Merlin V Hahn

Mr. Merlin V. Hahn, age 86 of Doland, died early Thursday morning, January 10, 2008 in the Community Memorial Hospital at Redfield. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 2PM in the United Methodist Church at Doland with Pastors Grace Rhodes and Kevin Peterson officiating. Burial will follow in the Doland Cemetery with military rites by the American Legion Post at Doland. Music will be provided by Audrey Remily as organist with Judy Mayer as soloist. She will sing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere". The congregation will sing "I Love To Tell The Story". Casketbearers will be James and Pat Schneider, John, Shawn and Shane Holmquist, Dave Bucholz, Todd Heer and George Wolf. Visitation will be held 2 hours preceding services at the Church in Doland. He was born at Doland on December 12, 1921, the son of Herman and Josie Hahn. They lived on a farm near Doland and Merlin attended school in Doland. Following his schooling he went to work in California and then enlisted in the US Army, serving from 1944 to 1946. He earned the rank of Staff Sergeant in the 117th Quartermaster Bakery Company. Some of the wartime medals he earned were the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Philippine Liberation Ribbon w/IBS and a WWII Victory Medal. He was a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign War. On June 23, 1957 he was united in marriage to Ila (Hortman) Bashara at Onida. They made their home in Doland where he farmed and was an insurance agent with Farmer's Union. Ila died in 1996. Merlin loved to go for rides in the car. He enjoyed traveling also having gone to California, Washington, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and Israel. His true passion though was to get the Word of God out to others. He gave away hundreds of books and Bibles. He had a heart for other people and our nation to which he often prayed for. Preceding him in death were his parents, wife Ila in 1996, brothers, Alvin, Everett and Roland and a sister, Mildred. Survivors include a nephew, David (Dorothy) Hahn and their son Michael all of La Mirada, CA and 2 step-sons, Cecil (Gayle) Bashara of Goose Creek, South Carolina and L. Michael Bashara of Sioux Falls and a host of other extended family and close friends. Arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where you can sign an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com