Merlyn Carlson

Merlyn Carlson obituary, Sun City West, AZ

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Sun City West, Arizona

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Celebration Of Life

Jan. 30, 2027

10:00 a.m.

Desert Palms Presbyterian Church

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Merlyn Carlson Obituary

Name: Celebration of Life for Merlyn Carlson
Start: 2027-01-30T10:00:00.000Z
Location: Desert Palms Presbyterian Church

Merlyn E. Carlson, 91, of Sun City West, Arizona, formerly of Lodgepole, Nebraska, passed away on October 23, 2026. A lifelong rancher, agricultural leader, public servant, and devoted husband and father, Merlyn dedicated his life to his family, American agriculture, and the communities he served.

Born to Myron and Gladys Carlson, Merlyn was raised in Chappell, Nebraska. At Colorado State University, he earned a degree in agriculture and met Janice "Jan," the love of his life. They married on August 26, 1956, and built their family and agricultural operation in Lodgepole, Nebraska.

Merlyn and Jan operated Carlson Ranch Company, raising cattle and crops and advancing livestock breeding, irrigation, and soil conservation. In 1969, Merlyn became the youngest president in the history of the Nebraska Stock Growers Association, organizing local cattlemen's associations and supporting agricultural research and scholarships.

As president of the National Cattlemen's Association in 1980, Merlyn helped establish the Young Cattlemen's Conference, a national leadership-development program founded in 1980 that continues today and has prepared more than 1,000 future leaders of the beef industry. He also initiated the industry's first coordinated national beef-promotion plan. He advocated for producers on agricultural credit and economic policy and helped lay the groundwork for the National Beef Checkoff Program. Appointed to the inaugural Cattlemen's Beef Board, he later served as vice chairman. He also served eight years on the Nebraska Beef Council, including two as chairman.

Throughout his career, Merlyn met with and provided agricultural policy advice to five U.S. presidents: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. His firsthand experience brought the concerns of farmers and ranchers into national policy discussions.

His influence extended to international agricultural trade. As chairman of the U.S. Meat Export Federation from 1999 to 2002 and president of the Mid-America International Agri Trade Council, he helped expand overseas markets for American agricultural products. He also served on the Board of Governors of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and helped oversee the 1996 merger that created the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, serving on its Transition Executive Committee and later its Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

In 1999, Governor Mike Johanns appointed Merlyn director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. He promoted agricultural innovation and led international trade missions. In 2005, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns appointed him deputy under secretary for Natural Resources and Environment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture during President George W. Bush's administration, where he helped shape national conservation and natural-resource policy.

Merlyn's agricultural honors spanned decades. In 1971, he received the Agricultural Achievement Award from the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben for his beef-industry leadership, advocacy for cattlemen, and achievements as an Angus breeder. Colorado State University recognized him with its College of Agricultural Sciences Honor Alumnus Award in 1982. In 1983, The Record Stockman presented him with the Livestock Man of the Year Award at Denver's National Western Stock Show. He was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement in 1998 and the Nebraska Cattlemen Hall of Fame in 2004, receiving commemorative silver spurs. Colorado State University presented its Livestock Leader Award to him at the National Western Stock Show in 2005, and the Nebraska Farm Bureau honored him with its Silver Eagle Award in 2017.

Merlyn also served in political and civic leadership. He chaired Nebraska's Third Congressional District Republican Party from 1984 to 1988, participated in campaigns for Presidents Ford and Reagan and other state and national leaders, chaired U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel's Third District campaign effort in 1996, served on Governor Kay Orr's Agriculture Advisory Committee, and ran for Congress in 1990.

In Nebraska, he helped establish the Virginia Smith Charitable Trust and served on the Thomas D. Buckley Trust's Board of Trustees until retiring in 2025. He was president of the Rotary Club in Chappell, served on hospital and rest-home boards, and enjoyed community parades as a Mason and Shriner, often driving his three-wheeler.

After retiring to Sun City West, Merlyn remained active as president of the Rotary Club of Sun City West, the Property Owners and Residents Association (PORA), and the Sun City West Republican Club. He served as board secretary for Northwest Valley Connect and the Sun City West Foundation and on the Maricopa County Transportation Advisory Board. He enjoyed Nebraska Club breakfasts and golf.

Merlyn and Jan were active at Desert Palms Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder and chaired the Property Committee. Their church family and lasting friendships in Sun City West were an important part of their lives.

Merlyn and Jan celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on August 26, 2026, shortly before Jan's passing on September 8. They shared a deep love for each other, their family, and the communities they called home.

They raised three children on the Carlson Ranch in Lodgepole: Stephen "Steve" Carlson, who preceded Merlyn in death in 1991; Christine Carlson; and Debra Carlson Flinn (Paul). Merlyn was a proud grandfather to Jessica Kustas (Ryan), Alexander Hoben, Nathaniel DeBello, and Zachary DeBello. He also shared a close bond with Jan's sister, Jane Krause (the late Victor Krause), and their children, Michael Krause (Susie) and Lisa Langemeier (John).

From the ranches of western Nebraska to Washington, D.C., and international agricultural missions, Merlyn never forgot his roots. As he once wrote, "You can take the boy off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy."

A joint Celebration of Life honoring Merlyn and Janice Carlson will be held at Desert Palms Presbyterian Church in Sun City West, Arizona, at 10:00 a.m. on January 30, 2027.

Merlyn will be laid to rest in Chappell, Nebraska, alongside his beloved wife, Jan, and their son, Steve.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Nebraska Cattlemen's Foundation in Lincoln, Nebraska, or to Desert Palms Presbyterian Church in Sun City West, Arizona.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Lincoln Journal Star on Nov. 8, 2026.