Orlan Mertz

vey, ND died Thursday,

May 4, 2017 in an ATV

accident near Antelope

Lake, northwest of Har-

vey.

Funeral services will be

at the Peace Lutheran

Church, Goodrich on

Wednesday May 10 at

10:30 a.m.

Visitation will be at the

Hertz Funeral Home, Har-

vey on Tuesday from 3

p.m. to 7 p.m. Burial will

be in the Goodrich City

Cemetery.

Orlan Theodore Mertz

was born January 19, 1935

on the original Mertz

homestead north of Goo-

drich, to Norma and Ted

Mertz. Orlan grew up

there until they moved to

the family farm. Orlan

graduated from Goodrich

Public School in 1952 and

then attended NDSU for 2

years, from where he re-

turned to the family farm

after the death of his fa-

ther. Orlan was the oldest

of eight children.

Orlan married Patty

(Case) on May 12, 1955 in

Goodrich and they lived

on the farm where they

raised their children,

Monica, Rachelle and

Ted.

Orlan was an en-

trepreneur and loved

creating something from

nothing. Orlan was an

honorable steward of the

land and farmed on his

family farm until 1999. He

and Patty were 4-H

leaders for 25-plus years

where they touched the

lives of many local kids.

Both Orlan and Patty im-

mersed themselves in

North Dakota and Nation-al politics. Orlan was a

member of the North

Dakota ASCS committee

during President Ronald

Reagan’s administration.

In 1991, Orlan and son

Ted followed their dreams

of opening Sheyenne Val-

ley Lodge, which they ran

from 1991 to 2005. Orlan

had a love of the out-

doors, welcoming hunters

to legendary North Dakota

and raising elk. In 2007,

Orlan and son Ted pur-

chased Mertz Americana

Hotel in Harvey, ND.

Most recently, Orlan and

Ted started their next en-

trepreneurial adventure at

Antelope Lake northwest

of Harvey developing lake

properties.

Orlan had a love for

fishing, hunting, poker

playing and family. He

had a passion for the out-

doors and lived his life to

the last cast.

Orlan is survived by:

his daughters, Monica

(Tim) Wonnenberg of

Bismarck, Rachelle (Dave)

Williamson of Minot; son,

Ted (Tammy) Mertz of

Anamoose; mother, Nor-

ma of Harvey; grandchil-

dren, David (Tovey) Won-

nenberg, Tyler Mertz,

Mandel (Grant) Cameron,

Kaitlyn Kline (Brandon

Weidert);

great-grandchildren,

Spencer, Xander, Eliza-

beth, Jack; brother, Terry

(Nell) Mertz of Grand

Forks; sisters, Bonita

Mertz (Al Binfet) of Elgin,

Karen (Dennis) Konschak

of Goodrich, Gale (Phil)

Benner of Phoenix, AZ,

sister-in-law Kathy Mertz

of Bismarck; along with

numerous extended fami-

ly.

Orlan was preceded in

death by: his wife, Patty

Mertz; father, Theodore

Mertz; brothers, Darryl,

Gary (Jimmy) and Tim.

Condolences may be

shared at

www.hertzfuneral

homes.com