On a glorious blue sky afternoon, April 16, as the nation with great fanfare welcomed the Holy Father the heavens in indescribable majesty welcomed Dolores Meritt.
Etta Dolores Meritt was born on October 6, 1930, in Enid, Oklahoma, to Darrell and Elva Haskins. She was the second of four girls. In 1947 she married Warren (Bud) Meritt. They had two sons Warren Buddy Meritt and Scott Meritt. The Meritts moved to DeFuniak Springs in 1970 when Bud, who was a construction superintendent, oversaw the construction of the Bunge grain facility on Four Mile Creek. Dolores immediately fell in love with the area and sensed a kinship with the locals.
Dolores was ahead of her time. Seeing the beauty of the area she went into real estate ultimately achieving her brokers license and opening her own office. This was followed by the recession of the late 70s and the savings and loan collapse of the 80s. But still she was a visionary. Before there was a Starbucks there was Meritt Real Estate; Freeport’s notable and notorious would gather for free coffee as they solved the world’s problems. Later in life, finding herself with much time on her hands after the death of her mother who suffered from Alzheimer’s, she returned to her first love, writing. With the donation of a computer from her favorite brother-in-law she produced her first novel. In 2002 “The Ghost Lady of Choctawhatchee Bay” was published. It didn’t make the New York Times bestsellers list but received great acclaim from the aforementioned notables and notorious. The Lord blessed Dolores with a His Heart. She was quick to give if you were in need and should you whisper to her pray for me in Kelly’s* be prepared for an out loud, Pentecostal, hell shaking, hallelujah response right there between the Jim Dandy Grits and the black eyed peas. The world has lost another warrior of righteousness and heaven has received another faithful servant. She will be sorely missed.
Dolores is preceded in death by her mother and father Darrel and Elva Haskins, her husband Bud Meritt, her eldest son Buddy Meritt and her eldest sister Bertie Cowger. She is survived by her sisters Shirley Knowles of Hoodsport, Washington, and Jane Ehardt of Norman, Oklahoma. She is also survived by her son Scott Meritt of Freeport, Florida.
The wake will be on Sunday, April 20, from 2:00pm till 7:00pm at the family residence, 5951 Highway 20 East. Funeral services will be officiated by Louis Taunton and Darrell Moon at Damascus Church at 2:00pm Monday, April 21, followed by Interment at Black Creek Cemetery.
[*: The “Kelly’s” referred to in the third paragraph was a grocery store in Freeport.]
[Source: Clary-Glenn Funeral Home]
[Burial: Black Creek Memorial Cemetery, Freeport]