Merville "Merv" W. Steen

Jackson - Merville “Merv” W. Steen, age 92, of Jackson passed away peacefully on Friday, July 19, 2024, at Temperance Lake Ridge in Sherburn, MN.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Merv on Saturday, July 27th at 11:30 AM at the Sinn Family Celebration of Life Center (111 Apple Street East, Trimont, MN 56176) with Pastor Russ Steele officiating. Private family burial will be in Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Jackson, MN. The service will be recorded, and available live as well as after the service on this page. 

Visitation will be held on Friday, July 26th from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Sinn Family Celebration of Life Center in Trimont, MN. Visitation will also be held from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM prior to Merv’s service on Saturday.

Merv was born on August 18th, 1931, in Warren, Minnesota to August and Elsie (Potratz) Steen. He graduated from Trimont High School before enlisting in the United States Air Force. While serving as an airman, Merv spent most of his time in Japan as a radio operator directing aircrafts.

On June 4, 1955, he was united in marriage to LaVonne “Bonnie” Buchan at the First Presbyterian Church in Jackson. After their marriage, they farmed in Enterprise Township and raised four children, Merry Jo, Pat, Sandy, and Brian. 

Merv was active on numerous boards and many community and church organizations. He grilled countless pork chops with the Jackson County Pork Producers and was honored to be an active part of his community however he could. Merv and Bonnie traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan.

Merv is survived by his children, Merry Jo (Mike) Escher, Pat (Sam) Jones, Sandy (Jeff) Bjorkman and Brian (LeeAnn) Steen; 9 grandchildren, Carey (Escher) and Jeff Huebert, Michelle (Escher) and Darin Kooima, Justin and Angela Escher, Sam and Megan Jones, Kyle and Hanna Bjorkman, Jessica (Bjorkman) and Jayme Olson, Sabrina (Steen) and Kyle Wooters, Matraca (Steen) and Jake Hanson, and Rebecca (Steen) and Jake Sinn; 19 great-grandchildren; brother-in-law, Art Syverson; sisters-in-law, Gladys Steen and Peggy Burgeson; and other relatives and friends.

Merv was preceded in death by his loving wife of 59 years, Bonnie, who passed away on July 11, 2014; parents, August and Elsie; brother, Raymond Steen; sisters, Dorothy (Arden) Kvestad and Mary Ann (Roland) Philipp; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ernest and Helen (Graves) Buchan Bonnie’s siblings, Beulah Erickson, Beryl Buchan, Joan Hartke, and Cleone Syverson.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Alzheimer’s Association - Rochester Chapter or Honor Flight of Northern Arizona.

Blessed be the memory of Merville “Merv” Steen.