MERLIN B. "RED" SCHLOSS

Funeral Mass for Merlin B. "Red" Schloss will be conducted at St. Mary Cathedral today at 10 a.m. by the Rev. Glenn Eftink. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery.

Schloss, 71, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, April 7, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center after collapsing at home while working in his yard.

Schloss was born April 5, 1924, in Belgique, the son of Louis William and Louisa Ernst Schloss. On Oct. 5, 1948, he married Genevieve Ponder at Apple Creek.

Schloss served in the U.S. Air Force in England, France and Germany from 1943 to 1946.

Schloss worked as a route salesman for Locke Distributing for 25 years until 1977, and then for Bluff City Beer, retiring from there in 1989. He worked part-time for Bi-State Southern Oil Co. after retirement.

He was a member of St. Mary Cathedral Parish where he was active as an usher and eucharistic minister. He was an honorary life member of the Knights Of Columbus Council 1111. Schloss was a member of VFW Post 3838 in Cape Girardeau and American Legion Post 133 in Perryville.

Survivors are his wife; two sons, Larry Schloss of Cape Girardeau and Steve Schloss of Williamstown, N.J.; two daughters, Janet Oller of Branson and Sandy Hinkle of Cape Girardeau; four sisters, Catherine Buerck, Rose Richardet, Marveline Schumer and Norma Vernon, all of Perryville; and seven grandchildren.

Four brothers preceded him in death.

Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.