Lisa Merklein

Lisa Janelle Merklein, 62, of Salina, Kansas, passed away on March 12, 2026, after an eight-year battle with breast cancer. Born on August 26, 1963, in Beloit, Kansas, to Lawrence and Elizabeth Jean (Schroeder) Pahls, she grew up on a farm southwest of Tipton. She graduated with the Class of 1981 from Tipton High School and later earned a business certificate from Beloit Vo-Tech.

Lisa met her husband, Dale, while working at the John Deere dealership in Stockton, Kansas. They married on October 26, 1985, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Tipton, a day made even more memorable by the Kansas City Royals winning their first World Series. The couple had recently celebrated 40 years of marriage. In 1986, they moved to Salina, where Lisa worked as a secretary for a construction company before beginning a 30-year career with Dillons. Though her cancer diagnosis led to early retirement, she continued to embrace the activities she loved.

She found joy in tending her plants and flowers, gardening, and creating her famous cookies, pickles, and other canned goods that family and friends eagerly anticipated, especially during the holidays. Lisa and Dale shared a passion for buying and selling antiques, often repurposing old items into something new. She also loved collecting vintage cookbooks and testing old recipes, frequently using Dale as her willing taste-tester. Annual trips to vintage markets and craft shows rarely ended without her finding something special to bring home. She took great delight in attending her nieces’ and nephews’ sporting events, concerts, twirling, and dance competitions, often hosting them for overnight stays where she spoiled them with love and care. Lisa never missed a birthday or anniversary, always remembering to send a card. She was one of a kind and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

She is survived by her husband, Dale, of the home; her mother, Jean, of Tipton, Kansas; sister-in-law, Lauri, of Tipton; brother, Brent (Jennie), of Sylvan Grove, Kansas; sister-in-law, Sally (Mark) Pywell, of Burdett, Kansas; brother-in-law, Dwight (Zita), of Thermopolis, Wyoming; nephews and nieces, Dustin (Alisa) Pahls, of Downs, Kansas; Ashley Pahls (Jason Roy), of St. Louis, Missouri; Lane Pywell, of Laurel, Maryland; Hannah, Mina, Kenny, and Jesse Pahls, of Sylvan Grove; and great-nephews Soren and Vance Pahls, of Downs. She was preceded in death by her father, Lawrence; her brother, Brian; and her grandparents, Herman and Helen Schroeder and Cap and Anna Pahls.