family farm at Grenfell, Saskatchewan. She passed away on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at the age of 106, at the Didsbury hospital long term care facility. Merle was the 15th of 16 Children. She was predeceased by her parents and all her siblings and their spouses. She was also predeceased by her husband, Neil Laut, on October 15, 1996. Merle is lovingly remembered by her daughter, Diane Taylor (Delbert); their children, Michael (Tasha), Marcel (Lisa), and Suzanne (Tim); great grandchildren, Paige and Jackson; the Laut extended family from across the road at the farm; as well as many nieces and nephews, and friends.

The Box family was a tightknit family. The kids enjoyed playing together, including baseball in the summer and sledding down the “big hill” in the winter.

Merle attended primary school in Grenfell and went to high school in Summerberry, Saskatchewan. She lived with family in Alexander, Manitoba after High School. Eventually she came to Calgary to the Calgary General Hospital where she obtained her Registered Nurse degree. She went to work at Rocky Mountain House Hospital. Her nursing career was short lived thanks to her friend, Ruth Richardson. One weekend Ruth invited her to come to her home for the weekend. Ruth grew up just around the corner from where Neil was raised. There was a dance that weekend and Ruth introduced Neil and Merle. Six months later, they were engaged and were married January 4, 1945. They had a month-long honeymoon, where they took the train to Vancouver.

Neil and Merle resided on the farm east of Crossfield. After Neil passed, Merle stayed on the farm until 2008, aged 89; when she moved to the Rocky View Lodge in Crossfield. When she moved into the lodge she said to Diane, “I guess I will have to be nice to the old people”. She was one of the oldest there. She moved to a lodge in Calgary in 2021, and in August 2023 she moved to the Didsbury Hospital Memory Lane Unit.

Merle was a member of the United Church in Crossfield. She joined the United Church Women and was a choir member. There was a community Red Cross Club which met at ladies’ houses, Diane remembers them setting up the wooden quilt frame in the living room. The younger children would sit under the frame and push the needles back to the top for the ladies as they got to the center of the quilt.

As Diane grew up, they would do day trips with picnics. Some Sundays they went to Keivers Lake. It’s nothing but an alkaline slough. Those days were often an excuse to get together with the neighbours. They also went to Skunk Hollow, a park out by Water Valley. Never saw a skunk!!

Neil and Merle had the opportunity to journey to the Holy Land, they joined a Farmers European Tour, and travelled to Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and Alaska.

They enjoyed camping with family. They took the grandchildren to Radium and Cyprus Hills. These trips were made without the kids’ parents. Just time to be with the grandkids.

Merle was not a handy crafter. She loved to clean. The house was always immaculate. She filled many ice cream pails with Chocolate Chip cookies. The grandkids had a habit of sneaking into the basement to help themselves to the cookies. She was also known for the lemon tart filling. Family events were not complete without lemon tarts.

One of her favorite things to do, was to watch the Blue Jays. She couldn’t remember their names, but she knew all the numbers and the positions they played. She would ask Diane about player such and such a number, Diane would have to ask what their position was as she only knew their names.

Merle always enjoyed spending time with her family, and we cherish all the time and memories that we had with her. She will be greatly missed.

The family would like to thank Linda Gatez and Karen Copley for their visits to Merle. Also, to the nursing staff at Didsbury. They told us she was feisty!

In lieu of flowers a donation in Merle's memory can be be made to a charity of the donors' choice.