Merissa Ann Waters

Merissa Ann Waters July 21, 1954– March 12, 2024

On the morning of March 12, 2024, Merissa passed away peacefully after a long illness at Rossville Healthcare in Rossville, Ks. Merissa was 69 years old.

Merissa was born Merissa Ann David on July 21st, 1954, to Willeta Margaret Craighead-David and Wallace Bruce David Sr in Fulton Missouri where she grew up. In 1973, at the age of 18, she moved to Carbondale where she lived for 50 years. In July of 2023, she went to live at Rossville Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Rossville, Ks.

Merissa married David Roscoe Garner on December 25, 1973. He died April 18, 1993. Merissa married her current husband Harold Lee Waters on February 17, 1999.

Merissa was a fun loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She was known for having huge parties every year for holidays and often had get-togethers at Osage Lake in the summertime. Her family and friends would take their campers and tents for a week or more and would fish, play games, and sit around a campfire and talk. She had a great passion for cooking, and everyone loved eating her food.

Merissa was an amazing artist. She could draw any picture that she wanted, and her talent did not go unnoticed. When she colored any drawing, the pictures would look as if they came out of a book and could come alive.

Merissa had the most beautiful handwriting and would spend hours writing in diaries for her only granddaughter. She was so happy to be a grandmother. It was all she ever talked about for the last 11 years of her life. Her favorite pastime was hanging out with her granddaughter. She would sit and let Jadyn apply makeup to her entire face and she would look so silly but she did not care. She lived for her granddaughter and was happy to be spending that time with her one and only grandchild.

Merissa always wanted a daughter and in 1991, she started raising her 14-year-old niece, Carolyn David. Their mother- daughter bond blossomed over the years into a wonderful relationship. Carolyn was Merissa's caregiver for several years and their bond only grew stronger with the more time they spent together. Merissa was a wonderful, caring mother to all her children including her bonus daughter.

Merissa was very family oriented and was a stay-at-home mother while her 2 boys were growing up. Later, she spent several years as a store manager in the food and retail industry and worked many different jobs. She worked at Casey's General Store in Carbondale, and she worked cleaning houses for several years with her long-time friend Carolyn Dabney.

Merissa was preceded in death by her first husband David Roscoe Garner, 2 brothers, Wallace Bruce David Jr and Richard Lewis David, her parents Willeta David-Johnson and Wallace Bruce David Sr, stepfather Oscar Lee Johnson, 2 stepbrothers Jerry Johnson, Marvin Johnson, and a stepsister Verna Rivera.

Merissa is survived by her husband Harold Waters Carbondale, Ks; 2 sons, Steven David and Jason Garner, Carbondale, Ks; 1 grandchild, her beloved granddaughter Jadyn Ross Garner, Carbondale, and her bonus daughter, Carolyn David, Wellsville, Ks.

My family would like to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to Prairie Wind Hospice for all the care and support the staff rendered to Merissa during her time on hospice care. They made Merissa's last days more comfortable and gave our family much needed support during these difficult times. We would also like to give a special thank you to all the staff at Rossville Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. We are very grateful and appreciative of all they did to care for Merissa during her final months.

There will be private graveside services for immediate family members. A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date.