Merle C. Curtis, 96, of Cuba City, WI passed away on Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at home. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 25 ^th at United Methodist Church in Cuba City, WI with Pastor JoAnn Meyer officiating. Burial will be in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Cuba City, WI. Family & friends may call from 9:00 a.m. until the time of service on Saturday, September 25 ^th at the church. Due to current health & safety for gatherings indoors, all attendees are asked to wear a mask and to follow social distancing guidelines. The Haudenshield Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Cuba City, WI is serving the family.

A true gentleman and family friend, 96 years old, 74 years of marriage and a friend of everyone. A beautiful lived, life. Merle Curtis was born March 21, 1925 in a farmhouse near Georgetown to Thomas & Wilda (Sampson) Curtis. He joined a hard-working family with three sisters, Viola, Hannah and Hazel and a brother, Dalven. Ralph was born later. His grade school days were in Georgetown Community one room school. He graduated from Cuba City High School, class of 1943. He was very involved in 4-H work and a leader of Georgetown Boosters Club for several years. He raised purebred duroc pigs and also had the Grant County Grand Champion steer at the Lancaster Fair in 1946.  He designed and built an electric pig brooder which won him a trip to the National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago.

November, 1945, he met Velma Johnsen on the dance floor at Moonlight Gardens. He was leaving the next day for Chicago and promised he would call when he got home. Velma said he always kept his promises. They married on June 26, 1947 and moved into part of the farm house with his parents. They then attended the Georgetown Methodist Church at Georgetown. This was a time when traditions followed, that men sat on one side of church and the women on the other. They were the first couple at that church to sit together. A start to the "team" work that they continued throughout life. They farmed with his parents for 17 years. But the heavy lifting was hard on his body so they left farming in 1964. During the years on the farm, three children, Robert, John and Janet were born. In 1967, he started working full time for the Cuba City Post Office as a city letter carrier and walked seventeen miles a day. He said he really loved his job.  People enjoyed his happy disposition and friendly attitude. On weekends, he loved to garden and fish at Galena Territory.  In the winter, ice fishing and playing euchre.  He had several weed free gardens and fruit trees which fed the family and was shared with friends.  That's where the team work came in.  Merle produced it and Velma canned, froze and prepared nutritional meals. Bakes lots of pies, his favorite dessert. This was still happening in August of 2021 as Merle delivered the produce and Velma prepared it. Merle & Velma were instrumental in bringing the Georgetown Methodist Church auctions to the Cuba City United Methodist Church. They were major participants in the success of the auction. Merle was recently asked about the decisions he made and his answer was "I married Velma didn't I". "Super-team" work throughout life. He dearly loved all of his family. A week or so before his death, they enjoyed their annual family picnic at Galena Park.

Merle is survived by his loving wife of 74 years, Velma, 3 children: Robert Curtis of Cuba City, Wi, John (Rita) Curtis of Galena, IL and Janet Bussan of Peosta, IA; 5 grandchildren: Jeff (Teri), Kurt (Angie), Heather (Mike) Vincent all of Galena, IL, Sara (Kevin) Krech of Egan, MN and Brian Bussan of Watertown, WI; 10 great-grandchildren: Haleigh, Collin, Carter, Carly Curtis and Leah, Liza, Elyse Vincent all of Galena, IL, Jack & Luke Krech of Egan, MN, Breanna Bussan of River Falls, WI; 4 step great-grandchildren: Cody, Kyle, Ryan and Nick; 3 step great-great grandchildren; his former son-in-law, David Bussan of Oshkosh, WI and a brother Ralph (Rita) Curtis of Platteville, WI.

He was preceded in death by his parents, 3 sisters, a brother and a grandson in infancy.

In lieu of plants & flowers a Merle C. Curtis Memorial Fund has been established.  Memorials may be mailed to Haudenshield Funeral Home c/o Family of Merle Curtis, BOX 825, Cuba City, WI 53807.

The family would like to thank the Cuba City Rescue Squad for all of their help and all of our wonderful friends for their help and to our dear friends Carole Rymer for writing the obituary.