Merrily Van Austin Dunham 1941 - 2019

MISSOULA- Merrily Van Austin Dunham died at home on Oct. 30. She was 77 years of age.

Merrily was born Dec. 23, 1941 in Salt Lake City, Utah as Velva (Van Tromp) and Mark W. Austin's only child.

She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Commercial Art Technology and Fine/Studio Arts. Following her graduation, she went to work near Yellowstone Park where she met her husband of 55 years, Larry Dunham.

Merrily was a member of several community and art clubs including the Alpine Artisans, Montana Watercolor Society and recently the Missoula Garden Club. She was a beautiful, loving woman who enjoyed the outdoors with her family, horseback riding with her friends and painting the scenes she saw around Washington and Montana. A video of her and her work can be found at https://vimeo.com/55722732

Merrily was preceded in death by her parents. Surviving in addition to her husband Larry Dunham are: her two daughters Kirsa Bayer (Kurt) and Maibritt Adkins (Mike); six grandchildren Cougar Bayer (Anna), Orie Bayer (Corey Eshpeter), Rowan Bayer (Michael Anderson), Rachael Adkins, Hallie Adkins (Amjed Horieh), Zane Adkins and two great grandchildren Mia Hartman and Hudson Bayer.

Those who wish to remember Merrily in a special way may make gifts in her memory to the Missoula Humane Society where she got her beloved dog Bailey and cat Autumn.