Merrell Carr

Ivor VA
CLIFTON â??MERRELLâ? CARR, SR, age 77, a resident of Ivor, died after a long illness on Friday, March 7, 2008 at his home while surrounded by his loving family. Merrell was born on May 17, 1930 in Isle of Wight County, son of the late Robert Clifton Carr and Mattie Joyner Carr. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Barbara Parker Carr; a son, Clifton Merrell Carr, Jr. and his wife, Ginnie, of Ivor; a daughter, Sandra Carr Vick and her husband, Greg, of Courtland; a granddaughter, Tamee Carr Railey and her husband, Benjamin, of Wakefield; a grandson, Andrew Vick of Courtland; two brothers, George R. Carr and his wife, Carolyn, and Herbert B. Carr and his wife, Judy, all of Ivor; a sister-in-law Virginia Gray of Franklin; and a brother-in-law Earl Parker and his wife, Deloris, of Sedley. He was predeceased by a sister, Janet C. Stieh.
Merrell was a 1949 graduate of Ivor High School and he was drafted into the United States Army in 1951 during the Korean War. He later served in the U. S. Army Reserves. In 1957 he married his sweetheart, Barbara Parker, and the couple settled in Ivor where Merrell farmed with his brother George on Carr Brothers Farms in Sussex and Southampton Counties. Until his illness three years ago, Merrell was an active member and former deacon of Ivor Baptist Church. Involved in a variety of civic and social organizations, he had served as an Ivor Town Councilman for 22 years and during this time was chairman of the Ivor Cemetery Committee. Merrell also served on several county committees involving farming. He was a 50-year active member of the Ivor Volunteer Fire Department and was an honorary member at the time of his death. He had formerly held every office in the Fire Department. He was a founder of the Ivor Junior Fire Department in 1975 and he especially enjoyed being in charge of selecting the Santa Claus for the departmentâ??s annual Community Christmas Party.. Ivor citizens had fun trying to guess who the Santa would be and Merrell was proud that for 50 years he never selected the same Santa. Merrell was a charter member of the Ivor Volunteer Rescue Squad and was proud to have been on the crew that made the first call for the squad on July 4, 1969.
Merrell spent many happy years with his son, Merrell Jr., participating in various types of racing including go-carts, mini-bikes, motorcycles, dirt-track and tractor pulls. He loved farming and gardening and he especially loved to dance.
A funeral service will be held on Monday March 10, 2008 at 3:00 PM in the Purviance Chapel of J. T. Morriss & Son Funeral Home, Wakefield. The Rev. Jarvis Hearn will officiate. Burial with military and fire department honors will be held in Ivor Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Sunday evening from 6:00 â?? 8:00 PM and at other times at the residence. Memorial donations may be made to the Ivor Volunteer Fire Department, P. O. Box 213, Ivor VA 23866 or the Ivor Volunteer Rescue Squad, P. O. Box 228, Ivor VA 23866. Condolences may be posted at www.jtmorriss.com .