Mertie Jean Kinnaird was born December 28, 1940, in Malcolm, Iowa the daughter of Price and Sylvia Dykes Shaw. She died in her East Dubuque, IL home on April 22nd due to natural causes. Per Mertie's wishes there will be no services held.

After a solid mid-west upbringing filled with school and sports, she was united in marriage to D. Wayne Kinnaird on April 30, 1960, at First Baptist Church in Grinnell. Mertie dedicated her life to keeping the members of a small family well fed, cared for and out of trouble. She saw to it that all "needs" were met as well as nearly every "want" regardless of the sacrifice. Getting two boy's feet set squarely on the right path and in the right direction was her life's goal and she succeeded.

Mertie enjoyed following basketball, both college and pro, a good crossword puzzle, and before her eyes failed she assembled countless jigsaw puzzles. She loved to garden and spent many hours enjoying the outdoors tending to her flowers. No documentary about Johnny Cash escaped her view and, when possible, she preferred to hear the Statler Brothers instead of the "noise" her two boys were listening to. Unknown to most people she held a secret crush on Merle Haggard or "one good-looking man" as she referred to him.

Mertie is survived by her two sons, Curtis Wayne (Jill) of Tiffin, IA and Timothy John of East Dubuque, IL; two granddaughters, Alexis (Dalton) of Republic, MO and Abbigail (Nathaniel) of Solon, IA.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Wayne; her parents; and by two brothers and a sister.