Mervin D. Budde (78) of Effingham

Mervin D. Budde, 78, of Effingham, Illinois, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at his home surrounded by his caregivers.

Private family services will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church in rural Louisville with burial in the church cemetery. Services are in the care of Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham.

Memorials donations in Mervin’s honor may be given to St. John’s Lutheran Church, 17684 1st Avenue, Louisville, Illinois 62858. Online condolences may be shared by clicking here. 

Mervin Delaine Budde was born on March 30, 1942 in Clay County, Illinois, the son of Otto and Emma (Bergman) Budde. He was baptized on April 15, 1942 and was confirmed on May 6, 1956. Mervin served his Lord faithfully. He honorably served on active duty in the United States Navy from June 1963 to August 1963.

Mervin worked two years for St. Anthony’s Hospital while living at home. He then moved to Decatur, Illinois. He was the in-house print shop for J.L. Simmons Company, Inc. for 13 years, a press operator at Trump Printing for 16 years, and finally a bindery coordinator for William Street Press for 11 years. Mervin retired after 40 years in the printing industry. While living in Decatur he made some lifelong friendships. Mervin enjoyed life and traveled many places. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Decatur.

Upon retiring, he moved to be closer to his family. He chose Four Seasons Estates in Effingham, Illinois. He then became a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Louisville, Illinois. Little did he know family would be ready to eat out, play a card game or just set out on his deck and have some laughs. He loved mowing yards and pulling weeds. He was always busy doing something. Even during retirement, he returned to his printing career working part-time for Patton Printing.

He leaves to remember him with love, brothers, Eldred (wife, Betty) Budde of Argenta and Darrel Budde of Louisville; sisters, Joan Cunningham of Effingham, Carolyn (husband, Howard) Hammer of Altamont, and Judy (husband, Sam) Stuemke of Altamont; sister-in-law, Loma Budde of Louisville; and 12 nieces and 13 nephews.

He went to join his parents, Otto and Emma; his brothers, Henry, Rufus and Delmar; sisters, Bernice Wolff, Elnora Budde, and Janice Holste; brother-in-law, Ray Wolff; sister-in-law, Doris Budde; and two nephews, Mark Budde and Ricky Cunningham.

Family and friends will miss his special laugh, his talent to play the family piano while gathering around singing, the fun boat rides and fun trying to ski, all the special times he put into planning for square dancing parties on the family farm in the garage in the Fall and nieces and nephews wondering who Santa Claus was on Christmas Eve.