Merna Viola Coakley, age 90, of Crawfordsville, Iowa died Thursday, May 13, 2010 at Parkview Home in Wayland following a lengthy illness.

Celebration of life services will be held 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 17 at the Jones Eden Funeral Home in Washington with Pastor James Cluney officiating. Visitation will begin 11:00 a.m. Sunday at the Jones Eden Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 2:00 - 4:00 Sunday afternoon. Interment will take place at the Elm Grove Cemetery in Washington, Iowa. Memorials have been established for the West Chester Heritage Association & the Parkview Home in Wayland. Online condolences may be sent for Merna's family through the web at www.jonesfh.com

Merna was born September 30, 1919 near Brighton, Iowa the daughter of Lester and Sadie (Cooper) Stone. She graduated from West Chester High School. On August 4, 1937, she was united in marriage to Orville Coakley in Crown Point, Indiana.

Merna and Orville lived in the West Chester area for thirteen years prior to moving northwest of Crawfordsville where she lived from 1950 until 2008. She assisted her husband in the family farming operation and was a hairdresser for 28 years retiring in 1994.

Merna enjoyed gardening, cooking and traveling. She was a member of the Braden Club in Crawfordsville for a number of years.

She is survived by her daughter Dorothy Wilson and husband Art of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; son Jon Coakley and wife Kathy of Washington, Iowa; daughter Martha Coakley of Crawfordsville, Iowa; eight grandchildren; 28 great grandchildren; and six great great grandchildren as well as one sister Mildred Jones of Las Vegas, Nevada

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband in 2001, one sister - Clara Baker, one great grandchild and one grandson-in-law.