Carl W. Mersereau

Carl Mersereau, 75, left us suddenly for his eternal rest on June 13, 2023. He was born in Passaic, New Jersey, on September 29, 1947, to Harold and Evelyn (Elgersma) Mersereau.

Carl spent his formative years in Marshalltown, Iowa, where at the age of 18 he asked a friend, “who is that cute girl?” and met his beautiful bride, Josephine. He matriculated at Iowa State University, where he joined Theta Xi Fraternity and was an active member for the remainder of his life.

Carl and Jo married in 1969 and were blessed with nearly 54 cherished years together. Along the way, Carl attained his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Iowa, but remained a loyal Cyclone fan for better but mostly worse.

In 1971, their family grew with the birth of Michael. His arrival was followed by Carl joining the Army as an officer flying Huey helicopters. While serving his country, Carl was deployed to Turkey on a NATO assignment, where he and Jo welcomed their daughter, Jennifer, in 1973. Carl retired honorably as a captain.

After he completed his service, Carl spent his career as a stock broker. Apart from work, these years were filled with adventures in Maui and Keystone, and summers spent on the golf course. These memories were shared with many dear, life-long friends.

If you were lucky, you got to experience Carl’s booming laughter, mouthwatering barbecue (especially his ribs), or his infamous chocolate martinis.

Carl leaves behind many broken hearts. He is survived by the love of his life, Jo, she truly was the apple of his eye and he lived to make her happy; his beloved children, Michael Mersereau and Jennifer (Brandon) Lee; his treasured grandchildren, Lucy Holms, Nicholas Lucht, and Sophia, Carter, and Paige Lee; brothers, Larry (Sue) Mersereau and Ken (Kerri) Mersereau; and many, many friends who filled his life with joy.

We are so grateful for the 75 years we got to spend with Carl and we wish we could have had so many more. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family for contributions to organizations Carl held close to his heart.

Please join us in celebrating the life of Carl Mersereau on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at the Lutheran Church of Hope, 925 Jordan Creek Parkway, West Des Moines, Iowa, for a visitation at 10:00 AM, service at 11:00 AM, and a luncheon to follow.

Livestream Link for Carl Mersereau Service

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