By the grace of Joan Williams Merritt, Midland was kept beautiful until her passing on June 25, 2016.One of five siblings, she was born to Freida Marie Blieker and John Earl Williams on June 19, 1928 in Texline, but soon afterward never strayed far from her favored city whose people and landscape held her fascination. As a teenager she joined the Girl Guides, a club for outdoor enthusiasts, and attended Midland High School where she was captain of their first women's volleyball team in 1944. She married Donald Gordon Merritt in 1947 after he returned from serving in the war and together they raised four children, employing tricks she learned as a self-proclaimed child of the Depression to keep everyone fed, clothed, and happy.In the arid plains of the Permian Basin, Joan found daily beauty in every plant, animal, insect, and rock that to her seemed so obvious and overwhelming she would spend most of her life showing others how to find it. Generations of school children were taught about Texas horned lizards and monarch butterflies, and as a member of the Midland Naturalists nary a bird could migrate across town without getting her official count. She has been previously nominated for Texas school volunteer of the year, recognized by Keep Midland Beautiful for a lifetime achievement award in 2009, and honored with a namesake pavilion by the I-20 Wildlife Preserve in 2013.Joan was a member of North \A\ Church of Christ for 56 years and placed nothing higher in all of God's creation than that of the love for her husband and family. She refused to be “bogged down in lamentations,” celebrating every experience and relationship with those around her.She is survived by husband Don, children Wayne, John, Virginia, Gary and their spouses, nine grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren.A memorial service will be held Friday, July 1, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Chapel, 3800 N Big Spring St, Midland, Texas 79705. Jeans and birding attire completely acceptable. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the I-20 Wildlife Preserve, 2201 S Midland Dr., Midland, Texas 79703 or Hospice of Midland, 911 W Texas AVE, Midland, Texas 79701. ,
