Merland Harris Foss

Merland Harris Foss, 84, died Jan. 9, 2006, at his home in Wasilla.

Public visitation will be held today from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Valley Funeral Home Chapel in Wasilla.

Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m.

Pastor Tom Hoffman will be officiating at the services.

Mr. Foss was born Sept. 30, 1921, in Decorah, Iowa. He married Jean Davis on Nov. 4, 1949, in Roseberg, Ore.

He and his family moved to Alaska in 1967. They have lived in both Anchorage and Wasilla since that time.

Mr. Foss worked for Consolidated Freight from 1967 until 1974.

He then worked on construction for the trans-Alaska oil pipeline from 1974 to 1977 as a Teamster.

Mr. Foss retired from the Alaska Teamsters in 1977.

He was a member of the Fairview Loop Baptist Church, the Elks Lodge, and the Moose Lodge.

Mr. Foss' family wrote, &#8220Merle was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and woodworking.

&#8220He was an active member of his church, enjoyed working on the building committee and was involved in the moose road kill recovery group.”

Mr. Foss is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jean Foss of Wasilla; daughter, Lynne Mills of Federal Way, Wash.; grandson, Shane Moberly, and wife, Vernetta, of Kotzebue; grandson, Doug Williams, and wife, Julie, of Anchorage; grandson, Wayne Lee of Menifee, Calif.; granddaughter, Tawnya Brito, and husband, Jorge, of Murrieta, Calif.; four great-granddaughters and son-in-law, Dave Mills of Anchorage.

Mr. Foss was preceded in death by his son, Wayne Foss, and by his parents.

In lieu of flowers, people may make memorial donations to the Fairview Loop Baptist Church Building Fund. The mailing address for anyone who wishes to make contributions to that fund is 3118 W. Fairview Loop Road, Wasilla, AK 99654.

Mr. Foss' body will be cremated after his funeral services take place, and his ashes will be scattered in the waters of Resurrection Bay in Seward.