Merill “Stub” Dean Tornow, age 91, of Carroll, IA, and formerly of Norfolk, NE, passed away on Friday, March 21, 2025 at Addington Place in Carroll.
A private funeral service will be held on Friday, March 28, 2025 at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll with Pastor Ryan Roehrig officiating. Burial will be in the Merle Hay Memorial Cemetery near Glidden with military honors conducted by the Merle Hay Post of the American Legion.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com
Born on April 14, 1933 in Woodbine, IA, he was the son of Lloyd and Maggie (Mook) Tornow. His family moved to Denison when he was six years old. Stub graduated from Denison High School in 1951. Following high school he worked several jobs before enlisting in the United States Army in 1955 and served two years. He was married to Helen “Chris” Christiansen on September 20, 1953 at the Lutheran Church in Buck Grove, IA. To this union were born five children: Debra, Linda, Craig, and twins Keith and Kelly. Stub worked for Crouse Cartage for 33 years. He was divorced in 1979 and later re-married Beverly Boger. They lived in Lidderdale, Carroll, and Carbondale, Kansas before moving to Norfolk, NE in 2005. In retirement Stub worked as a horse and carriage driver for a livery service and drove school bus for USD 437 Public High School. He was a member of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Norfolk. He enjoyed doing volunteer work at Norfolk Senior Citizen’s Center and Norfolk Concerned Citizens which regulated the Norfolk public transportation system.
Merill is survived his wife Beverly of Norfolk, NE; two daughters: Debra Mosher (Dave) of Carroll; Linda Lingle (Ron) of Carroll; three sons Craig Tornow (Carla) of Denison, Keith Tornow (Jennifer) of Halbur, and Kelly Tornow of Westside; two step-sons: Greg Boger (Michelle) of West Des Moines and Kevin Boger (Mary) of Denison; nine grandchildren; several great grandchildren; and two sisters-in-law Irene Gertz of St. George, UT and Jo Ann and Ellis Bertelsen of Smithville, MO; a brother-in-law Myron Gertz of Papillion, NE; and many nieces and nephews.
Stub was preceded in death by his parents Lloyd and Maggie Tornow; a sister Shirley Parsons; and a brother Ed Tornow.
