Merlin Ackerson Obituary Merlin James Ackerson died November 11, 2005 at his home in Keokuk, Iowa. He was born in Fairmont, Minnesota May 18, 1932 to Albin C. and Edith McCabe Ackerson. The family lived on a farm in Martin County near East China, Minnesota until 1939 when they moved to Humboldt, Iowa. He graduated from Humboldt High School in 1950, Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa in 1954 and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois in 1958. Ackerson married Helen Irish on August 10, 1957 at Madison, Wisconsin. He is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters: James Ackerson (Mary Boyd), Katherine (Steve) Gabel and Rebecca (James) Bowden all of Keokuk and three grandchildren: Jessica (Adam) Hoffman, Erica Bowden and Nathan Bowden as well as a sister, Betty (William) Burkhart of Humboldt, Iowa. Ackerson was ordained a pastor in the Methodist Church in 1958 and served churches in the Iowa conference including Lime Springs; Chester; Rowan; Alexander; Farnhamville; Somers; Lake Mills; Thompson; Keokuk Trinity; Washington and First UMC in Mason City. He was a District Superintendent of the Spencer district in Northwest Iowa for six years. Ackerson had been a member of the General Board of Church & Society of the United Methodist Church and the chair of the Iowa United Methodist Conference Relations Committee of the Board of Ordained Ministry. He was also a life trustee of Cornell College and a four-time clergy delegate to the General and Jurisdictional Conferences of the United Methodist Church. Social issues were a great concern of his and he was a frequent contributor to Letters to the Editor in the Des Moines Register. Memorial services were held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 at Trinity United Methodist Church. Ackerson's body has been given to the University of Iowa School of Medicine. Memorials may be made to Merlin and Helen Ackerson Endowed Scholarship funds at Cornell College or Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.