Collen Mertz

Colleen Mae Mertz, 72 years old of Rancho Cucamonga CA passed away in Mentone CA at Rose Gardens Residential Care. She had also been battling with Alzheimer’s Dementia the last couple years. She was born, Colleen Mae Moen May 1, 1950, in Rochester, Minnesota. She graduated from Chosen Valley High School in Chatfield, MN, 1968. She worked at the Mayo clinic in Rochester for a short time after high school and then attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, CA where she met Steve D Larson. They were married on June 1, 1969. Together they had 3 children: Heidimarie J, Stefan P, and Christa C Larson. In 1976, Colleen suffered a brain hemorrhage related to an arterial venous malformation and recovered. She lived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota until divorce in Jan 8, 1978. She worked at Veterans Hospital for a short time in Sioux Falls SD as a phlebotomist before moving out west to Rancho Cucamonga Ca in 1979 to be closer to her parents Raymond and Gloria Moen and sister Sonja Connell. She met Thomas L Mertz and married Nov 27, 1981. They were married until his passing April 17,2020. She attended Grace Lutheran Church in Upland CA. She worked as a lab aide in the microbiology department at Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina CA. Later she was employed as a phlebotomist at Pomona Valley Hospital in Pomona CA and Cigna Healthcare clinic in Upland CA. Her last job was working for Continental Airlines in Los Angeles CA working in the reservations department. In May of 1990 she suffered another brain hemorrhage while taking her beloved cats Junior and Sammy to the vet. She recovered with rehabilitation but was not able to return to work again. Favorite things: Colleen loved her back yard with all the plants, flowers and trees when she lived in Upland CA, along with her koi pond. She loved her grandkids; In one of her letters she wrote, “I just love sitting in the swing chair with my grandchildren listening to the falls and watching the fishes.” The grand kids she is referring to are Andrew and Allyson Hunt, Brooke and Brandon Larson, Elora Kira Rorik and Willow Dela Cruz. She loved her cats; later in time there was Mustache and Snuggles. For travel, her favorite place to go was Lawrence Welk Time Share each year. She enjoyed going to the local theatre for plays and musicals. She collected teddy bears, including clothes blankets and stuffed animals. Christmas time was her favorite season to decorate. She wrote “I love the holidays especially Christmas, it takes me a long time to take out the decorations when it’s all out it’s Christmas!”. She loved to cook and bake especially Norwegian treats: Fattigmann, Krumkake and Lefse. Also, she wrote “I canned beets, tomatoes and pickles in South Dakota.” Taking photos and scrapbooking was her passionate hobby. She stated “I have 90 albums and that doesn’t include the small albums I have. I even made an album of our cats.” Colleen is survived by her children and grandchildren mentioned above. Also survived by her brothers Jeff and Jerome Moen and sister Sonja Connell and their children Colleen will be cremated, and ashes later dispersed in San Diego CA and also where she grew up in Minnesota per her wishes. Memorial service will be held at Grace Lutheran Church. Invites will be sent out.