On May 5, 2023 Merle Martin Gulbranson passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.  Born June 11th, 1957 to Merle and Sheron Gulbranson as the oldest of 8 siblings.  Merle graduated from Colman High School in 1975 and then went to Watertown to attend Lake Area Technical to specialize in farm equipment and diesel mechanics.  
While working for Dennis Cordell in 1976, Merle met the love of his life, Dennis’s niece Deann Maifield.  Merle and Deann wed on December 30, 1977 and lived in Aberdeen until 1979 and moved back to the Colman area to raise their growing family; raising daughters Renae, Paula and Debra and eventually realizing his dream of owning and operating his own mechanic business.  
Merle became a critical member of both the local and state communities by providing over 43 years of service in many facets of the community such as being a long-time member of the Colman Fire & Rescue Team, a lifesaving EMT, many years on the city council, and served on the debriefing team for the state.  Additionally, he served as a member of the Emergency Management Board and State EMT Council.  Merle didn’t run away from danger; he ran towards it in hopes that he could help anybody in the line of danger regardless of his own safety.  
In his spare time Merle was heavily involved in the dirt track racing community, dragging his family from racetrack to racetrack, whether it was Lake County or Rock Rapids, Merle found a home at the I-90 Speedway in Hartford.  
When Merle wasn’t saving lives or grading the track for the next race, you could find Merle spending time with the family he adored doing a variety of activities including attending car shows, supporting all of his kids and grandkids school activities, bidding on auctions for things he didn’t need, chasing the next tornado to torment eastern South Dakota, manning the grill wherever good food needed to be served, and finding some peace and quiet on the side of a lake fishing and camping with his grandkids.  
Anxiously awaiting Merle’s arrival in Heaven are his daughter Leah, his parents Merle & Sheron, his nephew Landon, and many other people who preceded him but will welcome him with open arms and a smile.
Those left behind to pick up his tools and clean the grill are his loving wife of 45 Years: Deann; his 3 daughters: Renae (Chris) Palmlund, Paula (Tim) Kline, Debra Emme, all of whom gave Merle the greatest joy of his life that he called grandkids, 9 grandkids in total; 4 great grandkids so far; and he will also be greatly missed by his brothers and sisters, Sid, Terry, Todd, Scott, and Craig Gulbranson, Anna Bothe, and Pam Levasseur.  
Services will be 10:00AM Monday, May 15th, 2023 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Madison. Visitation will be held from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday, May 14th, 2023 at Skroch Funeral Chapel in Colman, SD.
www.skrochfc.com