Clyde Victor Merckle, 92, died January 1, 2008, at his home in Surprise, Arizona. Clyde was born on April 25, 1915, at Fly, Ohio the son of Samuel J. and Blanche Hissom Merckle. He married Margaret Evelyn Lehman December 28, 1936 at Newton, Kansas. She died June 2, 1971. He was a retired drilling contractor for the D. R. Lauck Oil Company. After working for the D. R. Lauck Oil Company as driller and toolpusher, he became a partner in 1956 of the Lauck Drilling Company, a position he held for the next 22 years. The Haliburton Oil Producing Company hired him in 1977, but a year later, he assembled a new rig and commenced operating as the Merckle Drilling Company. After five more years, he sold the rig and went to work for Sam Mays Petroleum Services for several years. In 1987 Merckle built the wooden derrick for the Mid-America Oil and Gas Show which still stands at the Expo Building. Mr. Merckle was a resident of Surprise, Arizona since 2002 coming from Great Bend, where he had been a resident since 1941. Mr. Merckle was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Great Bend, BPOE, all Masonic bodies in Great Bend and ISIS Temple and Salina Consistory both of Salina, Kansas, KIOGA and the Great Bend Petroleum Club. Mr. Merckle is survived his daughter, Karen Clarke, Surprise, Arizona. He was preceded in death by a sister, Clara Merckle. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, January 8, 2007 at First United Methodist Church, Great Bend, with the Reverend Gary Brooks officiating. Interment will be at the Great Bend Cemetery, Great Bend, Kansas. Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Monday, January 7, 2008, with the family to receive friends from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Bryant Funeral Home. Memorials are suggested to the Shrine Children's Hospital in care of the funeral home.