A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, August 26, at Turlock Memorial Park for Merville "Ike" Olen Ikerd, 87, of Fairfield. He died Aug. 19, 2010 after a long illness..
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at the chapel.
Born June 6, 1923 in Visalia, Merville was raised in Modesto. Mr. Ikerd was a Navy veteran who served in the Pacific on the USS California and the USS Montrail during World War II. Upon returning home he married Lillian Mae Amaral and went into the trucking business with his father. He fulfilled a lifelong dream of police work by joining the Ceres Police Department in 1950. In 1957 he transferred to the Modesto City Police Department starting as a patrol officer and later as a motorcycle patrol officer. He was promoted to detective in 1963 and retired from MPD in 1978 as a detective sergeant working as a juvenile officer, arson and auto theft investigator. Mr. Ikerd lived in Modesto until moving in with his daughter in Fairfield in recent times.
He leaves behind his wife of 66 years, Lillian Ikerd of Fairfield; two daughters, Suzette Clement of Fairfield and Sandra Cramer of Colorado Springs, Colo.; his sister, Loraine Ahart; fve grandchildren, Laura Clement-Dierssen, Douglas Clement, Timothy Clement, Nicholas Cramer and Theodore Cramer; and nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by grandson Benjamin Cramer.
Remembrances may be sent to the Alzheimer's Association of Northern California, 1060 La Avenida St., Montain View, CA 94043.
-Ceres Courier/ August 25, 2010
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at the chapel.
Born June 6, 1923 in Visalia, Merville was raised in Modesto. Mr. Ikerd was a Navy veteran who served in the Pacific on the USS California and the USS Montrail during World War II. Upon returning home he married Lillian Mae Amaral and went into the trucking business with his father. He fulfilled a lifelong dream of police work by joining the Ceres Police Department in 1950. In 1957 he transferred to the Modesto City Police Department starting as a patrol officer and later as a motorcycle patrol officer. He was promoted to detective in 1963 and retired from MPD in 1978 as a detective sergeant working as a juvenile officer, arson and auto theft investigator. Mr. Ikerd lived in Modesto until moving in with his daughter in Fairfield in recent times.
He leaves behind his wife of 66 years, Lillian Ikerd of Fairfield; two daughters, Suzette Clement of Fairfield and Sandra Cramer of Colorado Springs, Colo.; his sister, Loraine Ahart; fve grandchildren, Laura Clement-Dierssen, Douglas Clement, Timothy Clement, Nicholas Cramer and Theodore Cramer; and nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by grandson Benjamin Cramer.
Remembrances may be sent to the Alzheimer's Association of Northern California, 1060 La Avenida St., Montain View, CA 94043.
-Ceres Courier/ August 25, 2010
