Merna Elizabeth Totten of Watsonville passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her children on July 25, 2019.
She was born in San Francisco, CA on November 11, 1922. She lived in Aromas until 1955 when she moved to Watsonville and lived there for the remainder of her life.
Merna attended Aromas Grammar School and Watsonville High School. She married Clarence Totten on February 1, 1941. She was an avid homemaker who enjoyed canning and making homemade jams and jellies from her fruit trees and vegetable gardens. She loved working in her rose garden and rock garden. She was a volunteer at the Well Baby Clinic and the YWCA Thrift Store. She also knitted caps for preemie babies at the Watsonville Hospital and for the SMART program in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
She was a member of the Aromas Baptist Church and Watsonville First Baptist Church where she taught Sunday School, was a deaconess and sang in the choir. Merna enjoyed traveling, camping and gardening. She was an avid SF Giants and Golden State Warrior fan. She was a loving and cherished wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother.
She was preceded in death by her husband Clarence of 73 years, her parents George and Marie Wilson, brother Eddie Gnadig, sister Georgina Taylor, and son-in-law Jerry Goodwin.
She is survived by her daughter Linda Goodwin, daughter Diane (Tom) Loney and son Thomas (Cynthia) Totten, grandchildren Barbara (Dean) O’Malley, grandson Tom (Lana) Loney and Blake (Stephanie) Loney, Jeff (Denise) Goodwin, Kimberly McTague, great grandchildren Bryan and Blake Snyder, Blake abd Raigan Loney, Tailor and Johnny Oros, Nathen McTague and Tierny Goodwin, niece Janis Rice and nephews Phil and Jerry (Linda) Totten.
A special thanks to Isabel Perez, a long time friend and caregiver, to both Merna and Clarence.
We wish to express our gratitude to Dr. Jeffrey Mace for his professionalism and many years of tender loving care to both Merna and Clarence. We also thank his assistant Bertha Cervantes for her kind, caring manner.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 10, 2019 at 2:00 PM at First Baptist Church, 101 Madison Street, Watsonville. A reception will follow at the church hall.
In lieu of flowers you may make a donation to Heartland Hospice or a charity of your choice.
Arrangements have been entrusted in the care of The Carroll Family of Ave Maria Memorial Chapel, www.avemariamemorialchapel.com
