To the Editor:

It’s sad to hear that Joel Merriman passed.

Yes, he will be remembered for not only his commitment to his family, community, friends and civic groups. Joel did a lot for our immediate Potsdam and Norwood area residents.

I want to share a couple of memories of Joel Merriman that probably most people do not know. I was five years old at the time and Joel Merriman was 23 years.

I remember my dad, Bob Haggett, taking his milk to the Norwood Creamery which was situated in what is now a parking lot in downtown Norwood near Mechanic and Leonard streets. After delivering milk, we turned the corner and stopped at Merriman’s Feed and Coal.

The day that I remember was a winter day. Joel was dressed in working winter clothes including a plaid hunting jacket, a plaid hunting cap with ear-laps and a pair of green hunting boots with gray hunting socks which were colored red and white striped over the boot brims. Joel and his wife, Betty, ran this local feed and coal store. Joel also had hardware items. Anything that someone might need. I remember Joel had a great smile which he shared with everyone.

Dad needed a bag of chicken feed and also asked Joel if he could deliver a load of coal to our farm.

Chicken feed was ground very fine and would leak if bagged in normal burlap grain bags. Chicken feed was bagged in printed cotton cloth bags and you had to pay a $.05 deposit for these bags. I think that this may have been the first time that recycling was considered. My mom used this material to make summer shirts for her five sons and also made dresses for her three daughters. She said that she could not buy material as good as these bags for $.05!

Later this same winter windy day, Joel, delivered a load of coal to our farm. He backed his truck up to the cellar entry window and hand-shoveled one ton of coal into our cellar. He still had on his attire that he was wearing at his store but he was wearing a pair of buckskin gloves with knitted mittens. This was on a Saturday and my mom always baked bread. She had me give Joel a loaf of her bread and a pair of her hand- knitted mittens before he left our farm.

Somehow I think that Joel knew that my mom and dad did not have much money and gave a discount for both feed and coal.

Merriman did great things for our communities. He did great things for many people and their stories may never be shared.

I wish to share these memories and thank Joel Merriman and his family for everything that he did and what he passed on to his family members. Rest in peace Joel.

Bob Haggett

Norwood