November 17, 1949 - February 28, 2021
Merrill Allen Kaufman was born November 17th, 1949 and left this earth far too soon on Sunday, February 28, 2021.
Merrill was the eldest of three children born to Kenneth and Meribeth (Krehbiel) Kaufman. He grew up helping his family on the farm outside of Moundridge, Kansas. He particularly enjoyed math in school. He graduated from Moundridge High School in 1967.
As a Mennonite, Merrill was a conscientious objector. In lieu of active duty service during the Vietnam War, he was assigned to hospital work and ordered to report to the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas on July 21, 1969. While in Houston, he met his first wife, whom he married on July 25, 1970. The couple had a daughter, Liza, and two sons: L.J. and Lucas. The young family returned to Moundridge a couple of years later. Merrill joined the Wall-Rogalsky Milling Company in McPherson, where his father also worked. He worked at WR for 18 years.
In September of 1982, he met the light of his life. After a whirlwind romance, Merrill and Deborah J. Laswell married on April 27, 1984. However, no one is quite sure how that happened because Merrill never actually proposed to her. The story goes that they walked through a mall one day and stopped at a jewelry store. She pointed to a few rings she liked and he bought one. She told him what church to be at, and luckily, he showed up on time.
Despite already having a household of pretty great children, Merrill and Debbie added a few more kids into the mix: Michelle, Christopher, and Angela. Merrill was thrilled each time he found out he had another child on the way. Much like his father and grandfather, he loved children and was well on his way to having his own baseball team.
In the summer of 1991, Merrill visited friends in Enid, OK. He returned home to his family and informed them that they were moving to Oklahoma. Two days later, the family had relocated, and Merrill finally fulfilled his life-long dream of becoming a truck driver. He drove for several companies over the last 30 years, including Beaver Express, PIC, and Groendyke, but he found a home when he was hired by Bruce Willey Trucking. To say he was a hard worker would be an understatement. He worked hard every day of his life, including his last. He was good at his job and could get almost anywhere in the country. If you mentioned you were going somewhere, he’d give you the best route to take and tell you all the places to stop along the way.
It would be difficult to find anyone to whom he had been rude or disrespectful. He was happy to talk with just about anyone, even though he was relatively shy. He didn’t like crowds, but he liked to chat. Merrill was incredibly polite and believed all people should be treated with respect. He was rarely in a bad mood and had the amazing ability to remain calm when most of us would panic or get upset.
He always accepted his children for who they are, even if he disagreed with their choices. And he was proud of each and every one of his kids. He would jump at the chance to talk about them and brag. Any one of his six children could tell him anything, and he never betrayed their trust. He was a great secret keeper. (He kept his mother’s cake recipe a secret for 50 years!) If he could fix something in their lives, he would do so without hesitation. If he couldn’t, he would be beside them to help them through. He had a true open-door policy. His children could walk in the door at any time and be greeted with a smile and a “Hey, there he/she is!” He rarely said no to his grandchildren and would often let them get away with things he’d never let his kids do. Being “Papa” meant the world to him. He never refused a hug or snuggle with any of his Fritzenheimer Schnigglefritzes.
Merrill was a very funny guy. He had a clever sense of humor and was really witty. He liked a good practical joke and lovingly chastising his family. Playful banter was commonplace in the Kaufman household.
In his younger days, he enjoyed bowling and would be the first to grab a bat whenever a softball game broke out at a family reunion or church picnic. He was a fan of KU Jayhawk basketball, the Kansas City Royals and the Oklahoma City Thunder. He loved watching football. He watched the Sooners on Saturdays, but he especially enjoyed his Kansas City Chiefs. Many people may not know that he was an expert referee, or at least he thought so when he tried to communicate through the television screen by speaking at rather loud volume as he watched the games.
There is so much more to say about this wonderful man. He had an infinite amount of love for his family and friends. He was loved and will be deeply missed by so many people. He is survived by his wife, Debbie of the home, his children: Liza Kaufman, LJ Kaufman, Lucas Kaufman, all of Houston, TX; Michelle and Sean Baldwin, Cherokee, OK; Chris Kaufman and Kali Ballew, Enid; and Angela Kaufman, Enid, his 13 grandchildren: Dustin Guzman, Forrest Guzman, Richard Guzman, Naomi Guzman, and Cheyenne Guzman; Ashley Kaufman, Meagan Perkins, and Austin Perkins; Sophia Baldwin; Henry Kaufman; Alexis Williams, Lacie Williams, Myah Williams, and 7 great-grandchildren: Evalina Guzman, Ava Guzman, Rome Gonzalez, Alezea Chavez, Aziel Chavez, Abel Perkins, and Aalijah Chavez; his sister, Yvonne Woodfin, Tulsa, and brother Kent Kaufman, Langley, OK.
He is preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Under the direction of Henninger-Hinson Funeral Home, Merrill’s service will be Friday, March 5, at 11:00am, at Emmanuel Baptist Church with Pastor Wade Burleson officiating. For those unable to attend, it will be livestreamed at www.emmanuelenid.org. Family and friends may visit Merrill at Henninger-Hinson Funeral Home Thursday, March 4, 2021 from 8am-8pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Merrill’s name to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.
The family asks that guests wear a mask until seated with their family and practice social distancing during the service.
Obituaries are posted, in part, due to the generosity of The Commons.
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