Merle Lehmann, 87, of Collegedale, TN formerly of McClusky, ND died Tuesday, October 3, 2017 in a Collegedale, TN care center.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, October 13, 2017 at the Seventh-day Adventist Church, McClusky.

Visitation will be Thursday, Oct. 12 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Hertz Funeral Home, McClusky, ND.

Burial will be in the McClusky City Cemetery.

Merle Andrew Lehmann was born February 23, 1930 in McClusky, North Dakota to Christ and Lydia Lehmann. He passed away October 3, 2017 at the age of 87. He met Ida W. (Flemmer) Lehmann at Sheyenne River Academy and they married on June 28, 1951 in Lehr, ND. They recently celebrated their 66 ^th wedding anniversary. They were blessed with four adopted children: Karen, Keith, Karla, and Kenneth. Merle's life work was spent as a farmer, cattle rancher, roving grain buyer, and also owned and operated Lehmann Grain & Trucking. Merle and Ida enjoyed traveling around the world and participated in several mission projects. They visited eight European countries, China, Hawaii, the Fiji Islands, New Zealand, and Australia. Their travels extended to Mexico, India, South America, West Indies, and Canada for mission work.

Merle and Ida spent 65 years in McClusky until moving to Ooltewah, Tennessee in the Fall of 2016 to live in an Assisted Living facility near Kenneth.

Merle is survived by his wife, Ida; two daughters, Karen Rohrich of Fargo, ND, and Karla (Neil) Martwick of McClusky, ND; two sons, Keith Lehmann of Phoenix, AZ, and Ken (Melanie) Lehmann of Chattanooga, TN; eleven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren; three sisters, Betty Liebelt of Mulberry, FL, Lindell (Wayne) Juhl of Greenbush, MN, and Grace (Stanley) Murphy of Zephyrhills, FL and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and eight siblings.