Funeral Services were held on Saturday, October 11, 1997 at 11 a.m. at the Evans-McCleery Funeral Home in Knoxville, Iowa for Merle M. "Mike" Redding.

Officiating at the service was Rev. Martha Ward, with interment at Graceland Cemetery in Knoxville, Iowa.  Music included, "Shall we Gather At The River"  and "How Great Thou Art" with Katie Davis as soloist.

Mike was born on November 3, 1920 in Burt County, the son of Glen E. and Lydia (Knapp) Redding.  He graduated from high school in Decatur, NE in 1938.

He served with the United States Marine Corps from 1941-1945.  He attained the rank of Sergeant.  In the South Pacific he served in the initial landings of Guadalcanal and Tarawa, Gilbert Islands and the Saipan and Tinian operations.

Mike married Joyce Nadine Mathes of Iowa City, Iowa on December 30, 1947 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa.

Mike was employed as an outside plant engineer for a series of telephone companies in Mediapolis, Iowa; Carthage, Illinois, New London, Iowa and Chariton, Iowa.   They moved to Knoxville in 1971 and he retired from Contel Telephone in 1982 after 33 years of service in the business.

Mike was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Knoxville and the American Legion in Chariton.

Mike passed away on October 7, 1997 at Knoxville Community Hospital at the Age of 76 years 11 months and and 4 days.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, Peanie and two sisters, Lois Neighbors and Edith Tondl.

He is survived by his wife of Knoxville; three daughters, Jan Redding of Boulder, CO; Ellen and her husband, Les Kaler of Marysville, MO, and Susan and her husband, Duane Meindertsma of San Clemente, CA; two brothers, Charlie and his wife, Georgia of Decatur and Whitney and his wife, Martha of Warrenton, MO; four sisters, Esther Redding of Council Bluffs, IA, Alice Harvey of Dade City, FL, Doris and her husband, Bill Ueding of Onawa, IA and Opal Neighbors of Council Bluffs, IA; three grandchildren, Arica Kaler, Brad Meindertsma and Jessica Meindertsma; many nieces and nephews and many other relatives and friends.

Honorary casketbearers were Gordon Thompson, Bob Pennebaker, Leo Foster, Dick Dircks, Roger Bishop, Ron Chapman, and Don Long.

Military honors were by Baty-Tucker Post 168, American Legion and John Myers Post 3519, VFW.

Memorials can be directed to The First United Methodist Church Radio Ministry and South Marion County Unit of the American Cancer Society.