Olive "Obie" Merson

Olive "Obie" Merson, 86, died July 6, 2012 at the Sanctuary of Holy Cross.

Daughter of the late Oliver Clay and Lillian (Walker) Lapsley, she was born in Wilson, Oklahoma on August 21, 1925. Mrs. Merson was retired from Dow Jones. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Esther Chapter 47 and St. Philip's Episcopal Church. She resided on Nichols Drive in Laurel for 59 years.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Holton B. Merson, her son, James McCool, and her son-in-law, Glenn C. Mills II.
Surviving are her daughters and sons-in-law, Carolyn McCool-Hensley and Gary Hensley, Patricia and Stephen Fancovic, daughters J. Gail Bernhard and Debra Mills, grandchildren Kelly Hax, Kimberly Champagne, Jennifer Kerner, Patricia Ames, Amanda Hishmeh, Adam Fancovic, Allison Bernhard, and Jason Fancovic, great-grandchildren Jordan and Connor Hax, Tyler, Bailey, and Sydney Champagne, Austin Mills-Gobbel, Ryan Fancovic, Mason Hishmeh, and Colton Ames.

Services were held July 12 at 11am at St. Philip's Episcopal Church, officiated by the Rev. Judith Proctor and the Rev. Oran Warder. Burial was at Ivy Hill Cemetery. Visitation was July 11 from 2 to 4pm and 7 to 9pm at Donaldson Funeral Home, P.A., 313 Talbott Avenue.
Memorial donations may be made to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, 300 New Jersey Ave NW, Suite 900, Washington DC 20001, www.avonwalk.org , or CurePSP, 30 E. Padonia Road, Suite 201, Timonium, MD 21093, www.psp.org .