Calvert Corkran Merriken Jr., 79

DENTON, Md. - Calvert Corkran Merriken Jr. of Denton died Thursday, Nov. 22, 2007, at his home. He was 79.

Born in Denton on April 1, 1928, Calvert was the son of the late Calvert C. Merriken Sr. and Jessie Layton Sapp Merriken Quillen of Harrington, Del.

He was married to Leslie Smith Merriken of Denton.

Mr. Merriken attended Caroline County Public Schools until 1944 and graduated from West Nottingham Preparatory Academy, Colora, in 1946.

He attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., where he swam on the collegiate swim team setting several records.

He also attended Washington College in Chestertown, and was inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame in October of 1988 for being a member of the 1949 track team.

From 1944 until 1947 he was a lifeguard at Rehoboth Beach, Del. and played saxophone in several dance bands.

During this time he also obtained his private pilot's license.

Mr. Merriken was a veteran of the Korean War, serving from 1950 until 1952 as a bacteriology technician in the Army's 25th Division, 25th Medical Battalion on the main line of resistance.

From the mid 1950s to 1973, he owned C. Merriken Fertilizer Inc. and C. Merriken Oil Supply Co. in Chestertown, where he lived for more than 35 years.

During that time, Mr. Merriken was president of the Kent County Maryland Jaycees, treasurer of the National Fertilizer Solutions Association and a charter member of the Caroline Country Club.

He was a past president of the Chester River Yacht and Country Club, and was instrumental in building the "back nine" golf course.

Mr. Merriken was a trustee at Kent School in Chestertown helping the onset of that private institution in 1967.

Throughout his life, Calvert served on several bank boards in Kent and Caroline counties. His term as director spanned 19 years at the Peoples Bank of Maryland in Denton, retiring in 1999.

He was an advisory director for the Chesapeake Bank and Trust in Chestertown, from 1987 until 1998 and was a past director of the Maryland National Bank in Chestertown in the 1960s and 1970s.

Mr. Merriken held lifetime memberships in the American Legion Caroline Post 29 in Denton, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Post 7937 in Greensboro, and the historical societies of Caroline County, Kent County, and Rehoboth Beach.

Throughout his life his interests included traveling, competitive sailing, swimming, golf and waterfowl hunting.

Mr. Merriken especially loved his numerous black Labradors with whom he spent many hours in duck blinds.

He was a longtime member of Ducks Unlimited.

Family genealogy was another great interest to him.

The Merriken family landed near Annapolis in 1649 from England.

The land grant they received was called "New Scotland" just north of the Severn River. His mother descended from the Sapp family who also sailed from England on board the second load of settlers brought by Lord Calvert to settle in Maryland.

Today, the family still holds title to farms with land grants from 1680 and 1752 which are in Delaware, but were part of Maryland at that time in history.

Mr. Merriken was also proud to be a member of the Society of Mareen Duvall Descendents.

In 1941, at the age of 13, he purchased his first tree farm near Greenwood, Del. and promoted forestry and the American Tree Farm System until his death.

He was a member of the Delaware Tree Farm Committee, Delaware Forestry Board, Delaware Forestry Association, American Forest Foundation, American Tree Farm System, Caroline County Conservancy Board, Caroline County Forestry Board, Maryland Forestry Board, Forest Landowners Association, Inc., and the Delaware Century Tree Farm.

He was elected Tree Farmer of the Year in both Maryland (1981) and Delaware (1978) for the American Tree Farm System. In 2000, he was honored as the Delaware Regional Tree Farmer of the Year, going on to win runner-up for the 13 Northeastern U.S. states for his forestry and stewardship practices and his promotion of the American Tree Farm System.

On May 1, 2004, Mr. Merriken was honored with the National Arbor Day Foundation's 2004 Good Steward Award at a ceremony in Nebraska City, Neb.

This award has international recognition for those whose outlook and accomplishments in tree planting and conservation on private lands reflect a care for future generations.

Most recently, on March 15, he and his wife were honored as Delaware's 2007 Tree Farmers of the year for their ongoing stewardship work and providing education to the public as to the importance of sustainable forestry.

Mr. Merriken was most proud of "Fairplay" Tree Farm, which has been in his family since 1680.

His business interests included managing his rental properties, family trust accounts, grain farms, tree farms, and developing sub-divisions. He operated his office in Denton until his death.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, William Sapp Merriken Jr. and Robert Ward Merriken.

He is survived by his wife, Leslie S. Merriken of Denton; his daughter, Susan M. Davis of Chestertown; and two grandchildren, Brendan Davis of Easton and Allison Davis of Chestertown.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Sunday in the Moore Funeral Home, P.A., 12 S. Second St. in Denton, where friends may call one hour before the service.

The interment will be in the Denton Cemetery.

A special thanks to caregivers Jane Todd, Virginia Saulsbury, Sunshine Services and the countless friends and family whom have stood by Cal and Leslie throughout the many years of his brave fight with COPD.

Instead of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Denton Emergency Medical Service Facility, C/O Denton Volunteer Fire Co., 400 S. Fifth Ave., Denton, MD 21629.

Calvert C. Merriken Jr. requested that everyone plant a tree in his memory.