BOONE, Iowa—Funeral arrangements are planned for 84 year old Merle C. Webb, Jr., Known to family and friends at “Bud”. He passed away Friday, March 19, 2021 at Bickford of Ames. Bud was proud of his decision to donate his body to The Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at University of Iowa. A celebration of his life will be planned when it is safe to gather.
Bud was born on October 13, 1936, to Merle and Olive (McLaughlin) Webb, Sr., of rural Lake City, Iowa. He attended a country school and Lake City High School. Upon his graduation from high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. After his service, he worked in retail and traveled throughout the Midwest setting up various retail stores.
In 1962, he married Patricia Kruger and had two sons, Clifford “Scott” and Barry. When that marriage dissolved, he gained custody of both boys and eventually married Linda Fox. Shortly after marrying Linda, he adopted her son, Shawn. They relocated to Boone, Iowa, in 1973, so that Bud could establish Boone’s Pamida Store.
After his divorce from Linda, he married Carolyn Reynoldson at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa, in 1978. Together, Bud and Carolyn had two children, Marcus and Marcy. Bud opened Webb’s Hardware in Boone in 1977, and operated the store until its closing in 1988. Bud worked as a school bus driver, at Ames Lab, and at Tone’s Spices while raising his two youngest children.
Bud enjoyed having dogs, dancing and card playing, was an avid bowler, loved boating and camping, and delighted in his five children. He and Carolyn enjoyed travel throughout the USA with their family and across the globe in retirement. Bud was known as a jokester among all of the family and in his older years, while babysitting his youngest grandchildren, worked tirelessly to pass on his sense of humor to the two “youngins.”
Bud is survived in by his wife Carolyn; four sons, Cliff (Laura) Webb of Carrollton, Texas, Barry (Laura) Webb of Shawnee, Kansas, Shawn Webb of Dallas, Texas, and Marcus Webb of Boone, Iowa; daughter, Marcy (Julia) Webb of Ames, Iowa; six grandchildren, Clarissa (Steven) Jacob, Spencer, Bryant, Holly, Elliot, and Ira; two great-grandchildren, Caroline and Olivia; four sisters, Helen Grider of Coralville, Iowa, Lori (Jon) McNamee of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Jeanne (Mick) Snodgress of Marion, Iowa and Bev (Jim) Clark of Guthrie Center, Iowa; many nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews, cousins, and friends who will miss him.
He was preceded in death by his Mother, Olive Webb, and Father, Merle Webb, Sr.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall Streets in Boone. Online condolences may be left to Bud’s family at www.schroedermemorialchapel.com.
Merle “Bud” Webb, Jr., 84, Boone, Iowa
