Merle Payne, 90, of Gideon, Mo., died Wednesday, July 6, 2005, at the Gideon Care Center.

Born July 16, 1914, in Gamaliel, Ark., son of the late William Henry and Julie Katherine Henson Payne, he was a farmer and of the Pentecostal faith.

On Feb. 3, 1940, in Gideon, he married Thelma Nadine Poole, who survives.

Survivors also include, four daughters, Mona Lemings and husband, Dub, of Benicia, Calif., Sharon Bradley, of Rogers, Ark., and Gayle Baelntine and husband, David and June Payne, all of Murray, Ky.; one son, Kevin Payne and wife, Teresa, of Malden, Mo.; two brothers, Ralph Payne, of Gideon and Jay Payne, of Qulin, Mo.; two sisters, Rose Till, of Kennett and Ruthie Heath, of Gideon; 10 grandchildren, Yolanda and Dubbie Lemings, of Martinez, Calif., Jeff Bradley, of Chesterfield, Mo., Jason Bradley, of Ozark, Mo., Angel Renick, of Louisville, Mo., Melissa Layton, of Brentwood, Tenn., Shane Smith, of Fremont, Calif., Shawnda Smith, of Alpharetta, Ga., and Summer and Zach Payne, both of Malden and 10 great-grandchildren, Ryan Lemings, of Concord, Calif., Ethan and Emma Bradley, of Chesterfield, Craigon and Jacie Bradley, of Ozark, Katherine, Audrey and Chase Renick, of Louisville and Will and Olivia Layton, of Brentwood.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Bob and Roy Payne.

Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, July 8, at the Landess Funeral Home in Malden.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 9, at the Landess Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Richard Blagg officiating.

Burial will follow at the Mt. Gilead Cemetery in Clarkton.