On August 24, 1930 God sent a blessing to Wendel Ralph and Bernyce (Sams) Russell in the form of a beautiful baby girl, they named her Merwyn.

Merwyn and her brothers, Rochelle and Alvin grew up in Taft, Oklahoma and attended Flipper Chapel AME Church where she served and remained committed until her health would no longer allow her to serve. Merwyn loved music and would sing every song, along with the choir. She served the church in many capacities; church school secretary, church secretary-treasurer, stewardess and trustee.

Merwyn also served in the community as a councilwoman, board member of CARE for the Children, Inc., and the committee that built the first fire station in Taft. She always had a way of speaking up.

Upon graduating from Moton High School, she embarked on her college journey attending Langston University in Langston, OK. Upon returning home she began her career journey with the State of Oklahoma working for the Taft State Hospital and Oklahoma Children's Center.

On January 27, 1953 she married her childhood sweetheart John (Jackie) Curl and they enjoyed fifty-six years of marriage until his untimely death in 2009. Although no children were born to this union, Merwyn had a caring and concerned heart. She mentored many young people and adored her nieces and nephews, showing interest in their education and well being and was always supportive in their endeavors.

Merwyn enjoyed cooking and gardening, sharing a love for sewing with her mother (Bernyce), whom she cared for in her home, when she was no longer able to care for herself, until she slipped quietly away in 2004. Losing her husband to cancer and with her own health failing, his niece and her husband moved in to care for her in her home until she quietly heard Jesus calling early in the morning on November 26, 2019, joining her husband, parents, and two brothers.

She leaves to cherish her memory; her care-givers Kim and Eric Lee, sister-in-law Lily Russell, bother-in-law Eugene Curl (Debbie), her uncle Stephen (Skippy) Russell (Mae), aunts, nieces, nephews, and a host of great nieces, great nephews, cousins, and friends.

Home Going services are scheduled for Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. in Flipper Chapel A.M.E. church Taft, OK with interment following in Ft. Gibson National cemetery, Ft. Gibson, OK.

Viewing only at funeral, Wednesday.

The family has been cared for by, House of Winn-Muskogee