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Atchison Mourns Former Mayor

By Joel Hardy

10/10/2013

(KAIR)--The city of Atchison lost one of their own Wednesday when former mayor Doug Merritt passed away. Merritt, who served as mayor from 1981-1983, always considered Atchison his hometown.

In addition to serving as mayor, Merritt also answered the call to serve, and served time in the Navy during world war two. After the war, he completed his education and started a career as a veterinarian. Eventually, he decided to fulfill a dream, and completed his law degree before starting practice as a public defender in Jackson County, Mo.

He eventually retired from law and moved his family back to Atchison, where he eventually became a city councilman and eventually, mayor. One of Merritt's reigning tributes as mayor was unveiling the of the Amelia Earhart statue in downtown Atchison. Well known for his Libertarian philosophy, Merritt became a published author in 2009 when his book, “A Libertarian Viewpoint,” was released.

Services for Douglass Merritt will be held Monday morning at 11:00. He is survived by his wife Marge; his two daughters Renee and Rebecca; and two sons, Marcus and Jonathan; as well as 16 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

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